Since their formation in 2010, tricot have built an international fanbase and toured Asia, US and Europe: not an easy accomplishment on a small independent record label’s budget, but it demonstrates their commitment to sharing their unique sound with the world. Now the all-female trio have released their third album, simply numbered 3, through their own label BAKURETSU RECORDS, and simultaneously in the USA and Europe thanks to distribution deals with Top Shelf Records and Big Scary Monsters.
The band have remained a tight-knit trio since the departure of original drummer Kazutaka Komaki in 2014. They’ve tried a variety of drummers over the following years but here touring support drummer Yusuke Yoshida features on all but two tracks and he may be the closest thing yet to being the regular drummer. He clearly gets what tricot are all about and the band trust him to write their drum arrangements. It’s Yoshida that gets the album of to a blistering start with his drum intro to Tokyo Vampire Hotel.
This thrilling two-and-a-half-minute blast might not seem like typical tricot fare with its blood-stained lyrics and anime theme feel, but it’s the first of many examples this album provides of the band stepping out of their usual creative space and trying something new. The track is the opening theme to the Amazon Japan TV streaming service’s new vampire action-horror drama of the same name and is a project the band took on after being approached directly by the series’ director, provocative auteur Sion Sono.
Wabi-Sabi brings listeners back to the land of the living and more familiar tricot territory with its stop-start rhythms, shifting time signatures and Motoko ‘Motifour’ Kida’s distinctive guitar style. It’s Ikumi ‘Ikkyu’ Nakajima’s passionate vocals and Hiromi ‘hirohiro’ Sagane’s glorious, booming bass that really make this song fly though.
While they acknowledge the ‘math-rock’ tag they’ve been given, tricot have never paid any mind to these sorts of labels nor been part of any scene, always remaining resolutely independent and insisting they just enjoy making whatever music they want to. They’ve never been afraid to experiment and this album has a degree of playfulness and fun not often found in their earlier work which can have a cool air of earnest complication about it at times. The funky, acid jazz infused Yosoiki is a stand-out example of this free and easy tricot heading off in new directions.
Unusually, all three take a turn at the song’s lead vocal. The familiar sound of Ikkyu’s vocals contrasts with Motoko’s slightly harder tone and Hiromi’s sweeter, gentler voice to give the song a different feel. The chorus might be little more than a collection of ‘yeah, yeahs’ but the backing vocals elevate it into something special.
After the album’s powerful start and varied styles the middle section of the album is dominated with what might be called classic tricot style tracks, starting with the lead single from the album, DeDeDe.
Pork Side is a brief minute that serves as an introduction to Pork Ginger, their single from 2015, which now finds a permanent home here. Setsuyakuka is another previously released track, from 2016’s KABUKU EP, which appears later on the album. These older tracks fit in comfortably alongside the new material despite featuring different drummers, Kosuke Wakiyama and Yuma Abe respectively.
Drummer Yusuke Yoshida puts in a remarkable performance on 18, 19, keeping everything on track but off-balance at the same time. The song feels as though it might tear apart at the seams as the conflicting rhythms strain and pull against each other, much like the unbearable, unresolved tensions in the relationship described in the lyrics. This is tricot right at the top of their game.
Namu is a frantic pico-pop tinged instrumental laced with heavily distorted guitar. The cartoon-like vocal refrain of ‘namu’ grabs all the attention but there are some subtle and clever backing vocals down in the mix too. The word ‘namu’ roughly translates as a Buddhist ‘amen’ which might make this track some sort of whacked-out religious chant. Whether or not the monks back in Kyoto are left shaking their heads, it’s an enjoyable bit of knockabout fun.
Switching with ease from the ridiculous to the sublime, Munasawagi bursts into life with gorgeous vocal harmonies. While it’s normally their guitars and erratic rhythms that garner most attention, tricot’s backing vocals rarely seem to get the credit they deserve. On this album they’ve been developed to another level and the uplifting choruses give this track real heart and warmth.
Up last is Melon Soda, an honest-to-goodness pop song. This short but sweet track, with hirohiro’s gently looping bassline at its heart, closes the album leaving you with a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.
3 has everything that won tricot so many international fans in the first place, only now their signature style has been refined, making this their most impressive and well-constructed album yet. Remarkably, all ten new tracks were recorded live in a single session, without the aid of a click track or metronome, and the production has preserved the energetic live feel but also given the album an expanded and polished sound. For anyone who may have had trouble getting to grips with tricot’s restless, fractured rhythms previously, now is the time to give them another chance. While this is undeniably tricot, with all the expected tricky technicality, the band have relaxed to show their fun, friendly and warm side too.
