The Ruins' Tzomborgha... thoughts?

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I picked this up recently... my first Ruins album. I really dig it. Haven't spent enough time with it to get into to it too heavily, but I'm curious to hear more opinions. Representative of their other work?

― Yancey (ystrickler), Monday, 18 November 2002 22:20 (twenty-three years ago)

I think Tzomborgha is great. Very melodic and accessible by Ruins standards, really showing off their insane prog talents while keeping it fun and not overbearing.

The novelty medleys (in this case Black Sabbath and Mahavishnu Orchestra riffs) are getting a little old but thankfully are tacked onto the end of the album and are good for some fun now and then.

As far as representative of their other work, Yancey, I'd say a closely similar album would be their Live at the Kichijoji Mandala album released on Tzadik a while back. Their earlier stuff (recently compiled also) is much more low-fi and a bit less melodic at times.

In all, great Ruins album for unfamiliar listeners and long time fans alike, definitely.

― paul ziemba, Monday, 18 November 2002 23:15 (twenty-three years ago)

I have Burning Stone and Hyderomastgroningem, and absolutely love them. I was warned off a number of their other releases, notably Saisoro (their collaboration with Derek Bailey) and Symphonica (overly repetitive and wanky-in-a-bad-way). I just bought Tzomborgha today, and at first listen it sounds pretty solid, but not quite as chaotic and crazy as Hydero. Definitely tighter and more refined.

― Nick Mirov (nick), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 06:41 (twenty-three years ago)

They were playing Ruins on the radio last night. It was great. I'd never heard them before.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 14:55 (twenty-three years ago)

Very melodic and accessible by Ruins standards, really showing off their insane prog talents while keeping it fun and not overbearing.

Ruins got a little criticized for their last couple of studio releases (Vrresto and Pallaschtom) for falling into the rut of playing stuff that sacrificed jams for fucked up technique. Curiously, this happened at roughly the same time Ryuichi Masuda left the band, and Hisashi Sisaki started getting writing credits. Maybe Yoshida, listened to his critics, or maybe he just wanted to revisit his roots -- or maybe he was tired of his other band Koenjihyakkei getting mega-props for being melodic and accessible by Yoshida standards!

― dleone (dleone), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 15:18 (twenty-three years ago)

that's really good to know. i just bought my first ruins album a few weeks ago "Pallaschtom", and although i think it's great, it's not very melodic or groovy (some songs kick out the jams though)

i bought it a week or so after buying my first Magma record "Attakh" and was pretty bummed it wasn't as melodic. i love that record.

i will continue my ruins purchases

― JasonD (JasonD), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 23:48 (twenty-three years ago)

one year passes...

DNA on DNA Track 7, "New Fast" sounds like this!

― HAMBURGER NEURON GROUP (ex machina), Monday, 7 June 2004 18:29 (twenty-one years ago)

two months pass...

http://www.skingraftrecords.com/news_pages/ruins-flowers.jpg

Skingraft:

" ITEM! Because you demanded it, LOTS of RUINS in 2005! More info next time!"

― ())(())()()()(()(LASER)()()()LA(Z)E(R)()()()((L)()()(A)(S(E)R()()()) (ex machina, Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:07 (twenty-one years ago)

tzomborgha was great!
vrresto is the only thing approaching dud they did.
get all 3 koenji hyakkei records if you haven't already they are indespensible super prog bigband ruins w/ lady operatics & keyboards they are MASSIVE. the DVD of koenji hyakkei is also ace even if it is not exactly showbiz. but they play the tunes!!! all the way through!! without forgetting bits!!!! 2nd keyboard player in leather trousers!!!!. i always imagined they would put on more of a show with robes and shiny metal masks and puppet spaceships. but no they remain relatively still and play the tunes.
i should also like to to take this opportunity to awaken all noisy prog folk out there to the fact that UPSILON ACRUX HAVE A NEW ALBUM OUT!!!!!!
you go, girls!

― bob snoom, Friday, 3 September 2004 09:29 (twenty-one years ago)

i tend to prefer burning stone and the other one that came before that on shimmy disc to hydero... - they have super disco poppy moments on. also worth getting is refusal fossil on skingraft - demos, live & unreleased stuff, worth it if only for the blistering version of gravestone that they do is is gravestone ? i don't tend to think of ruins tunes w/ names somehow. i say get them all ruins are the best

― bob snoom, Friday, 3 September 2004 09:38 (twenty-one years ago)

I never listen to this one. It's all about Koenji/Burning Stone at my house.

― original bgm, Friday, 3 September 2004 10:43 (twenty-one years ago)

My rule of thumb is that the albums with Masuda are best, then the albums with Kimoto and then Sasaki. Sasaki plays great, but the tunes aren't as good (though I happen to love Symphonica). Koenjihyakkei is the best.

You guys should also check out Yoshida's album with Korekyojin from this year, Arabesque. Instrumental prog-fusion-improv, and his best in this vein in a long time.

― dleone (dleone), Friday, 3 September 2004 11:14 (twenty-one years ago)

oh boyoboy yes i second that - super mahavishnuized jazz rock madness with no vocals (they can get a bit much after a while) i thought korekyojin(n)'s first one was good but Arabesque really is something else quite spectacular

― bob snoom, Friday, 3 September 2004 13:39 (twenty-one years ago)

one month passes...

4) RUINS / HIGH ON FIRE split 7" and comic coming in 2005, followed by RUINS "Vrresto" CD.

― Professor Challenger (ex machina), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 15:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Who's heard the Knead LP? Which is Yoshida and Keiji Haino and some other Ruins-related fella? I've been tempted by this but edged off because of the high sticker price.

― Ian c=====8 (orion), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 16:34 (twenty-one years ago)

I've heard the Knead CD (I think they have two records, one of which is vinyl-only, so I don't know whether you're talking about that one or the one that came out on PSF). It's pretty much what you'd think when you hear the phrase "Haino & the Ruins." More improv-splattery, obviously, because Ruins are usually pretty sure of themselves before they dive in where Haino is raw and in-the-moment. If you love either or both, check it out, but it ain't Fushitsusha-level roar.

― pdf (Phil Freeman), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 16:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Symphonica is great on random!

― Professor Challenger (ex machina), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 18:36 (twenty-one years ago)

why would ruins fuck up my listening expirience by doing a record with the sucky ass high on fire?

― big chaki (chaki), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 19:19 (twenty-one years ago)

six years pass...

hey fans of Ruins: how are these two Ruins discs? can't decide which to pick up first (or maybe both). i like Ruins' stuff on Ipecac but haven't heard anything else so far... ready to dive in & go nuts

- Hyderomastgroningem
- Refusal Fossil

― Damn this thread seems so....different without ilxor (ilxor), Wednesday, 9 March 2011 15:57 (fifteen years ago)

That's a tough one, both are great.

― Run Westy Run Megatorrent (MaresNest), Wednesday, 9 March 2011 16:01 (fifteen years ago)

I tried to get into this band a few times; the track "Praha in Spring" is pure magic, mainly because its the only oone where I can remember how it goes, and it's more than just their typical bass/drums freakout stuff. Do they have more stuff like that??

― frogbs, Wednesday, 9 March 2011 18:33 (fifteen years ago)

i would opt for hydermastrgroningem, which is one of their best recorded albums, and is the last w/my fave ruins bassist Ryuichi Masuda. Refusal Fossil is way harsher of a recording, but musically, it's probably just as good if you like the band.

― Dominique, Wednesday, 9 March 2011 23:13 (fifteen years ago)

i'd go for refusal fossil - more tunes to hum in the shower - very lo-fi tho. get both !
and then get eiko ishibashi & tatsuya yoshida's "slip beneath the distant tree" which has many of the most manic proggy tatsuya moments of recent years tempered / contrasted by some sweet melodic input from ms ishibashi (keys & mouthsingin') - one of my favourite records of the last few years

― iglu ferrignu, Thursday, 10 March 2011 11:06 (fifteen years ago)

just realised I responded to this question in the wrong (albeit related) thread. durr.

S/D: Ipecac Recordings

― m the g, Thursday, 10 March 2011 11:10 (fifteen years ago)

thanks everyone!

― Damn this thread seems so....different without ilxor (ilxor), Thursday, 10 March 2011 14:54 (fifteen years ago)

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