Mike Patton’s Ipecacis as good a place as any to tap into forward thinking music that doesn’t fit snuggly into an indie rock context, and London instrumental trio Guapo’s latest LP is a fine place to start. The second part of a supposed trilogy begun with 2004’s Five Suns, Black Oni is a single piece of music divided into five movements, clocking in at just under 45 minutes. Overall, a Goblin vibe is definitely present, as the music here is very dark and could maybe serve as a score for a horror movie during its more ambient moments. But this is certainly not meant to be background music.
After a tense build up, not unlike something you’d hear from Xenakis, the group moves into a 5/4 groove that becomes a 5/4 to 6/4 march into the second movement, which serves as a good showcase of what we can expect from the trio. The third movement, beginning with a minimalist melodic piano vamp, is the album’s standout track with the group at its most aggressive, reminding me of Egg’s Polite Force. While the fourth movement soundscape employs some electronic tones that would probably blow your dog’s head up, the fifth and final moment shows the band at their darkest and technical best. While this LP might leave some people in the dust, even more will be looking out for the final installment, as well as at this band’s tour itinerary.