2009, we hardly knew ye: Lightning Bolt’s “Earthly Delights”

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Lightning Bolt – Sound Guardians

Lightning Bolt – Colossus

In lieu of using my own words to discuss (“discussion” is probably not the right word, though – “endorse” seems more honest) Lightning Bolt’s extremely underrated 2009 effort, Earthly Delights, here’s an excerpt from an interview of questionable truthiness with crazed Japanese noise musicians/conceptual artists Watashi-Wa Ga Ga Pa << GA, conducted under the influence of sake bombs and birthday cake, and hastened on the pretense that the band was on the run from the Kentucky state police :

Question. ?

Sumi (bass guitar/fireworks): we are fine, a thousand thanks you. It is great fun to be in America; for several years, I studied American culture at, how do you say, Fukuoka Polytechnical. I have dream come true!

Q. ?

Nakota (electric guitar/electric screwdriver/party hats): America is very nice, yesterday we were in Chicago. Is great city, beautiful people, beautiful tall buildings. Fattest men and women! Gooooooo Bears!

(band dissolves into giggles)

Haruki (backing vocals/walks dogs in audience during shows): My favorite city is Milwaukee. French fries! Ryan Braun-San! Numbah 1!

Q. ?

Sumi: some of our main inspirations are Lightning Bolt, of the mystical city of Providence, Rhode Island. We like their masks. Their recent album, Earthly Delights, is very good.

Q. ?

Sumi: Yes!

Haruki: SUPER MEGA HIT!

Yumi Yumi Yumi (lead vocals/amateur audience dentistry): this album received very little publication in America. Why? This brings shame to your Western listening habits.

(band dissolves into giggles)

Nakota: “Colossus” reminds me of a snowball, rolling down Mt. Fuji, constantly increasing in size, building in tension and menace. The snowball is filled with ice chunks and power tools.

Q. ? ? ?

Hideo SuperSmashi (plays homemade drums with lollipops): “Colossus” is like…Sumi-San, what is the American colonial saying, again?

Sumi: “a postmodern de- and then re-construction of Black Sabbath’s ‘Iron Man,’ in which the band’s trademark immediacy is forsaken for seven minutes of loosely-constructed tension, buildup, and release.”

Hideo: Yes! Right. Correct! Those words. But my favorite is “Sound Guardians.” Best ever Lightning Bolt production! It is like surf guitar heavy metal, possessing, how do you say, the tasteful brevity of a curb-stomp?

Haruki: I…like French fries! Yee haw!

Q. ?…?

Tama Tama Tama Tama (keyboards/traffic lights): I do not understand this band’s unpopularity. Earthly Delights is nearly as good as Lightning Bolt’s Wonderful Rainbow. Although less groundbreaking, equally good, sonically speaking. Also, better cover art. What is the American saying…“hindsight is 20/20?”

Haruki: I do NOT like French fries! No no no no no no no no no NO!

Q. !….?

Moto (tambourine/feeds donuts to sock puppets onstage): Let’s not even talk about “Transmissionary”! Twelve minutes of bludgeoned intensity! So violent, bluntly traumatic, and yet beautiful in a twisted sense – perhaps drummer Brian Chippendale’s best performance.

Q. …?

Haruki: I’m sorry?

Q. (repeats question)

Haruki: French fries!!!