SHOGUN ASSASSINS (Blue Liquid, Black Sounds, Red Display) MCD-R
More recently, I have received a lot of good music from Denmark and Copenhagen's three-piece SHOGUN ASSASSINS is no exception to this rule. With both feet planted firmly in the early 1970's, the three tracks on this self-released EP offer a lot of variety within the blues rock genre. SHOGUN ASSASSINS write strong, memorable tracks and attach a great deal of value to sophisticated song arrangements. That is why 'Blue Liquid, Black Sounds, Red Display' is a particularly exciting affair which never becomes predictable. 'My Electric Mistress' is the first song which has been enriched with slight funky leanings. SHOGUN ASSASSINS do not rely on heavy riffs except for the middle section of 'My Electric Mistress', where suddenly a doomy riff crashes into the peaceful mood.
Apart from that, all three songs are light and airy as a spring breeze. The next song,'Laid Off', is a little more psychedelic and dreamy without losing its energy. 'Roadhouse Rumble' is the last cut and again SHOGUN ASSASSINS return to the funkiness of the first track. It sounds as if Jimi Hendrix has established a connection with later Beatles, and that's a pretty good thing in my book. The production and engineering on this EP are perfect due to the good work of Johan Lei Gellet and Alex Saltz who had worked together with Radio Birdman, Roky Erickson, New York Dolls and The Hellacopters to name but a few.
Overall, SHOGUN ASSASSINS has got loads of class and they impress me with their naturalness and musical skills. Thus it will slowly be time that a suitable record label (I am thinking of Crusher Records or Transubstans Records) will pick up this Danish guys as soon as possible. By the way, SHOGUN ASSASSINS do not only invest a lot of love in their music but also in the design of their releases. 'Blue Liquid, Black Sounds, Red Display' comes with a beautifully handcrafted cover that looks like a vinyl replica with the difference that the edges have been sewn together. Even the professionally designed CD-R looks like a record. So it wouldn't be a bad idea to buy a copy directly from the band...
(KK)