Fall Of Spring

The world of ENDON is one of constant evolution and revolution. The Tokyo-based ensemble of Taichi Nagura, Koki Miyabe, and Taro Aiko have made a name for themselves with their relentless exploration of sonic extremes in the vein of artists such as the Boredoms and Merzbow. The resulting music is a powerful emotional release for both artist and listener. Their commitment to evolution and dystopian noise as a playground for exploration and pure expression carried them through the recent departure of their drummer Shin Yokota and the tragic death of brother and band member Etsuo Nagura in 2020. Where some might have tried to replace members, ENDON’s core pressed forward with an autobiographical work exploring these changes and the shifts in their lives, Fall of Spring. Honest and raw emotions delivered with uncompromising sonic intensity, Fall of Spring is a thrilling tidal wave of sound born of the psyche of three individuals musically congregating into one tumultuous voice.

ENDON are laser-focused on growth, building and mutating sounds according to their own desires and experiences. On previous records ENDON achieved a legendary weight and intensity using more traditional rock instrumentation like drums and guitars. Fall of Spring found the ensemble pushing through collective loss, in part by leaving those instruments behind. The trio instead explored making music not only without the players but in a new instrumental configuration, actively resisting what might be expected of them and evolving into a new band. Fall of Spring is as much a dense, innovative onslaught as it is a work of musical and cultural resistance to the “Made in Occupied Japan” hegemony that dominates much of the art around them. For the first time the majority of their lyrics are distinctly in English, a confrontation of cultural expectations embracing and subverting the persona of the occupier. Notes vocalist and lyricist Taichi Nagura: “Most of the lyrics are written in English, in simple, straight, traditional words, expressions and clichés on purpose. Japan has a history and tendency towards ‘imported stuff is way better than the native,’ ‘rock music by western people sounds better’. From sort of an ironic Japanese person’s side, I don’t and will never forget the ‘Made in Occupied Japan’ attitude.”

Fall of Spring continues the band’s charter for each member to find the boundaries of their potential and push past them. Weaponized synthesizers thrum with fizzling distortion as electronic pulses crash through the mire. Nagura’s voice interlaces with and at times surpasses the oppressive thrall. With the droning bass of “Prelude for the Hollow” and the swooping tones of “Hit Me”, subtle melodicism reveals itself beneath an abrasive surface. That melodicism nearly froths to the surface on album centerpiece “Time Does Not Heal” until it is again buried by noise along with Nagura’s cries, which only increase in desperation as their volume fades. The aptly titled album climax “Escalation” is a masterclass of dynamic noise. Starting at what, for most, would be a distorted zenith only to be pushed far beyond into new sonic architectures by a deluge of gabber-like beats and an all-encompassing spectrum of distortion.

Fall of Spring captures the electricity and unpredictability of ENDON’s live performances in vivid detail. The album harnesses the power of their storied performances through unpredictable movements, deft arrangements and an exhilarating textural palette. By imbuing their sound with raw emotion teetering on the edge of obliteration, the trio are able to create what they call “organic music with inorganic material.” For ENDON, those moments of suspense and surprise are the core of their music. Fall of Spring is a vessel for band and listener to share moments, to suspend time and move through grief and pain, and to bask in catharsis and resilience.