Vision Creation Newsun
Vision Creation Newsun is a studio album by the Japanese experimental rock band Boredoms, released on December 10, 1999, in Japan by WEA Japan.[1] The album marks a pivotal evolution in Boredoms' sound, transitioning from their roots in noise rock and hardcore punk toward a more psychedelic and krautrock-influenced style featuring hypnotic rhythms, tribal drumming, gurgling synths, and atmospheric field recordings.[2][3] Composed primarily by band leader Yamantaka Eye with key contributions from percussionist Yoshimi P-We, it consists of nine tracks with titles represented by symbols such as circles, stars, and spirals, emphasizing its abstract and spiritual nature.[3][4] Critically acclaimed upon release, Vision Creation Newsun earned a 7.9 out of 10 rating from Pitchfork, which praised its complex, evolving soundscapes reminiscent of Spacemen 3 and Ghost, though noted it fell slightly short of the band's prior album Super æ.[2] The record has since been hailed as one of Boredoms' most complete and influential works, blending neo-hippie psychedelia with experimental innovation and receiving praise from figures like musician Julian Cope for its otherworldly quality.[3]Background
Band context
Boredoms formed in 1986 in Osaka, Japan, emerging from the local noise underground as a punk-influenced noise rock outfit led by vocalist Yamantaka Eye, formerly of the notorious performance art group Hanatarashi.[5] Initially drawing from punk aggression and free jazz improvisation—echoing influences like Sun Ra and the Buzzcocks—the band adopted its name from the latter's track "Boredom," establishing a chaotic aesthetic centered on raw energy and sonic disruption.[6] Their early incarnation included shifting members from associated acts like Acid Makki & Combi and Zombie, prioritizing spontaneity over fixed structure in a scene defined by extremity.[7] The band's lineup underwent significant changes through the late 1980s and 1990s, stabilizing around a core trio by the decade's end. Guitarist Seiichi Yamamoto joined in 1987, replacing early member Tabata Mara and bringing a sharper textural edge to the noise assault.[7] Drummer Yoshimi Yokota (known as Yoshimi P-We) entered in 1988, initially on percussion before assuming full drum duties, while Toyohito Yoshikawa shifted roles and later departed.[5] By the late 1990s, Yamantaka Eye, Yamamoto, and Yoshimi formed the enduring nucleus, augmented by percussionists like ATR (Kazuya Nishimura) and occasional additions such as Eda Yasuyuki on third drums, allowing for expanded rhythmic complexity without diluting the group's intensity.[8] Boredoms' sound evolved markedly from the anarchic noise of their debut years to more structured experimental forms, reflecting a maturation in their approach to rhythm and texture. Their 1989 album Soul Discharge, their first international release via Shimmy Disc, epitomized early chaotic noise rock with scrap-metal percussion, frenzied vocals, and dissonant bursts, blending punk speed with free jazz abandon.[9] By the late 1990s, this gave way to psychedelic and repetitive grooves influenced by krautrock and tribal elements, as heard in Super æ (1998) on Birdman Records, a suite of progressive tracks emphasizing sun-worshipping electronics and hypnotic propulsion.[7] This shift marked a departure from pure abrasion toward ritualistic, groove-oriented experimentation, incorporating dadaist humor and progressive sprawl.[8] In the 1990s, Boredoms cultivated a strong reputation within the international experimental music scene, touring extensively and forging key collaborations that amplified their global reach. They supported Sonic Youth on a 1992 U.S. tour and Nirvana in 1993, while performing on Lollapalooza's main stage in 1994 and 1995, exposing their frenetic live energy to broader audiences.[5] Collaborations included work with John Zorn's Naked City project and Mike Watt, alongside ties to figures like Kurt Cobain, solidifying their status among U.S. underground icons.[7] Signing to Warner Bros. Japan in 1992 further enabled their creative freedom, positioning them as pioneers bridging Japanese noise with Western avant-garde traditions.[8] This krautrock-inspired phase culminated in Vision Creation Newsun (1999), a landmark of their rhythmic evolution.[5]Album development
The development of Vision Creation Newsun drew heavily from krautrock influences such as Can and Neu!, incorporating their motorik rhythms alongside psychedelic and electronic elements to craft a visionary, trance-like sound that emphasized repetition and cosmic exploration.[10][3] This approach built on the band's experimental trajectory from prior works like Super æ, extending rhythmic hypnosis into broader psychedelic terrain during a creative peak around 1997-1998.[5] Yamantaka Eye, the band's leader, conceptualized the album's core theme of "newsun" as a futuristic vision of cyclical rebirth, evoking solar renewal and shamanistic trance through motifs like a single voice shouting "New Sun!" to open the record; this idea took shape during 1998-1999 amid Eye's growing interest in numerical mysticism, such as the power of seven derived from ancient sites.[10][5] To align with the album's non-verbal, universal ethos, the band decided on symbolic track titles—such as circles (◯), stars (☆), and spirals—rather than conventional words, using these geometric forms to scatter references to the band's history and evoke abstract, timeless experiences beyond language.[5][10] Pre-production involved intensive experiments with looping rhythms and extended live jamming sessions in Osaka studios, where the core lineup honed the album's seamless, sectional flow through collective improvisation focused on tribal percussion and electronic textures.[10][5]Recording and production
Studio sessions
The recording of Vision Creation Newsun primarily took place at Sanwa Recording Studios in Osaka, Japan, during 1999.[11] Additional overdubbing, mixing, and editing occurred at Laila studio, with mastering handled at Saidera Studios.[11] These sessions captured the experimental rock band's evolving sound, emphasizing their percussion-heavy and improvisational approach with a seven-member lineup including Yamantaka Eye on vocals and noise, Yoshimi P-We on drums and vocals, and supporting members on guitars, bass, keyboards, and additional percussion.[5][6]Technical approach
The production of Vision Creation Newsun featured collaborative mixing led by band leader Yamantaka Eye, with assistance from engineers Ohji Hayashi and Kasuga, who focused on layering percussion elements and integrating electronic effects to achieve the album's signature hypnotic and spacey sonic texture.[12] This approach built upon the band's experimental ethos, emphasizing repetitive, interlocking grooves derived from live improvisation.[13] Tracks were developed from extended live jam sessions, subsequently edited into structured pieces lasting 6 to 13 minutes, incorporating krautrock-inspired motorik rhythms augmented by delay and reverb to evoke a propulsive, trance-like momentum.[14] These techniques drew on the band's shift toward rhythmic exploration, blending tribal percussion patterns with warped electronics for an immersive, otherworldly atmosphere.[3] The album incorporated field recordings and non-traditional instruments to introduce ethereal, ambient layers that enhanced its psychedelic depth. Final mastering was handled by Masayo Takise at Saidera Studios in Tokyo.[12]Music and composition
Overall style
Vision Creation Newsun is classified as experimental rock, incorporating elements of space rock and krautrock, characterized by repetitive bass lines, tribal drumming, and psychedelic synths that create a hypnotic, immersive soundscape.[15][3] The album's sonic palette emphasizes propulsive rhythms and atmospheric textures, drawing listeners into extended jams that blend raw energy with ethereal detachment.[2] Its key influences include 1970s German progressive rock, particularly Can's rhythmic hypnosis, alongside Japanese noise traditions from the band's earlier work and emerging electronica through the use of samplers and digital effects.[3] These elements converge to form a distinctive fusion, evoking both the motorik drive of krautrock pioneers like Neu! and the chaotic intensity of noise experimentation.[10] Spanning 67:41 across nine tracks titled with abstract symbols, the album is structured as interconnected movements that flow seamlessly, prioritizing collective cohesion over discrete songs.[16] This design fosters thematic unity through cyclical motifs symbolizing creation and renewal, with minimal vocals limited to repetitive chants that reinforce the meditative, ritualistic quality.[3] Production techniques, such as phasing and EQ manipulation, further enhance the repetitive grooves, amplifying their trance-like persistence.[2]Track analysis
The album's opening track, "◯" (circle), spans 13 minutes and 42 seconds, commencing with subtle layers of percussion and synth drones that gradually build into a hypnotic, meditative pulse, evoking a ritualistic sunrise through its circular rock riff and relentless groove. This structure establishes the album's core rhythmic foundation, drawing on repetitive motifs influenced by krautrock traditions to create an immersive, trance-like entry point.[17][18] Track four, "Ҩ" (spiral), unfolds over 6 minutes and 33 seconds with a motif of spiraling escalation, featuring intensifying rhythms driven by bongos, electronics, and guitars, alongside Yamantaka Eye's improvised vocals that incorporate reverb-heavy chants, culminating in bursts of noise for a climactic release. The track's dynamic progression mirrors a cosmic ascent, blending percussive drive with psychedelic space boogie elements to heighten the album's exploratory tension.[3][19] As the closer, track nine, "ずっと" (zutto, meaning "forever" or "continuously"), lasts 7 minutes and 31 seconds and resolves the album through sustained loops of percussion, electronics, and layered guitar chords, gradually fading into an ambient decrescendo punctuated by Eye's glitched vocals, symbolizing a rebirth tied to the "newsun" theme of renewal. This track's repetitive, spacey drift provides a serene counterpoint to the preceding intensity, emphasizing continuity and ethereal closure.[20][3] The track titles, primarily abstract glyphs such as ◯ for cyclical beginnings, ☆ representing explosive energy, and ♡ denoting an emotional core, serve as symbolic guides that influence each piece's mood and instrumentation, subverting conventional naming to enhance the album's Dadaist, non-verbal mysticism. These symbols, except for the final Japanese word, unify the work as a cohesive sonic journey, scattering references to the band's history and cosmic motifs.[2][5]Release and promotion
Editions and packaging
The standard edition of Vision Creation Newsun was released on compact disc in Japan on December 10, 1999, through WEA Japan under the catalog number WPC6-10049.[16] The packaging featured minimalist cover art designed by Ukawa Naohiro, incorporating symbolic glyphs and abstract motifs that aligned with the album's experimental aesthetic, including track titles represented by icons such as ○, ☆, and ♡.[21] This single-disc format contained the nine-track album running approximately 67 minutes and 41 seconds, housed in a gatefold card sleeve.[1] In the United States, the album saw release in 2000 via Birdman Records (catalog BMR028), maintaining the core tracklist.[22] The artwork remained consistent with the Japanese version, emphasizing the symbolic and non-verbal design elements.[23] A limited edition box set was issued concurrently in Japan by A.K.A. Records, limited to a small run and packaged in a 9x9-inch box with a removable mounting frame for the CDs.[21] This edition included the standard album disc plus a bonus disc featuring a single 35:38 live improvisation track titled "Boretronix Logo Live Nov '98 Osaka City University Outdoor Free Concert," capturing an unreleased song blended with elements from the album's opener.[21] Additional merchandise bundled in the set comprised a T-shirt and a sticker, enhancing the release's playful, interactive appeal.[21] Digital reissues of Vision Creation Newsun became available on platforms like Spotify and others starting in the early 2000s, primarily using the original 1999 mastering.[4] No significant remasters occurred until streaming optimizations in the 2020s, which included minor audio enhancements for modern playback without altering the source material.[24]Marketing efforts
The album's initial promotion centered on the Japanese indie scene, where a promotional CD version was distributed by WEA Japan ahead of the standard release on December 10, 1999.[25] This effort targeted underground networks, aligning with Boredoms' established presence in Osaka's experimental music community. A limited edition box set was also issued in Japan that year, serving as a collector's incentive to boost early sales among dedicated fans.[21] In the United States, Birdman Records handled the album's release in 2000, providing a key entry point for international exposure through independent distribution channels.[22] This push introduced Vision Creation Newsun to American experimental rock audiences, though it remained confined to niche outlets with limited broader reach, including an Australian edition via Valve Records the same year.[1] The album achieved no significant commercial chart performance, reflecting its avant-garde style and indie positioning, but cultivated a dedicated cult following evident in sustained collector interest and high user ratings on platforms like Rate Your Music (3.9/5 from over 14,000 ratings).[16] Promotion tied into Boredoms' live activities, with the band performing in Japan throughout 2000, including a New Year's Eve concert at Studio Partita in Osaka on December 31, where tracks from the album were incorporated into their evolving setlists.[26] These shows helped maintain momentum in their home market amid sparse international touring that year.Critical reception
Initial reviews
Upon its release in late 1999 in Japan and early 2000 internationally, Vision Creation Newsun elicited a range of responses from critics, with its experimental style often cited as both innovative and challenging for broader accessibility.[2] AllMusic's Mark Richardson described the album as settling into a loose, jam-oriented aesthetic built around percussion, noting it as a strong album with space for the music to breathe, though not the triumph of the band's prior work Super æ.[15] NME praised the album as one of the most extraordinary records of the year, highlighting its progression from the band's noise roots. Pitchfork rated it 7.9 out of 10, praising the psychedelic experimentation but criticizing the uneven pacing in its longer tracks.[2] The album was positively received in the Japanese press for advancing Boredoms' sound and gaining popularity in noise music scenes.Retrospective evaluations
In the years following its release, Vision Creation Newsun has been increasingly recognized for bridging the gap between noise rock and psychedelia, earning a spot at number 39 on Pitchfork's list of the top 200 albums of the 2000s, where it was praised for its masterful subversion of rock conventions through intricate, trance-inducing rhythms that evoke cosmic exploration. This retrospective placement highlighted the album's role in evolving Boredoms' sound from chaotic noise into a more accessible yet challenging psychedelic form, solidifying its cult appeal built on initial critical acclaim for innovative experimentalism. A 2024 retrospective in Everything Is Noise further elevated the album as Boredoms' peak achievement in "trippiest kraut-jam" territory, portraying it as their most complete musical statement that eschews earlier abrasiveness for hypnotic, hour-long soundscapes blending krautrock, folk, and new age elements into a spiritual journey.[3] The review emphasized its influence on subsequent developments in glitch music through sudden sonic disruptions and field recordings, as well as ambient genres via its meditative, evolving atmospheres that prioritize feeling over structure.[3] User-driven aggregators reflect this growing appreciation, with Album of the Year reporting an average user score of 86/100 as of 2025 based on 1,057 ratings, where recent reviews particularly laud its experimental edge.[27] Academic discussions in experimental music studies have similarly noted Boredoms' pioneering fusion of repetitive electronic elements with rock, as seen in the 2015 book 日本のロック名盤ベスト100 (Japanese Rock Best 100 Records) by Daisuke Kawasaki, which includes the band's prior album Super æ and contextualizes their work within the broader evolution of Japanese rock toward innovative, trance-like electronic integrations.Track listing
Standard edition
The standard edition of Vision Creation Newsun, released on December 10, 1999, by WEA Japan, features nine original studio recordings from sessions that year, totaling 67:41 in runtime.[1][16] The album's track sequencing creates a continuous flow, emphasizing an immersive listening experience, and the expansive opening track ◯ is frequently cited as the lead piece.[15][28] The symbolic titles evoke themes of cosmic creation and energy.[29]| No. | Title | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ◯ | 13:42 |
| 2 | ☆ | 5:22 |
| 3 | ♡ | 6:51 |
| 4 | Ҩ | 6:33 |
| 5 | ~ | 6:19 |
| 6 | ◎ | 7:21 |
| 7 | ↑ | 6:26 |
| 8 | Ω | 7:36 |
| 9 | ずっと | 7:31 |