Following the release of their video for the ardent single highlighting the myth and legacy of Yukio Mishima, Italian post-punk group Japan Suicide are presenting their brand new album Ki, a spellbinding collection of songs whose energy pours over you like the wind during a rainstorm.
“KI is our legacy,” says the band, “An essential gesture driven by creative flow and inspiration to make a contact. Our peaceful attack.
The Aikido master Koichi Tohei wrote, in his 1962 book What Is Aikido?:
“What is the light meaning of ki used in our daily life? A good feeling, a bad feeling, a great feeling, timidity, vigor, courage, a retiring disposition, et cetera – these are terms used in our daily life. In each word or phrase, the Japanese use ki as an integral part. The reason is that a human being was created from ki of the universe. While he receives ki, he is alive. Deprive him of ki and he dies; he loses his human shape. So long as his body is filled with ki and pours forth abundantly, he is vigorous and filled with courage. On the contrary, when his body has run out of ki, he is weak, cowardly and retiring. In Aikido training, we make every effort to learn to fill our body with ki and use it powerfully. Therefore, we must understand well the deep meaning of ki.”
We take Mishima Yukio as a witness of this expression, in all of his ambiguity and vital force, to enlighten our journey in music.”
Life and melting, Mishima!
Not unlike Mishima’s death, the other single from the LP Ki, a brilliant splash of arctic coldwave, features a title that was an actual quote from renowned artist Rothko, before his untimely demise by his own hand:
“There is only one thing I fear in life, my friend: One day the black will swallow the red.”
Listen to Ki below:
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