Tune of the Week: Ruins

Ruins is a Japanese rock duo often associated with the noise rock scene of their motherland, but are more in line with progressive rock. The group is helmed by drummer and songwriter Tatsuya Yoshida. He has been joined by a multitude of guitarists, as well as a saxophonist for the project Sax Ruins. The music often involves super complicated rhythm structures and whiplash changes. The lyrics are in a language of Yoshida’s own creation. The above tune, from the 1992 release “Burning Stone”, features guitarist Ryuichi Masuda. Masuda would play a six string guitar which would allow him to access lower octives and mimic the playing of an otherwise absent bass player. In concert Masuda would often incorporate a looping effects pedal to lay down a bass part and then solo his upper register guitar parts. Along with Yoshida’s seemingly inhuman drumming the duo would easily create the sense of a quartet in action! Enjoy the insanity. Embrace the insanity!