KTRU Pick of the Week: Bishonen Idolpop Genocaust

By Miguel Quirch     3/12/09 7:00pm

When a small waif of an album, or rather half-CD, marked with only "Bishonen Idolpop Genocaust," found its way into the KTRU station, most people did not know what to make of it. The album had the design of a robot and the sound of something that, to the normal ear, would be pure madness. For some time the fate of the album was thrown in the air as the music was so foreign that it seemed everyone was simply afraid of it.Bishonen Idolpop Genocaust hails from Huntsville, Texas, and plays a style of synth electronic music that is reminiscent of old eight-bit video games, so long as they had a high-pitched screaming vocalist accompaniment in Japanese. The native Texan group identifies itself as "Electro/IDM/J-Pop," and the members certainly utilize their identified range to the fullest extent.

Though this self-titled album totals a mere seven minutes and nine seconds, the eight tracks that comprise this exploratory endeavor into the nature of electronic chaos succeed in entertaining those willing to listen. The eighth track, for instance, begins with the sound of a man apparently mourning with a soft string instrument in the background. The beat picks up for the next few seconds until, all of a sudden, the man begins wailing like a banshee and everything collapses.

One of the earlier tracks is reminiscent of a boss fight from one of those old eight-bit thriller games, but taken on a crazy twist. It is insanity, yet it is truly brilliant at the same time.

---

---

The bleeps and blorps and blips with a drum machine blend well together despite the fact that the vocals are the epitome of pure bedlam. To appreciate Bishonen Idolpop Genocaust, one must be ready to accept that even hilarious howling can be great.

---