Yximalloo is Naofumi Ishimaru alone, but he drafts a loose ensemble of players, including the core of Shigeo Ootake and Takashi Korgo (who appear on all discs), as collaborator-executors. All of his releases are on his own label, and none have seen a distributor yet (which is why you very rarely find his CDs in stores). Ishimaru works like a Japanese Jandek without the angst, like the Boredoms minus the bombast. Spiritual kin to early artpunk and especially the LAFMS, he revels in mock-ethnic music and nonsense. Lo-fi, sweet and primitive, he uses ancient drum machines, hand percussion, and electronic droplet noises, sometimes set to melodies gathered from some imaginary South Sea island where the traditional instrument is seemingly an old '80s synth. Handclaps and chanting abound, but Yximalloo has also been painted as a Japanese Half Japanese -- Jad Fair himself has collaborated with Ishimaru and draws the covers for every release here (gorgeous dayglo and glow-in-the-dark covers in iridescent plastic cases). Recording since 1973 (!), he still has but one Yximalloo release in the States, last year's retrospective LP on Old Gold. Most CDs are around 70 minutes and usually contain over 30 tracks.

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