Jouhou signifies the transition of Discordance Axis from a pretty good grindcore band to one that was truly genre-defining. On Jouhou (a Japanese word translating to something like "intelligence") the three-piece New Jersey grindcore outfit began to experiment with some very technical and complex sounds, combining dissonant guitar chords with some crazy blasts and drum rolls courtesy of drum-god Dave Witte; while Jon Chang, vocalist and lyricist of Discordance Axis (and also of Gridlink fame), constantly switches between a high pitched shriek and croaking growls. But the most important thing that Discordance Axis really did for the genre of grindcore was save it from self-immolation, pushing it forward in a direction that the genre seemed to be veering away from and reminding everyone that grindcore could still be considered a form of art.
In the late 90's, grindcore (which has always been an underground genre anyway) was in danger of becoming a parody of itself. A great majority of bands were recycling the same ideas both musically and lyrically, and while Discordance Axis never took off in popularity until well after they were dead (like many a great artist), their music was truly ahead of their time. Musically, I have already mentioned how Discordance Axis used dissonant chords played over complex rhythms in order to completely daze their audience within the span of 30 seconds to a minute and a half (the typical length of their songs). Lyrically, Jouhou is significant as well. Chang's incomprehensible vocals are actually incredibly poetic when read aloud, most of which are influenced by novels, Japanese culture and Anime. I can credit Chang with introducing me to some of my favourite books, films and television shows. Chang drew inspiration from writers like Philip K. Dick and anime such as Neon Genesis Evangelion to write lyrics that are deeply existential and ontological.
The original version of Jouhou runs at about 17 minutes with 20 tracks. The version I'm listening to was re-released by the now defunct Hydra Head Records and includes 11 songs taken from Discordance Axis' split albums with Melt-Banana and Plutocracy, as well as one 26 minute long live recording of the band playing in Tokyo. I'm usually skeptical about re-releases with extra tracks, but in this case the result is pretty awesome, especially considering that the Discordance Axis splits are damn hard to come by. Overall, Jouhou is a dizzying experience and one that requires multiple listens to digest. I hear something new every time I play it. I'll refrain from comparing it to the band's masterpiece The Inalienable Dreamless, just know that Jouhou is a unique listen in it's own way. If you love grindcore, chances are you already love Discordance Axis. But if you're trying to get into the genre, this is a record you have to check out.
In the late 90's, grindcore (which has always been an underground genre anyway) was in danger of becoming a parody of itself. A great majority of bands were recycling the same ideas both musically and lyrically, and while Discordance Axis never took off in popularity until well after they were dead (like many a great artist), their music was truly ahead of their time. Musically, I have already mentioned how Discordance Axis used dissonant chords played over complex rhythms in order to completely daze their audience within the span of 30 seconds to a minute and a half (the typical length of their songs). Lyrically, Jouhou is significant as well. Chang's incomprehensible vocals are actually incredibly poetic when read aloud, most of which are influenced by novels, Japanese culture and Anime. I can credit Chang with introducing me to some of my favourite books, films and television shows. Chang drew inspiration from writers like Philip K. Dick and anime such as Neon Genesis Evangelion to write lyrics that are deeply existential and ontological.
The original version of Jouhou runs at about 17 minutes with 20 tracks. The version I'm listening to was re-released by the now defunct Hydra Head Records and includes 11 songs taken from Discordance Axis' split albums with Melt-Banana and Plutocracy, as well as one 26 minute long live recording of the band playing in Tokyo. I'm usually skeptical about re-releases with extra tracks, but in this case the result is pretty awesome, especially considering that the Discordance Axis splits are damn hard to come by. Overall, Jouhou is a dizzying experience and one that requires multiple listens to digest. I hear something new every time I play it. I'll refrain from comparing it to the band's masterpiece The Inalienable Dreamless, just know that Jouhou is a unique listen in it's own way. If you love grindcore, chances are you already love Discordance Axis. But if you're trying to get into the genre, this is a record you have to check out.
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