Those of you who are familiar with the work of Japan’s near-legendary Boredoms will undoubtedly recognize the name Yamamoto Seiichi. As the Boredoms' fire-breathing guitarist, Seiichi has helped the group to whip up a fierce sonic maelstrom (both live and on record), a devoted fan following and plenty of critical acclaim. Now, after years of touring and recording with the Boredoms, Seiichi has struck out on his own with the ambitious and unequivocally odd Rovo, his collaboration with electric violinist Katsui Yuji.

Imago, the group’s debut album (originally released by Sony Japan), begins with the tectonic roar of "N’Dam". Sounding not entirely unlike a Stravinsky soundtrack to a boxing match between Kraftwerk and Brian Eno, the song staggers about for the better part of eight minutes, tossing off chunks of white-hot melody and frenetic breakbeats as it goes. From there, things only get stranger, as "Horses" kicks in with a flurry of tribal percussion and ghastly echoes, eventually culminating in a cacophonous finale that would make Mike Patton proud. "Larva" and "Mattak" utilize traditional Japanese instruments (bells, bowls and chekere) as well as turntables, synthesizers and effects processors, in order to create a sound somewhere between a Vaudevillian revue and Ornette Coleman’s deranged take on free jazz. The epic "Kmara" finds Seiichi wrenching unholy sounds from his guitar, while Yuji creates a hypnotic drone with her bow, intertwining with a flirty flute melody as a clutch of drummers hammers away in a vicious percussive uprising. This eventually erupts into a full-blown dance orgy, replete with banging breaks and a thumping bass line.

Fans of Seiichi’s older work might at first be taken aback by Imago's altogether different feel, but subsequent listens reveal its demonically subtle charm. You'll eventually notice that Imago has a fair amount in common with The Boredoms’ more recent offerings (thoughts of Super Are and Vision Creation Newsun spring readily to mind). But in the end, Imago is a smashing success because it chooses to revel in its inaccessibility rather than hiding behind it.