Brainsville

by John BushThe first solo release by Zeni Geva guitarist Mitsuru Tabata comes after a few dozen by bandmate K.K. Null, and as it appears, none too soon. On Brainsville, Tabata's guitar pyrotechnics and tortured synthesizers combine for a variety of sounds recalling everything from electronic noise to classic metal to acoustic folk. Most tracks begin with rather simple guitar lines, progressing through more and more musical complications until the veering guitar noise on the opener or the acoustic stomp-box twang of the second track is transformed into a different beast altogether. "The Monarch" is one highlight, with the swirling tones of a heavily distorted theremin degenerating into a series of click-and-scratch experiments. Taken as a whole, "Brainsville" is the stunning result of what can be done with just a few guitars and a lot of imagination.