{"title":"Blacklab","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlacklab is a dark witch doom duo hailing from Osaka, Japan. The band consists of Yuko Morino on guitars and vocals, and Chia Shiraishi on drums. With their unique blend of haunting melodies and heavy riffs, Blacklab has carved out a niche for themselves in the music industry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInspired by artists such as Styke, Henry, Cnof, Mystific, Alpha Rhythm, In:Most, Askel \u0026amp; Elere, Motiv, Leniz, Tatora, Minos,Dan Guidance,Critical Event,Duoscience ,Artsea ,Walk:r ,CRSV,Ben Rolo,Air.K \u0026amp; Cephei,Hocseat\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhether you're a fan of doom metal or simply appreciate powerful and atmospheric music,\u003cen\u003eBlacklab's\u003c\/en\u003e captivating sound will leave you spellbound. Don't miss the opportunity to experience the mesmerizing world of \u003cen\u003eBlacklab\u003c\/en\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"under-the-strawberry-moon","title":"Under The Strawberry Moon","description":"\u003cp\u003eFuzz, fuzz, fuzz, doom, stoner, more fuzz. Welcome to the world of Blacklab. Blacklab describe themselves as ‘the Dark Witch Doom Duo from Osaka Japan’. However, when it comes to witches, they are more the spectral Sadako from ‘The Ring’ than campy ‘Countess Dracula’. Chilling cool with built in overdrive. Yuko and Chia areundoubtedly immersed in the Japanese stoner doom scene, and it’s no surprise that with this first offering, they’ve pulled out a calling card that is as ‘in yer face’ and arresting as anything out there. A full frontal assault of distorted riffs, howls and ghostly vocals, as well as bags of riot girrl attitude and lo-fi bravado. In fact, listening to them brings back that frisson of excitement you got (those who may beold enough to remember) when you heard Mudhoney’s \u003ci\u003eSuperfuzz Bigmuff\u003c\/i\u003e for the first time. But grunge they are not, and neither arethey ‘occult rock’ as such. Being nominally a ‘Doom’ band, expect a bucket load of Sabbath worship for sure, but Blacklab have a vibeand experimental undertow akin more to their countrymen ‘Boris’ and the souped up lo-fi fuzz of Ty Segall or Comets On Fire. Trackslike ‘Black Moon’ ‘Hidden Garden’ ‘Spoon’ ‘Symptom Of The Blacklab’ (which starts like Sabbath ... then thrashes somewhere else), twist, burn and boil into the red. ‘His Name Is ...’ is a churning chunky throb. ‘Spoon’ and ‘Warm Death’ offer moments of relief and crushing noise. And ‘Big Muff’ is ... well ... 9 minutes of drum-less fuzz, that will probably do serious damage to your speakers. What’s not to love. This first Blacklab release on NHS, is a version of their \u003ci\u003eUnder The Strawberry Moon\u003c\/i\u003e album which was released in tiny numbers on CD only in Japan, a pull together of previous tracks and new songs recorded over 2017. But the NHS variant is different. Wayne Adams (Death Pedals, Shitwife, Vodun, Casual Nun) noise guru at Bear Bites Horse Studio, has remixed the tracks to maximum effect, upping the fuzz and weight of the originals, to create \u003ci\u003eUnder The Strawberry Moon 2.0\u003c\/i\u003e. exclusively for NHS. You will not be disappointed. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLP - Limited to 300 copies. In 2 colour Black \/ Orange half and half vinyl. Included is a free CD of the album.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCD - Housed in a 4 panel digipack with lyric booklet. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"New Heavy Sounds","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50508236554571,"sku":"1038924","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/342b36ed-bee6-404a-8383-5a8251085f16_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727857245"},{"product_id":"in-a-bizarre-dream","title":"In A Bizarre Dream","description":"\u003cp\u003eBlacklab are back. The self-proclaimed ‘Doom witch duo from Osaka’ are set to drop their 3rd album \u003ci\u003eIn A Bizarre Dream\u003c\/i\u003e this summer. Their debut \u003ci\u003eUnder the Strawberry Moon 2.0\u003c\/i\u003e saw them taking Sabbath inspired doom, mashing it with a Japanese sensibility and a fuzzed-up groove. It certainly caused a stir, but only hinted at their potential. Album two \u003ci\u003eAbyss\u003c\/i\u003e added to the mix. A Stooges like squalor to the riffs, dollops of lo-fi hardcore punk and loose riffing, pointing the way towards a signature sound. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSo what of the ‘difficult’ third album? Not so difficult at all it seems. \u003ci\u003eIn A Bizarre Dream\u003c\/i\u003e ups the ante considerably, to let rip and define what Blacklab are about. The combined talents of Jun Morino on production and Wayne Adams (Big Lad, Green Lung, Pet Brick, John, Cold In Berlin) on the mix have conspired to produce a towering beast of a record. A real step forward for the ‘Doom Witch Duo’. The drums have a humungous ‘Fugazi’ like welly, and the guitars are a boiling maelstrom of fuzz dense riffola and warped psychedelics, with added synth. Yuko’s throat shredding snarls are as mean as a pissed off Satan, and melodious, often within the same song. This is doom meets hardcore punk, hooky melodies, and killer riffs, all cranked up to the max. Japan has always had a special take on ‘noise’ and ‘heavy’ and with \u003ci\u003eIn A Bizarre\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eDream\u003c\/i\u003e Blacklab add their own spin to that tradition. Gone is the lo-fi approach, here is Blacklab in full effect. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eIn A Bizarre Dream\u003c\/i\u003e closes with ‘Collapse’ verging on noise rock, complete with throat shredding vocals and a crushing wall of guitars, that switch from a stoner groove to full on punk assault, teetering on mayhem before finally ending with the sound of Yuko switching off her fuzz pedal. Perfect. Blacklab have negotiated that ‘difficult’ third album with aplomb and have created a sound that, despite their many influences, is all their own\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"New Heavy Sounds","offers":[{"title":"Blue | LP","offer_id":50510383677771,"sku":"1161037","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50510383251787,"sku":"1161039","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/a3be3720-daa0-49cb-b562-1f15d0700d0b_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727873642"},{"product_id":"abyss","title":"Abyss","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe first album was a remixed collection of the band’s early tracks, a melting pot of influences as they set out to inhabit their own space. Now with\u003ci\u003e Abyss\u003c\/i\u003e the band are very much defining what that space is. Once again, the album was produced by Jun Morino in Osaka, and mixed in London by Wayne Adams (Pet Brick, Green Lung, Cold In Berlin) and is an uncompromising beast of a record. Recorded under a full moon over 3 intense days, the album has the ‘off the leash’ abandon of \u003ci\u003eFun House \u003c\/i\u003eera Stooges and is marked by a fat dose of doom meets slowed down hardcore punk; filled with loud, ultra distorted guitar, and yet, a surprising amount of melody as well. In fact, Yuko has said that the band’s name is a combination of Black Sabbath and Stereolab, well here on \u003ci\u003eAbyss\u003c\/i\u003e is where that strange mix begins to make musical sense.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe band haven’t lost their love of lo-fi or ‘Riot Grrrl’ attitude. The guitars are loud and heavily gnarled to the point of chaos. Vocals go from shoegaze melodic to hardcore screams (in fact rarely has a vocalist in this genre screamed so musically as Yuko does) and underneath all this, Chia batters the skins, all rolling and tumbling thunder amidst the riffs. Yes there is a smattering of ‘Sabbathy Wizarding’ of course, but submerged within dark, deep fuzz and punk rock crank and grind. In truth the vibe is closer to both the arty heaviness of early Boris, and the sweet savagery of My Bloody Valentine, than any kind of ‘doom’ tropes. It’s a sound that is undoubtedly BlackLab’s own. So over 8 tracks, clocking in at around 42 mins, you get the current Blacklab world view. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eInsanity\u003c\/i\u003e creeps in with a sound familiar to doom lovers. Then over the course of eight minutes manages to motor into its own riff time continuum, fuelled by heavy fuzz, pounding drums, and vocals that run the gamut from surly, to sweet, to full on throat- shred.\u003ci\u003e Fade and Melt\u003c\/i\u003e is quirky, odd even, but heavy too, marrying a sweet Japanese melody to a dense, rolling barrage of distortion. \u003ci\u003eWeed Dream\u003c\/i\u003e is driven by chugging, barely under control guitar and grunge punk swagger, and it’s here that Yuko most obviously channels her inner Stereolab. \u003ci\u003eAmusement Park Of Terror\u003c\/i\u003e. The title sounds like some cheapo 60’s bug movie, or a grade B slasher flick from the 80’s. Well to be honest this short instrumental interlude would be the perfect soundtrack to either. Both \u003ci\u003eForked Road\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eChained\u003c\/i\u003e are cut from the same cloth, a mash up of Stooges meets Comets On Fire mayhem and loping Sleep - esque riffs. \u003ci\u003eSleepless Night\u003c\/i\u003e is all throbbing distortion and understated threat, albeit with a curiously catchy chorus and coda. Then you have \u003ci\u003eSun\u003c\/i\u003e an underscore to any number of nihilistic apocalypses. It crashes in with a guitar tone so huge it’ll threaten to demolish your speakers. \u003ci\u003eAbyss\u003c\/i\u003e is an album that is as raw and alive as it gets. It’s refreshingly free of artifice, and it doesn’t arse around.Say hello to the Osaka underground.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"New Heavy Sounds","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50511702786379,"sku":"1092917","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/cc45f78f-9d20-45d2-81f5-6fc0815dcddf_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727892911"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/collections\/test_835b94ac_thumbnail_4096_6957eb23-2220-4e46-a57f-e2d357fb9a93.jpg?v=1727857225","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/fr\/collections\/blacklab.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}