The Boredoms, well, they like playing the music. Can't tell? Hmm, let's investigate together. See, it isn't enough for them to have been in a constantly shifting, consistently excellent experimental music group together for 15 years. No, over the course of their musical career, the various members of the Boredoms have participated as either full-time members or guest members in over 100 different projects put together. Some of these projects have made names for themselves with their notable releases, like OOIOO or Z-Rock Hawaii. Others have gone down in enigmatic infamy, like Hokekyo Mouretsu-Er, a Boredoms-offshoot trio simply designed to play on others' recordings while going uncredited. But I don't think I have to bother listing them all to illustrate my point. Music's good, they say. Different music is better. Why limit yourself to the same group of people every day?

From this continuing philosophy arises Rovo, yet another Boredoms side project. If the question which describes each Boredoms side project follows the format, "Ever wonder what they'd sound like doing ________?," then the question for this follows as such: ever wonder what they'd sound like doing atmospheric electronic music? Rovo's U.S. debut, Imago, provides an answer. Yet, despite the fact that Boredoms guitarist Yamamoto Seiichi plays an important role in the band, the five-piece Rovo seem to be more under the guidance of non-Bore violinist Katsui Yuji. Seiichi writes and produces one of the seven lengthy tracks and co-writes another, but Yuji's in control of the production for the rest of the album.

Interestingly, there are almost no traditional or obvious violin parts to be found here. My guess is that they're mainly used for ambience or sound effects purposes. The main exception comes with Imago's first and best track, "N'Dam," on which Yuji's electric violin makes a prominent, gorgeous appearance in the second half, playing soothing, soaring two-note harmonies over a furious two-percussionist djambe-and-bass rhythmic attack.

In fact, this assault, by drummers Yoshigaki Yasuhiro and Okabe Youichi, is what primarily holds the listener's attention. On "Horses," the two team up on their separate kits with Seiichi's echoing, sporadic rhythmic guitar and Harada Jin's steady, meaty bass to create seven minutes of compelling speed-jungle dub. On the latter half of Imago, they often collaborate with Masuko Tatsuki's sampled MPC3000 rhythm section, either on drumsets or handdrums, to make the beats that much more layered and complex. The beats are interesting enough to distract you from the fact that there isn't much melody happening in this part of the record; droning bells and electronics is basically all they've got here, and Imago's few rhythmless moments make it evident.

There are only a few flashes of the true Boredoms aesthetic on this record, and not surprisingly, they're mainly found on the Seiichi-written-and-produced third track, "Larva." The drones and bells make themselves known for the first three minutes, until suddenly, a steady, uptempo 2/4 groove cuts in, with only one slightly shifting guitar serving as the musical accompaniment while synths and effects swoosh and undulate beneath. Yet, it somehow fits in with the rest of the more straightforward electronic material, which proves that maybe there is something Bore about those tracks under the surface. Even while participating in so many different projects, the Bore spirit is at the heart of all Boredoms members, after all. The Bore brings its invention and charm to everything it touches.

-Spencer Owen