by Garrett Lyons
Music Staff @ 88.3 FM WSBU

Cornelius Sensuous (Everloving)

Welcome to the wonders of Japanese noise pop. Keigo Oyamanda (a.k.a Cornelius) has remixed guys like Sting and Beck and just put out one of the most bizarre albums of the year. Ever wanted to hear printer noises blended perfectly with piano riffs? Ever wanted to hear “The Star-Spangled Banner” remixed with static and out of tune acoustic guitars? Ever wanted to hear a stone rolling inside a metal pot mixed with melodic Vangelis-like atmospheric pop? Well, Cornelius does all this. His unique blend of ambient noise pop infused with post-punk stylings and a dash of synthy math rock makes Sensuous the most unique album you’ll ever hear. There’s a strong hint of shibuya-kei stylings here and song construction that is like a more dissonant version of Pizzicato 5. Everything is so intricate that it just doesn’t make sense for the first listen. Give a couple of spins. Then it starts to feel like one of those European art house films where nothing makes sense until the last 90 seconds and even then 90% of the people don’t get it but 90% of them lie and say that they understood it anyway. Cornelius is smarter than you. Deal with it. He knows what he is doing. Stop whining. You’re not signed to Warner Records Japan now are you? You’re not playing Coachella this year are you? Thought so. Those emo bands that claim to make people feel all emotional with their lyrics have nothing on Cornelius. Cornelius doesn’t change your emotions. He changes your entire psyche. “The Fit Song” made me feel like I was either going to curl up in a ball and die or watch Jean-Paul Sartre come back from the dead and talk dirty to me. It’s an existential mindscrew in a surprisingly pleasant way. Every song takes you for a mind trip that is just out of this world. You feel like you are floating. The lyrics are nonsensical but they are just another instrument to add to the incredible noise array before you. It’s an ethereal experience. It’s like taking your brain out of your head and letting it get the kinks worked out of it. Your body is at peace. This is not an easy listen. You won’t get what Cornelius is trying to do, but that’s okay. It’s better not to think about it too much. There are moments where you honestly feel like that part of “The Matrix” where you realize that the bending spoon doesn’t actually exist and that we are all brains in a vat. Yeah. It’s that mind-blowing. This album is not just heard. It’s experienced.

Recommended If You Like: Pizzicato 5, Apples in Stereo, Cibo Matto, Puffy AmiYumi

Recommended Tracks:
Track 2 - Fit Song
Track 10 - Like A Rolling Stone
Track 3 - Breezin’

Hear Cornelius in rotation on 3wk.com