Los Doroncos - Sun & Fireworks

An extremely notable offering from the An'Archives stable with this debut studio recording from Les Rallizes alumni (as both occasional bass player and part of the sound team that captured the legendary OZ DAYS LIVE performances) Kiyohiro Takada. That's the headline draw no doubt, though equally important is Takada's various associations with other luminaries from the Japanese underground, particularly Suishou No Fune (one of the best currently at it) and revered godhead, Keiji Haino. In leading the quartet of Los Doroncos, Takada makes it clear he's more than a reflection of his associates. There's something very classic sounding and attitudinal about Sun & Fireworks, the kind of recording that feels beamed in from another paradigmatic era. Takada sings with suave purpose and style, as if aware he's a torchbearer for something sacred, and the songs communicate a similar grandiosity, rocking with a divine resolve that makes nods to the rich heritage of the JAPROCKSAMPLER while adding its own clear vision to the narrative. If there's any other act within the An'Archives world that Takada recalls then it's most likely Youri Kun, another performer who understands how to frame rock n roll idioms in uniquely specific ways. There's plenty of accessible entry points across Sun & Fireworks, but it's the two double figure epics that mark out Los Doroncos import, blasted and blazing psychedelic wig outs that realise the value in the journey to the heart of the sun. Buckle up.