Don Matsuo, a Japanese hip-hop Lou Reed
Lou Reed’s (I still miss him everyday) collaboration with Metallica, Lulu, is much despised but David Bowie, who is the God of all Gods, said it is Reed’s masterpiece and that it will be as influential as Reed’s album Berlin.
And lo and behold, if this guy Don Matsuo hasn’t been listening scrutinously to Lulu before recording his new album Arcadia Blues, I’ll eat my hat. After I bought one, of course. The way this guy orates through a sonic wall of guitar and drums is exactly how Reed sings on Lulu.
Which is, indeed, a remarkable album.
To be honest, I had never heard of Don Matsuo and his now disbanded group the Zoobombs. This seems to be an omission. It wasn’t my intention to suggest he is plagiarizing Lou Reed; Don Matsuo is an eclectic, mixing all kinds of genres, like hip-hop and rock and new wave, into a vibrant, original cocktail of energetic noise.
Another refreshing addition to the canon of modern pop music.
Warmly recommended. (PB)





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