Next month marks 30 years since Yako and Agata first introduced their manic take on the already-manic noisecore subgenre with their no-wave-y debut as Melt-Banana, Cactuses Come in the Flocks. Their sound has taken plenty of new directions in the time since then on the six albums that followed, from J-hardcore to sound collage to glitch to spaced-out ambient—all leading up to their last official release, a 2016 Record Store Day split with grindcore icons Napalm Death. Yet the band returns this week with their first new album since 2013’s Fetch, and 3+5 feels every bit as full of energy as anything they’ve released in the past.
Blending old-school metal riffs and mathy percussion with the contemporary hyper-pop aesthetic invoked by Yako’s chipmunk-pitched vocals, the blitzkrieg new release is a seamless melding of the sounds of the band’s earlier era with the present moment of hyperactive pop music finding its way into the realms of heavy rock (see: The Armed). 3+5 is a mix of refurbished old songs (one track in particular might stand out to those of us who’ve kept up with the curated releases churned out by Adult Swim over the past 15+ years) and new material, much of it honed over the course of recent live performances. Yet all of it fits comfortably within the tight confines of the record’s under-30-minute runtime.
With the record officially arriving tomorrow via the band’s own A-Zap Records, check out an early stream below where you can also find Yako and Agata’s track-by-track breakdown of 3+5. Additionally, you can pre-order the record here.
1. “Code”
Yako: This song started as a demo that Agata recorded on his phone. We then arranged it into a complete track.
Agata: I sequenced some trumpet samples using the app on the phone and tried to play them with the guitar, but it didn’t work—and even if it had, it didn’t seem interesting. So I used effects to recreate the sequence patterns with my guitar.
Yako: At first, the tempo was much slower. As we recorded the song, the tempo gradually increased, and it eventually became what it is now.
2. “Puzzle”
Yako: This song started as a demo of drum and synthesizer noise for about one minute, at first.
Agata: We then added guitar and bass and built the structure. For this song, I tried to repeat one motif as many times as possible.
3. “Case D”
Agata: This song is the oldest one on 3+5. Originally it was a track called “Case D in the Test Tube” that was included in the Adult Swim compilation N O I S E, which was released in 2016.
Yako: People who have frequently attended our live shows probably know that we’ve played this song many times. For some reason, even though we’re not sure how the audience feels, we really enjoy playing it live. So we were determined to include this song on the album and re-recorded it.
4. “Stopgap”
Yako: This song initially didn’t have any synthesizers. It had a slightly different feel back then. After playing it live multiple times and changing the arrangement, it eventually evolved into its current form.
Agata: Unlike “Code” and “Puzzle,” this song began as a demo recorded with guitar and drums, to which we added synthesizers. It’s fun to play, but since I have to press the effect pedal switches many times, I feel like my feet are about to cramp.
5. “Scar”
Agata: This song started as a demo using a guitar and a looper. I added drums and bass, made various arrangements, and handed it over to Yako. It was a bit of a confusing demo in terms of structure, so I was surprised when Yako sent me the recorded vocals. Even though I initially thought it was a difficult song, it felt like it became really catchy.
Yako: I thought I might have overdone the vocals for this song, but if you say so, then I’m fine with it.
6. “Flipside”
Yako: This song was the first one we played live besides “Case D.” It also went through various arrangements before reaching its current version. I really like how the synthesizer, guitar, and bass intertwine like lines.
Agata: I struggled with blending synthesizer noise and guitar in the song. It started as a demo song to compare the drum sounds of our usual drum samples and preset drum sounds in the music software, Ableton Live.
7. “Hex”
Yako: This song was the second one we played live after “Flipside.” In the early stages, the bass had some complicated phrases that felt too technical, so I remember asking Agata to have it replaced with his guitar.
Agata: The arpeggio-like part now played on guitar was originally a bass part. Trying to play it on guitar was what led me to start using the “step sequence” effect for guitar.
8. “Whisperer”
Yako: This song has gone through so many versions that it was quite a challenge.
Agata: This song took the longest to write among the tracks on 3+5. I recorded the guitar and adjusted the drum and bass arrangements many, many times. Eventually, it evolved into its current form.
9. “Seeds”
Yako: This song started as a demo with just the intro’s trumpet and bell-like sounds. We played that demo at shows a few times.
Agata: We then added guitar, drums, and bass to turn it into a full song. It’s one of the tracks on this album that was completed in a relatively short time.
