Bárbara was an obscure girl group from Japan that formed somewhere in the 1980s. The amount of information that can be found on them is very limited, but research indicated that the early members were Yuki (vocals), Kotome (guitar), Keiko (bass), Chisa (percussion) and Midori (piano and keyboards). Bárbara's existence was also extremely short-lived, so only a couple of EPs were ever made. "Holy! Holy!" is the first one and was recorded at Studio Dig in Tokyo on July 10, 1985 (released on a label known as City Rocker Records, which also sponsored other underground Japanese Gothic Rock/Deathrock acts of the time such as Madame Edwarda, Phaidia and Mannequin Neurose). I think this is one of those releases where the front cover artwork can be a tad misleading (if you were to solely judge from appearance). One's first impression of Bárbara might be that they were some kind of Synth-Pop/Dance group from the distant past. The music presented here doesn't really have much Pop-like elements. Bárbara has a musical style that is a little bit difficult to accurately pin down, but to me it sounds like a freaky, experimental mixture of Post-Punk, Deathrock, No Wave and Noise Rock (if you were to combine The Birthday Party with a little bit of Diamanda Galás and DNA, maybe even 45 Grave, you might get a vague idea). This 1985 EP contains three tracks that total in under ten minutes (as a result, it receives lots of replays from me. I sometimes listen to "Holy! Holy!" three, four, even five consecutive times in a row). One other little, interesting detail to note is that the producer behind this recording was Momoyo, a former member of the 1970s Proto-Punk band, Benitokage (which later transformed itself into the New Wave band called Lizard). Although a bit "hollow" in sound, the production here is actually not too abysmal (not nearly as "lo-fi" as one would first expect).
Side A initiates with "Holy! Holy!", a playful little tune that stirs up quite a commotion (throughout certain times, it also tends to have some semblance to The Birthday Party's 1981 single of "Release The Bats"). The crazy, zany front-woman Yuki does a variety of sounds with her voice including sensually moaning, screaming and yelping. Lyrically, there's not much going on here (she just repeats the seemingly nonsensical, humorous lyrics "check, check, check me now! Eyes, eyes holy! Down! Check! Check! Check! Holy down!"). Kotome's guitar playing mostly dwells on discordance, with not much resembling riffs or melodies. The only thing bringing a slight sense of melody is the piano of Midori. The rhythm section actually has this swinging flair to it, due to Chisa's tapping drum-work and Keiko's groovy bass guitar. Overall, "Holy! Holy!" isn't anywhere near to being one of the most catchy or memorable songs most will ever hear, and there exists a huge possibility that it will annoy some with its over-the-top quirkiness, but I still personally think it's cool and entertaining. Proceeding is the carnival-esque "A Beast In Your Head". What makes this track especially interesting for me is Yuki's schizophrenic vocal performance. How she frequently transitions from operatic wailing to ghoulish, witch-crazed shrieks and maniacal growls is something to behold. A fantastic song that borders on psychosis and theatricality.
On Side B the listener comes across the mysterious and entrancing "From Here To Eternity". This happens to be the most atmospheric track on this EP and it brings to mind early Jarboe-era S W A N S (the "Greed" and "Holy Money" albums in particular). Ominous piano keys pounce on in a hypnotic pattern while cavernous percussion beats on and on (I like the spacious echoes the drums give off). The distorted, disembodied Lisa Gerrard-styled chanting further adds to the unsettling mood. Somewhere around the one minute and thirty second mark, the music dies down for awhile, which enables for a brief, solitary piano solo from Midori. Not too long after, it resumes in the same repetitive fashion, anxiously leading up to an intense, dizzying crescendo. In summary, Bárbara's debut EP from 1985, "Holy! Holy!", definitely provides for an interesting listen, even if it won't be everyone's cup of tea. Still recommended to adventurous individuals with a fondness for the more unorthodox side of music. One last note: Finding this recording in a physical format isn't easy, so I feel that it desperately needs to be reissued on vinyl/CD! (Yeah, that is most likely not going to happen anytime soon. Hopefully, one day it does though). Until then, I guess a digital version of this EP will suffice.
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