''Hái!'' is the fourth and final studio album released in 2003 by British duo
the Creatures
The Creatures were an English band formed in 1981 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and drummer Budgie of the group Siouxsie and the Banshees. The Creatures released their first EP '' Wild Things'' in 1981. They recorded four studio albums: '' Feas ...
, composed of
Siouxsie Sioux
Susan Janet Ballion (born 27 May 1957), known professionally as Siouxsie Sioux, is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. She was the lead singer of the rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees (1976–1996). They released 11 ...
and
Budgie. The album was recorded in two parts: the drums were recorded by Budgie and
Kodo __NOTOC__
Kodo may refer to:
Japan
* '' Kōdō'' (香道), ceremonial appreciation of incense
* Nippon Kodo (日本香堂), an incense company
* Kodō (taiko group) (鼓童), a ''taiko'' drumming group
* Kodo-kai (弘道会), a yakuza criminal org ...
drummer Leonard Eto in
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
in August 2002 and the rest of the recording was done in Europe. During their stay in Japan, the band was inspired and "touched by the delicate snowfall imagery of
Akira Kurosawa
was a Japanese filmmaker and painter who directed thirty films in a career spanning over five decades. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. Kurosawa displayed a bold, dy ...
's ''
Ikiru
is a 1952 Japanese drama film directed and co-written (with Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Oguni) by Akira Kurosawa. The film examines the struggles of a terminally ill Tokyo bureaucrat (played by Takashi Shimura) and his final quest for meaning. T ...
'' (1952), absorbing the vibrancy of Tokyo's
Roppongi
is a district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan, famous for the affluent Roppongi Hills development area and popular night club scene. A few foreign embassies are located near Roppongi, and the night life is popular with locals and foreigners alike. It ...
district, and spiritualised by the ancient
Shinto
Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintoist ...
shrines and tranquil shores of
Lake Ashi
, also referred to as Hakone Lake or Ashinoko Lake, is a scenic lake in the Hakone area of Kanagawa Prefecture in Honshū, Japan. It is a crater lake that lies along the southwest wall of the caldera of Mount Hakone, a complex volcano that l ...
."
''Hái!'' was hailed by critics for its "Anglo-Japanese beauty" upon its release in 2003.
[Price, Simon. "Music cds - Anglo-Japanese Beauty The Creatures ''Hái!''". '']The Independent on Sunday
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...
''. 26 October 2003.
History
In April 2002, Budgie was touring the U.S. with the Banshees, and while in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
, met Japanese producer
Hoppy Kamiyama
is a Japanese keyboardist and music producer who has worked with artists such as eX-Girl, The Pugs, Bradford Reed, Bill Laswell, Jan Linton, Marc Ribot, Hugh Hopper/Elton Dean and Damo Suzuki.
Biography
His record company, God Mountain, was ...
, known for his work with Leonard Eto, previously of the
Kodo Drummers __NOTOC__
Kodo may refer to:
Japan
* ''Kōdō'' (香道), ceremonial appreciation of incense
* Nippon Kodo (日本香堂), an incense company
* Kodō (taiko group) (鼓童), a ''taiko'' drumming group
* Kodo-kai (弘道会), a yakuza criminal orga ...
. Budgie and Siouxsie had long wanted to collaborate with Eto, but had never contacted him. After an exchange of emails with Eto, the Creatures booked a studio in Tokyo and invited him to join them for a session on 19 August 2002. They approached the session in the same way as they conceived ''
Feast
A banquet (; ) is a formal large meal where a number of people consume food together. Banquets are traditionally held to enhance the prestige of a host, or reinforce social bonds among joint contributors. Modern examples of these purposes i ...
'': "Turn up and see what happens!". "The Creatures are primal: it's our guts, our deepest instincts coming through" commented Budgie.
During that first recording session, Siouxsie took notes and stockpiled ideas for the songs.
In the days that followed the session, the duo visited
Roppongi
is a district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan, famous for the affluent Roppongi Hills development area and popular night club scene. A few foreign embassies are located near Roppongi, and the night life is popular with locals and foreigners alike. It ...
district, the
Shinto
Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintoist ...
shrines and
Lake Ashi
, also referred to as Hakone Lake or Ashinoko Lake, is a scenic lake in the Hakone area of Kanagawa Prefecture in Honshū, Japan. It is a crater lake that lies along the southwest wall of the caldera of Mount Hakone, a complex volcano that l ...
, and shot images with a
DV camera (that footage would later appear in a documentary included as a DVD in a limited edition of ''Hái!'').
The results of the Tokyo session with Budgie and Eto on drums and percussion became the backbone of ''Hái!''. In France, 11 tracks were edited from the initial 90-minute tape. Siouxsie and Budgie then developed the songs over a period of several months. During this time, Budgie learned sound engineering and recorded the album. Siouxsie approached ''Hái!'' like a vinyl release, with an A-side and a B-side; noting that this method was "so we could have an extroverted side and an introverted and calmer one".
In August 2003, they announced the release of ''Hái!'' for October, preceded by the single "
Godzilla!
"Godzilla!" is a song recorded by English band the Creatures, consisting of singer Siouxsie Sioux and drummer Budgie. It was produced by the duo and was the lead single from their fourth and final album, '' Hái!''.
The single was released on t ...
".
Release and alternative versions
The single "
Godzilla!
"Godzilla!" is a song recorded by English band the Creatures, consisting of singer Siouxsie Sioux and drummer Budgie. It was produced by the duo and was the lead single from their fourth and final album, '' Hái!''.
The single was released on t ...
", released one week before ''Hái!'', included "Attack of the Supervixens", a non-album
B-side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...
inspired by
Russ Meyer
Russell Albion Meyer (March 21, 1922 – September 18, 2004) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, and editor. He is known primarily for writing and directing a series of successful sexploitation films that fe ...
's film ''
Supervixens
''Supervixens'' is a 1975 American film directed by American filmmaker Russ Meyer. The cast features Meyer regulars Charles Napier, Uschi Digard, and Haji. The film also features Shari Eubank (in a dual role) in one of her only two film roles a ...
''.
The album was released on both double-LP and CD. Initially, two extended CD versions were also issued, one including a bonus DVD containing video footage shot by Budgie and Siouxsie in Japan plus the video of "
2nd Floor 2nd Floor may refer to:
* 2nd Floor (Nina song)
* 2nd Floor (The Creatures song)
"2nd Floor" is a song recorded by English band the Creatures (aka singer Siouxsie Sioux and drummer Budgie). It was co-produced by Warne Livesey.
It was the lea ...
", and another with a CD bonus featuring the instrumental version of the album. A third edition called ''Hái! (Nama)'', containing the unedited drum sessions recorded in Tokyo for ''Hái!'', was later issued in July 2004 via the band's website. ''Hái! (Náma)'' included 11 instrumentals, featuring Hoppy Kamiyama on "tape (
Kaoss Pad
The Kaoss Pad is an audio sampling instrument and multi-effects processor originally launched by Korg in 1999. It allows users to record and process audio samples and apply various effects using an X-Y touchscreen.
Features
Kaoss Pads allow u ...
)".
The standard CD of ''Hái!'' was also re-released in 2004 with two bonus tracks: "The Temple of Dawn" and "Attack of the Supervixens" (originally the B-sides of the "Godzilla!" CD single).
The album was also released on
Spotify
Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...
.
Critical reception
''Hái!'' received critical acclaim. ''
Mojo
Mojo may refer to:
*Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo
Arts, entertainment and media Film and television
* MOJO HD, an American television network
* ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film
* '' ...
'' praised the album at the time of its release and rated it 4 stars: "''Hái!'' boasts more than a few moments of jasmine-scented intimacy, where Sioux's inimitable Banshee yelp does daintily nuanced dances to Budgie's intricate marimba manipulations. A robust return".
[Paytress, Mark. ''Hái!'' review. ''Mojo''. November 2003.] ''
Time Out
Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to:
Time
* Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team
* Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken
* Timeout (computing), an enginee ...
'' considered it as a "spine-tingling achievement". Reviewer Peter Watts described it as "mesmeric", saying: "Siouxsie's voice is the dominant instrument here, snaking and curling around the bouncing drumming backdrop, elegiac and inhuman as she chants, purrs and whispers her way around the album". Watts also hailed the song "Tourniquet" as tense, sensual and spellbinding.
''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publishe ...
'' wrote that ''Hái!'' was "an album of dense atmospherics, frenetic rhythms and, of course, Siouxsie's visceral wailing." Fiona Sturges qualified it as "imaginative, raw and energetic".
[Sturges, Fiona. "Return of the Creature". ''The Independent''. 24 October 2003] ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' liked the album for its "strangely skilful stuff",
["''Hai!'' Reissue- press review"]
CD Sioux 16 cd. Sioux records 2004 and ''
Uncut
Uncut may refer to:
* ''Uncut'' (film), a 1997 Canadian docudrama film by John Greyson about censorship
* ''Uncut'' (magazine), a monthly British magazine with a focus on music, which began publishing in May 1997
* '' BET: Uncut'', a Black Enter ...
'' praised it for its "fearsome drumming".
Simon Price
Simon Price (born 25 September 1967) is a British music journalist and author. He is known for his weekly review section in '' The Independent on Sunday'' and his book ''Everything (A Book About Manic Street Preachers)''.
Career Writer
Pr ...
wrote: "It's as dense as its predecessors, built from layer upon layer of xylophones, bells and steel pipes from Budgie and 'taiko' drummer Leonard Eto. Imagine the marching band from
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green (musician), Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the li ...
's ''
Tusk
Tusks are elongated, continuously growing front teeth that protrude well beyond the mouth of certain mammal species. They are most commonly canine teeth, as with pigs and walruses, or, in the case of elephants, elongated incisors. Tusks share ...
'' let loose on the marching powder in which the Mac themselves had been indulging, while Sioux coos like a 1940s siren over the top, and you're some way to imagining this Anglo-Japanese beauty."
Track listing
Personnel
;The Creatures
*
Siouxsie
Susan Janet Ballion (born 27 May 1957), known professionally as Siouxsie Sioux, is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. She was the lead singer of the rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees (1976–1996). They released 11 ...
- words, vocal melodies, arrangements
*
Budgie - drums, percussion, marimba, piano, lute (
Yueh Ch'in), synthesizer
;Additional musicians
*Leonard Eto - taiko
*Hoppy Kamiyama - "tape (chaos-tapes)" on "Imagoró" and "City Island"
Production
* "Spontaneous drum-duet improvisations" recorded by Yoshiaki Kondoh
* Drum performances, edited, additional recordings, engineered and album mixed by Budgie
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hai!
2003 albums
The Creatures albums