Blast Worship: Jig-Ai

Where they from?
Prague, Czech Republic. According to Wikipedia, the area of Bohemia was settled as early as the Paleolithic era, with Prague itself being founded around 1306 B.C. by the ancient king Boyya. Since then, Prague has served as both a political and cultural touchstone of Eastern Europe, playing important roles in everything from the early Christian reformations of the 15th century, to the Hapsburg empire all the way through the World Wars and the Cold War. “Fun” fact: the Czech Republic is also where Decibel Flexi Series discs are pressed.

What do they sound like?
Like Squash Bowels but somehow dumber.

Why the hype?
There are grindcore bands that have changed my life, because they have challenged my ideas of what music can be, have pushed me intellectually or have resonated with me at such an emotional level that they have helped me channel and process feelings in a way that perhaps no other art form would even dare allow. This is not one of those bands. However, in their defense, I truly doubt that a band with song titles such as “Hard Cock Café” and “Liposuction By Machete” is trying to have that kind of impact anyway. Jig-Ai (named after a specific type of graphically violent anime porn) is gloriously stupid and self-referential in a genre which can probably use a bit more of that level of humor, or at the very least “non-seriousness.”

I normally really chafe at this specific style of goregrind, which I would best describe as not quite being pornogrind but maybe, porn-adjacent? There are no samples here (thank god) and I can’t find the lyrics anywhere, so I’m just gonna take the music as it is, which honestly pretty damn good mindless fun. Really, this band’s music is comparable to much more serious stalwarts like Rotten Sound, except with vocals that sound like a toilet and a general irreverence that pervades all the music. There are sick helicopter breakdowns to be had and even some… RIFFS. Woah, who woulda thought?

Latest Release?
Entrails Tsunami. If there was ever an album perfectly curtailed for the Baltimore Soundstage at Maryland Deathfest, this would be it. The standout here is the title track, which really sums up the album and the band itself: You kind of want to dislike it for how unapologetically stupid it is but then that main riff/breakdown comes in and you realize that this is a band who despite all the brainless dressings can actually get the fuck down with the best of them. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to strangle myself between two cow udders.

Bandcamp