Pink (Boris album)
Pink is the tenth album by Japanese experimental music band Boris. It was originally released in 2005 through Diwphalanx Records in Japan and subsequently reissued in 2006 by American label Southern Lord Records. The album received favorable reviews, particularly for incorporating more melody into the band's abrasive sound.
| Pink | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 18, 2005 | |||
| Recorded | 2005 | |||
| Studio | Sound Square | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length |
| |||
| Label | Diwphalanx | |||
| Producer | Boris | |||
| Boris chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Alternative cover | ||||
 2006 Southern Lord release | ||||
The album's length was extended significantly on the LP version of the album. For the 2006 reissue of Pink, the album's cover art, track order, and length were modified from the original version released in Japan in 2005. Additionally, a music video was shot for the title track which was limited to 100 copies on DVD. Since then, the music video has been included in the limited edition of the album Smile, also published by Southern Lord.
An expanded reissue of the album using the original Japanese filled stencil-style art was announced for worldwide release by Sargent House on May 9, 2016, simultaneously debuting new track "Are You Ready" from its bonus disc.[3] Later the same month, NPR Music hosted a stream of an additional new song from the release, "SOFUN".[4] Sargent House streamed the bonus disc via their SoundCloud page the day before it was released on July 8, 2016.[5]
The full-length version of the track "Farewell" from the LP edition appears on Boris / Variations + Live in Japan. It was also re-recorded for Boris' collaborative studio album with Merzbow, Gensho.
Reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 80/100[6] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [7] |
| Consequence of Sound | A−[2] |
| Drowned in Sound | 8/10[8] |
| Now | 4/5[9] |
| Pitchfork | 8.7/10[10] |
| Record Collector |  [11] |
| Spin | A[12] |
| Stylus Magazine | C[13] |
| Uncut | 8/10[14] |
Critical response to Pink has been positive. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average score of 80, based on 13 reviews.[6]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "決別" ("Farewell") | 7:33 |
| 2. | "Pink" | 4:20 |
| 3. | "スクリーンの女" ("Woman on the Screen") | 2:38 |
| 4. | "別になんでもない" ("Nothing Special") | 2:17 |
| 5. | "ブラックアウト" ("Blackout") | 4:49 |
| 6. | "Electric" | 1:45 |
| 7. | "偽ブレッド" ("Pseudo-Bread") | 4:29 |
| 8. | "ぬるい炎" ("Afterburner") | 4:22 |
| 9. | "6を3つ" ("Six, Three Times") | 2:53 |
| 10. | "My Machine" | 2:01 |
| 11. | "俺を捨てたところ" ("Just Abandoned Myself"; 18:14 on English version) | 10:14 |
| Total length: | 47:23 | |
Southern Lord CD version
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Farewell" (決別) | 7:33 |
| 2. | "Pink" | 4:20 |
| 3. | "Woman on the Screen" (スクリーンの女) | 2:38 |
| 4. | "Nothing Special" (別になんでもない) | 2:17 |
| 5. | "Blackout" (ブラックアウト) | 4:49 |
| 6. | "Electric" | 1:45 |
| 7. | "Pseudo-Bread" (偽ブレッド) | 4:29 |
| 8. | "Afterburner" (ぬるい炎) | 4:22 |
| 9. | "Six, Three Times" (6を3つ) | 2:53 |
| 10. | "My Machine" | 2:01 |
| 11. | "Just Abandoned Myself" (俺を捨てたところ; 10:14 on Japanese version) | 18:14 |
| Total length: | 55:23 | |
LP version
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Pink" | 4:20 |
| 2. | "Woman on the Screen" | 2:38 |
| 3. | "Nothing Special" | 2:17 |
| 4. | "Blackout" | 4:49 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Electric" | 1:45 |
| 2. | "Six, Three Times" | 2:53 |
| 3. | "Afterburner" | 4:22 |
| 4. | "Pseudo-Bread" | 10:08 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "My Machine" | 11:14 |
| 2. | "Farewell" | 9:32 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Just Abandoned My-Self" | 18:14 |
| Total length: | 72:16 | |
2016 deluxe version
The first disc of the CD release is identical to the Southern Lord CD release, and the first two discs of the LP release are identical to those of the previous LP release.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Your Name Part 2" | 6:15 |
| 2. | "Heavy Rock Industry" | 3:18 |
| 3. | "SOFUN" | 3:57 |
| 4. | "non/sha/lant" | 2:35 |
| 5. | "Room Noise" | 3:35 |
| 6. | "Talisman" | 4:26 |
| 7. | "N.F. Sorrow" | 7:50 |
| 8. | "Are You Ready?" | 4:21 |
| 9. | "Tiptoe" | 2:18 |
The LP version of this disc splits the track list between "Room Noise" and "Talisman".[15]
Personnel
- Takeshi – vocals, bass, guitar
- Atsuo – drums, percussion
- Wata – guitar, effects
- Boris – production
- Souichirou Nakamura – mixing, mastering
- Fangs Anal Satan – artwork
- Stephen O'Malley – design (LP version)
- The Lord – A&R (reissue)
- Blake & Durer – artwork (reissue)
- P.C.B. – design (reissue)
Pressing history
| Year | Label | Format | Country | Out of print? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Diwphalanx | CD | Japan | No | Some copies featured a die-cut sleeve around the jewel box |
| 2xLP | Yes | Ltd. 500. Deluxe 2xLP featuring a die-cut "stencil" cover and extended cuts of "Pseudo-Bread", "My Machine", "Farewell" and "Just Abandoned Myself"; different track listing | |||
| 2006 | Southern Lord | CD | United States | Yes | Different cover from Japanese pressing; has same audio overall as the Japanese CD apart from featuring the same extended cut of "Just Abandoned Myself" as the Japanese 2xLP. The cover art features pictures by the poet and artist William Blake depicting Satan from his illustrations to John Milton's Paradise Lost. The album also comes with three paintings of devil imagery on sheets of what resembles perforated "blotter paper," usually associated with LSD. Also, the misspelling of 'abandoned' to 'abondoned' on the album sleeve and online MP3 tagging seems to be intended. |
| 2xLP | Yes | Ltd. 6000. Pressed on 180g pink marble (2000), clear pink (2000) and black vinyl (2000); has same audio overall as the Japanese 2xLP; same cover art as the US CD | |||
| 2007 | 2xLP | Yes | Ltd. 2000. Pressed on 180g icy pink (1000) and deep red (1000); has same audio overall as the Japanese 2xLP; same cover art as the US CD |
References
- "Beginner's Guide: Boris". Treblezine. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
- Corcoran, Nina (July 22, 2016). "Boris – Pink (Deluxe Edition)". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
- Yoo, Noah (May 9, 2016). "Boris Reissue Pink With Bonus Album, Share "Are You Ready": Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
- Gotrich, Lars (June 15, 2016). "Viking's Choice: Boris, 'SOFUN'". NPR Music. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
- "Boris – Pink "Forbidden Songs" by Sargent House". SoundCloud. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
- "Reviews for Pink by Boris". Metacritic. Retrieved March 19, 2009.
- Jurek, Thom. "Pink – Boris". AllMusic. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
- Diver, Mike (May 16, 2006). "Album Review: Boris – Pink". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
- Perlich, Tim (May 11, 2006). "Boris". Now. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
- Stosuy, Brandon (January 9, 2006). "Boris: Pink". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
- Hamnett, Alun (August 2016). "Boris – Pink – Deluxe Edition". Record Collector (456). Retrieved August 2, 2019.
- Gross, Joe (April 2006). "Boris: Pink". Spin. 22 (4): 93–95. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
- Voegtlin, Stewart (May 1, 2006). "Boris – Pink – Review". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on May 23, 2007. Retrieved April 16, 2009.
- O'Connell, Sharon (August 2016). "Boris: Pink (Deluxe Edition)". Uncut (231): 89.
- "Pink Deluxe 12" Triple LP". Sargent House Hello Merch Store. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
