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Post by qweasd on Feb 26, 2016 20:41:36 GMT -5
Stalvern - good to see Ouroboros & Scene mentioned also, they don't pop up so much. The final track of Ike Dada diminishes the overall quality of the disc for me. Do you know Rattus Rattus? One of his best in my opinion.
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Post by acsenger on Feb 27, 2016 3:21:58 GMT -5
Vibractance.... really? What's the appeal there, as far as a Merzbow record goes? And which Burzum samples have you found in Ikebukuro? I haven't heard Vibractance in a long time, but I really liked the different approach taken on that album: the contrast between soft and loud parts, the small things happening in the background while there's a calm drone in the foreground, and the overall structure of the album. Regarding Ikebukuro Dada, I remember one sample was taken from the Det Som Engang Var album. There might have been more samples, but in that case I think they were all from that album (which is the best Burzum along with Filosofem, in my opinion). Interesting, I thought Rattus Rattus was just OK; very much a routine work for Merzbow.
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Post by acsenger on Feb 27, 2016 3:29:15 GMT -5
Just listening to Cycle. I really like this CD. Track 1 is a full-on affair, well executed. Track 2 is very different, kind of like a surreal dream/collage. Not all parts are equally good (which might be inevitable with this kind of music that's 40 minutes long), but overall it's a great track.
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Post by andypandy380 on Feb 28, 2016 17:36:24 GMT -5
Scene and Rattus Rattus are both great albums. Scene in particular is easily one of my faveourite Merzbow releases. Many of those albums from the mid 2000s are absolute gems, but I feel sometimes many of them are overlooked. I could be wrong but I feel there's a certain amount of Merzbow's audience that would assume all albums from around that time are in the same vain as Merzbird/Merzbeat etc.
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Post by qweasd on Mar 4, 2016 3:46:26 GMT -5
acsenger - how could Rattus Rattus be routine Merzbow when properly listened to (rather than written off as so), particularly, if for no other reason, given the length of the final track? How many studio tracks over 30mins in length are there in the early laptop era (or all of Merzbow's output for that matter)? This alone makes it noteworthy. When heard in the context of laptop era Merzbow, it was the album that arguably is the least obviously concerned with fixed loops across its entire structure, yet still being about a rhythmic surface (as opposed to albums from Turmeric onwards). This makes it one of the most playful and detailed rhythmic albums out there (Houjoue's 3rd disc is also up there on this front). Listen to how he uses Degradation of Tapes samples (1930) in track 2 as an example. Texturally there is more activity than usual, with looped material not always being foregrounded. Structurally the last track is compelling throughout, with way more touches from the artist's hand than virtually any other Merzbow track. I enjoy the first two tracks (track 2 a little less so) as 'short tracks' for Merzbow (like Merzzow - again, like tracks over 30mins, short tracks are relatively rare), but really jam packed short tracks (track 2 overstays its welcome a little in this reading of it).
In the chronology of Merzbow, it is at the end of the 'laptop era' (before Turmeric), with that, Sphere and Houjoue being a culmination and high point of those years (not so much Senmaida, Merzbuta, Dust of Dreams; ok, Bariken & Scene are great too, but lack the same level of detail texturally, structurally and rhythmically). After Houjoue, Merzbow's music became more more broad brushstroked, focused on feedback, less about the rhythmic surface, less variety across tracks or albums, and on more of a set-and-forget approach when rhythm returned. It took a couple of years for albums to return to a similar high level of textural and rhythmic sophistication - the last 2 tracks of Merzbear, part 4 of Zophorus and then Higanbana, Here and Eucalypse. (Then the drumming started and we had too much forgettable, rushed material, with a few exceptions of course). The next great album was Ouroboros, and it's been few and far between with ye olde Merzbow full length studio album styled releases.
Of course this all depends how one listens to Merzbow, to what level one engages with the musical elements within (rhythm, texture, structure, etc), considers it within the context of neighbouring releases, or if it's just more of a wash and 'it is what it is, that's just how I like it' styled engagement. I'm very happy to engage with musical factual details and analysis here to make points clearer, just in my experience not many engage enough to lead that into a fruitful conversation, people just are happy to sit on opinions and agree to disagree (from the last 15 years or so of being involved with Merzbow commentary online).
And of course, personal taste comes into it. So from the years just before 2005, I think Bariken and SCSI Duck are great releases but very different to Rattus Rattus, completely fixed from a looping point of view rather than as rhythmically and structurally playful (though texture and quality of sound make them stand out compared with other releases from those years), whereas Sha Mo 3000 is less interesting in detail and pace of information, but a standout in terms of variety across tracks, a more ambient approach and a colourful sound world. (Cycle also is great, track 1 not quite as exhilarating and brutal as SCSI Duck for me albeit very similar in approach and track 2 a wonderful track, but a little long winded in parts). So I appreciate all of these albums and many others for different reasons. They represent for me certain pinnacles among different approaches that were happening at a particular time. Merzbuddha is also a standout for the same reason perhaps you like Vibractance (softer elements to contrast loudness), but I wouldn't call it a favourite Merzbow record for me, it doesn't have the same level of interest and intensity across the whole album, but unique among the output it certainly is. I think 2005 was one of the years where there was the most musical variety, inspiration in released material and mastery of the technologies being used for recordings (in terms of how 'worked' the music is) and Rattus Rattus definitely stands out for me in this year, in terms of the things I value in Merzbow.
I wait in hope for an engaged response! These sort of posts don't really seem to excite many people....
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Post by acsenger on Mar 9, 2016 7:49:00 GMT -5
I no longer have Rattus Rattus, so I can’t listen to it again, although I’d like to. What I didn’t like about it was mainly its structure: each track had a simple rhythm in the background and there was computer madness improvised on top of it, but this structure didn’t change throughout the whole album and it just wasn’t exciting after a while. Sure, it was catchy at first, but not for too long. Also, I didn’t really like the improvised parts in the foreground; I think they were too digital-sounding for me. (In general I like both analogue and digital noise, but I don’t like some digital sounds.) I have the same problem with track 1 on Sha Mo 3000: it’s not bad, but it just sounds too digital for my taste (the rest of the album is awesome though).
What you wrote about Rattus Rattus makes the album sound more complex than I remember it being, so it’s a pity I can’t listen to it again. It’s also clear that you’re a lot more engaged with analysing Merzbow. Due to not being familiar enough with Merzbow’s post-2000 output, I can’t go into such depths with regards to this period, although I certainly could about his ‘90s output, probably his golden era for me. When I got to know Merzbow in 1999, I became a fanatic who, while exploring other kinds of experimental music too, focused unhealthily on Merzbow for quite a while, and since his digital period was just beginning and I didn’t have money for the Merzbox (thereby not being able to explore his ‘80s output), I was buying his ‘90s albums like crazy and got to know them quite well. By this I mean to say that I also appreciate knowing albums in the context of neighbouring releases as well as their specific period, I just haven’t acquired this sort of familiarity with post-2000 Merzbow. There are several reasons for this: I’ve become more engaged with other music, there are simply too many Merzbow albums and I’ve been burnt by some pretty bad releases which has taught me to be careful and selective, and, finally, there’s just not enough time.
Of the albums you mention, unfortunately I don’t know a lot, but I do know Merzzow (the second laptop-era Merzbow I heard and it’s still a favourite: I love the short track-format; the electroacoustic tracks; the occasional melancholic melodies; the small and delicate details (like at the end of track 1); the masterful structure of and incorporation of horse sounds in the track Horse; the classical music samples etc.), Sphere (didn’t care much for it), Merzbuta (one of those albums that show how varied Akita’s output is; even if I’m not crazy about it because of the nature of the music, it’s still an enjoyable album for me), Dust of Dreams (a major disappointment) and Scene (I know I liked it, but I somehow don’t remember it... A relisten is in order). I also like Merzbuddha for its being different (and because I love those bassy sounds), although I agree that it’s not the most interesting Merzbow album.
I’m trying to become more familiar with digital-era Merzbow: I just listened to Ouroboros for the first time and it’s very good. I recently got to know Offering which I really liked too. I listen to an unknown album every now and then, without any particular plan (such as targeting a specific year). Not too long ago I listened to Tamago, Dharma and Hard Lovin’ Man and I liked them all, but will have to listen to them again as one listen is not enough (Hard Lovin’ Man reminds me that I should also listen to In Rock by Deep Purple, an album I used to love but haven’t heard in ages).
I welcome discussions like this and I certainly don’t have opinions that are set in stone (or at least that’s what I think, haha).
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Post by qweasd on Mar 10, 2016 6:47:25 GMT -5
Glad to hear a considered reply here. I am not a completist collector, but certainly have sought out all the Merzbow recordings I can get my hands on and have my own strong opinions about various aspects of his output, distilled over the years and due to, as you, an "unhealthy" focus on his music at certain times. Despite not liking some aspects of Merzbow (and wishing so often it could be other things), I haven't found a musical project outside of the classical music world that is quite as complex/involved and still intriguing (despite its kind of singular mode of delivery and technique). It's still a remarkable thing in the current musical world, I think (though other esteemed musical thinkers may have moved on).
Again, I'd have to disagree with your sentiments re: Rattus Rattus and urge you to listen again. Likewise, Untitled for Vasteras, the final track from Sphere (forget the first 3 Sphere tracks, in some ways, not as essential). As well-formed and satisfying as Merzbow gets, I would argue. The only "better" Merzbow (in one sense of what that means) is the less formed and more unrelenting side, which is a stronger manifestation of what 'Noise' music is. While Merzbow is arguably the best out there in that mode from the 'mid 90s releases', there are other artists who also come close to that mode (Masonna etc). I am more fond of the Merzbow where more work has been put into rhythmic play and textural, structural, harmonic variety, with less uniformity across the track - i.e. a more colourful/detailed/varied yet still dense/harsh Merzbow.
Back to Rattus Rattus - instantly we have a polyrhythm in track 1 in terms of looped layers, while the usual dynamic layers operate on top. It's actually surprising how seldomly clearly articulated polyrhythms come up in Merzbow, as sustained loop layers. Track 2 doesn't fall into a 'simple rhythm', infact the decisions about rhythmic editing are as complex as anything since the Merzbox. (Yes, there is a portion of track 2 that falls into the laptop styled set and forget rhythmic mode, but there's enough in the texture to compensate for this and also that's ok, this is laptop era Merzbow - if you think that's bad, listen to Puroland - there are plenty of much longer stretches of simple rhythms with not much interest - Merzbird, Merzbuta, Ikebukuro Dada, Amlux, EMU, Yoshinotsune, Hard Lovin Man, Dharma, Merzzow, Animal Magnetism, Cycle, SCSI Fuck, Bariken, Senmaida, Tamago.... in fact, basically every laptop album UNTIL Sphere and Rattus Rattus). Track 3 is absolutely anything BUT "simple rhythm in the background", and one of the most interesting examples of NOT-that. (Much Merzbow indeed does verge on that, "simple rhythm in the background"! One of the unfortunate qualities here and there, but like all prolific artists there are good days and bad days. And to sum up laptop era, it's interesting to see how he embraces that and plays with texture, structure and variety within that sort of an approach).
As for digital Merzbow, well you can probably find lots on YouTube - I search every now and then for something specific when away from my CDs. Ouroboros is great. As for the others, Houjoue, Turmeric, Minazo Vol 1, Higanbana, Merzbear, Eucalypse, Zophorus, Dead Zone, Lop Lop, Kibako and Takahe Collage are about all you need since Rattus Rattus (maybe Konchuuki too, but perhaps not as essential).
I wonder if other artists you are into have come close to Merzbow in YOUR opinion in terms of scope/interest/complexity/vision? I am still waiting to find other equals...
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Post by qweasd on Mar 10, 2016 6:49:50 GMT -5
And as for the drums era, Hodosan is the only one I really return to.
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Post by acsenger on Mar 11, 2016 3:28:44 GMT -5
First of all, I just realised that I actually haven’t got rid of Rattus Rattus! I remembered I had sold it, but luckily I was wrong. I shall listen to it as soon as I get my CD player back from being serviced.
I totally agree that, despite being kind of singular in style, Merzbow is still intriguing in a way few other bands/musicians are. Somehow he has managed to hit several sweet spots for me: while working in a narrow sound field since the beginning, and especially since 1990, he has managed to pack enough variety in his narrow pursuit that he pretty much has his own sound world, even though there are heaps of other noise musicians. For me, his success is also based on other factors: the many references in his work to other kinds of music, artworks, books, art movements, etc.; some of his artwork (granted, there have been plenty of downright horrible ones too); his cryptic track titles and the strange use of English in them; and his impressive and strange intellectual background from which he draws inspiration (this was especially the case before his focus on animal rights). The fact that he’s written a number of books is impressive too (it’s a shame we can’t read them). All of this is reflected in his music and it keeps it from becoming one-dimensional – again, within the context of his style, of course.
But in my experience, 99% of musicians/bands operate in a narrow musical field. I have no problem with that as long as there’s enough variation within their output. To prevent getting bored with any particular musician/band, I listen to what I consider a pretty varied range of music.
As for discovering new Merzbow, I actually almost never listen to music on Youtube. I use Tidal where a lot of the music is in CD quality, and they actually have quite a few Merzbow albums. Unfortunately Sphere is not on there, or on Youtube, so I might have to download it (something I also don’t like). Of the digital albums you mention, I just listened to Zophorus. I was quite surprised by the first 2 tracks: I reckon they’re the most savage digital Merzbow stuff I know! After a while the rest of the album didn’t hold my attention too much, but this could be due to factors unrelated to the music, so I’ll listen to it again. I have Minazo 1 but haven’t heard it in a long time. I listened to Konchuuki when it was available for streaming on the label’s website, but didn’t like it. However, I only listened to it once.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard any of his albums with his drumming on it, but Hodosan is on Youtube, so I’ll listen to it.
The last few days I’ve listened to a couple albums, some that I didn’t know or know well. Dharma is great! I like the fact it’s purely digital and cleverly structured. I thought the ending of the album was really psychedelic, with that slowly shifting mass of sound. It could’ve been just my mood, but I don’t think I’ve experienced that atmosphere with Merzbow before.
Hard Lovin’ Man is also a good album, and I was quite surprised by how varied the live track was. It was remixed in the studio later, but I assume the basic structure remained the same. Tamago is good too, I quite enjoyed the digital rhythms on that one. I really liked Metamorphism, it’s a fairly varied album with a pretty colourful sound palette. The only thing I wasn’t very fond of is Akita’s improvised acoustic guitar playing (something I also don’t like much on Yoshinotsune).
I understand what you like most in Merzbow’s work, and those are qualities I also like, hence my love for some of the more refined digital albums such as Merzzow, Sha Mo 3000 or Dharma. When I mentioned the ‘90s works though, and I’d like to emphasise this (not that you misunderstood me, I think), I meant the entire ‘90s output, not just the mid-‘90s stuff that a lot of people associate Merzbow with. I think it’s amazing what he accomplished in that decade: his first CD, Cloud Cock OO Grand (again, referring back to what I wrote above about Akita’s use of English: what’s this title supposed to mean? And what about the track titles? For example, Spinnozaamen – is this some kind of reference to Spinoza the philosopher? For me, these details add to the Merzbow experience), from 1990, was the first in a new style (not that Merzbow hadn’t been harsh previously) and it’s already an accomplished album. Rainbow Electronics from the same year – a slow, uninterrupted stream of electronics, but quite different from his first CD. The two Music for Bondage Performance CDs – drastically different from anything else in his catalogue, and just as good. Metalvelodrome – a personal highlight for me; a collection of tracks that heralded the brutality that was to come, but with more variation and electronic effects, plus that 40-minute tape music track on disc 3 that, while having lesser moments, is still a great piece, and the style of which would sadly not be repeated (I should add that the final track on the Great American Nude/Crash for Hi-Fi album is somewhat similar, and is another highlight for me). Then we have the ultrabrutal stuff: Noisembryo (although this is still a bit more playful than some later releases), Venereology, Flare Gun, Hole etc. I consider Venereology the best of these (although I haven’t heard Dadarottenvator – maybe one day I’ll be crazy enough to fork out for it) partly because there are quite a few memorable moments on that album, making it so much more than a typical harsh noise album from that period. Then we have the addition of EMS to Akita’s arsenal, resulting in some outstanding releases: Spiral Honey, Electric Salad, Project Frequency to name some. He then goes on to add Moog and other synthesizers, adding a psychedelic flavour to his music, and makes some of his best albums ever in my view: Space Metalizer, to a lesser extent Hybrid Noisebloom, Psychorazer (for the title track), Tauromachine (although this is less psychedelic, but no less good). You already know my opinion about Vibractance, a wonderful oddity in the Merzbow catalogue. Albums from the late ‘90s like Aqua Necromancer, Door Open at 8 AM and Maschinenstil have a unique atmosphere and sound, making them very different (especially the first two) from what came before. And let’s not forget the 7” releases during this decade, serving up short but great Merzbow pieces.
I hope I managed to get across why I’m so enthusiastic about Merzbow in the ‘90s. Of course, each to their own, but I hope I made a good case for what I see as a lot of variety in Merzbow’s output in that decade.
However, even when I think he should’ve practised a lot more restraint and self-criticism since switching to digital in terms of releasing albums, I appreciate the fact that Akita has continued to move on, and as I become more familiar with his post-2000 releases, I’m gradually picking out favourites and new elements in his work that I enjoy.
By the way, I haven’t found anyone else yet that I think beats Merzbow in the classic harsh noise game (in his case his mid-‘90s style). This doesn’t mean I don’t like bands in this style; some I like more, some less. Some examples off the top of my head: The Haters, Knurl, Macronympha, Pain Jerk, Government Alpha, Incapacitants, Hijokaidan, Dead Body Love, K2, Jaakko Vanhala etc. (I’ve got a Skin Crime CD on its way in the post at the moment, a band I’m not yet familiar with.) Of course, not all these bands/musicians have the same style, but they can all be considered harsh noise. I know Masonna too and I like it when he uses psychedelic elements mixed with his noise. Regardless, while I like quite a few noise musicians/bands, I continue to get the most enjoyment out of Merzbow when it comes to harsh noise.
You mention you don’t like “some aspects of Merzbow (and wishing so often it could be other things)” – I’m curious what you mean.
In answer to your question whether I think any other artists come close to Merzbow in terms of scope/interest/complexity/vision: I have only found one, and that is the band Magma. It’s actually probably their leader, Christian Vander. I don’t know if you’re familiar with them, so just to give a little introduction, Magma is a kind of progressive rock band. They basically created their own style which has been termed zeuhl. It’s a mix of prog rock, Carl Orff, a little folk influence on some albums, and a certain militaristic touch. It’s really hard to describe. Anyway, they have around 15 albums and while all of them are at least good, the best of them are just unbelievable. Vander also has solo albums and albums by other projects, most of which are also amazing. I’ve never heard other music that was similar to his, whether it’s Magma or his other stuff. Without exaggeration, he and Magma have a sound world that is totally unique and only theirs. Sure, there are many other zeuhl bands (again, a genre they single-handedly spawned), and I’ve heard a fair few, but none of them are too similar and, most of all, I haven’t heard almost any that were actually good. So while musically Merzbow and Magma/Vander are worlds apart, for me they’re the most captivating musical experiences.
You mention classical music – what composers do you listen to? And who is comparable to Merzbow in your view in terms of interest and scope? I can’t say I’m familiar with classical music, but I can imagine composers like Bach or Messiaen (some of whose works I know and like) or many others for that matter would have a body of work that one could really get immersed in.
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Post by qweasd on Mar 12, 2016 19:31:15 GMT -5
Just semi quickly for now, as need this day to try to achieve many things. Thanks for your long response, nice to hear some viewpoints around the 90s Merzbow albums. I totally agree, the 90s was where the Merzbow project hit a 'whole new level' and there's lots to love there. Don't forget the Last of Analog Sessions box - some highlights in there too from the end of that era. Yes I know Magma well, they're interesing as far as rock music goes, still rudimentary in many ways, but a good example of what every band should ideally do - cultivate a unique vision and think that little bit bigger. I wish every single band since them took note, instead of churning out lowest common denom genre music. Yes Dharma is great, the end of the last track has an effective change of pacing, slow and monumental. I think of the last track of Bariken as a similar sort of track, however the Dharma track recedes while the Bariken track is a bit more straightforward in a directional sense. Re: the things I don't like. He doesn't try distinctly new things very often. Textural and rhythmic models and approaches to much of his material are similar and sometimes come across as uninspired/habitual. I have wished that he released a little less and focused on qualitative differences. The main one would be textural variety. As you say you enjoy Vibractance for the way it is different, likewise Music for Bondage compared w Cloud Cock and Rainbow Electronics. When you compare some of those more palpable differences with the more samey quality of some chunks of albums (post-Turmeric for instance - I would say Metamorphism suffers from this) then it just feels like automatic pilot mode. But I also understand that these gripes are also what makes Merzbow what it is for a number of reasons and I mean that in a good way. I happily accept this and enjoy Merzbow for this and this has broadened my mind to the importance of strong individual vision as the most important factor in musical creation - complete with the person's quirks and all the better and more unique for it, rather than necessarily ironing out all the kinks. And this is the idea of a free buiding with junk materials that is completely free and open to different assemblages. (But again, I am sure that Masami could focus more on the variety side of the equation there than the hasitly habitually constructed quality that sometimes comes through across certain stretches of albums). I think a title like Cloud Cock is inspired by surrealism, the unexpected combination of things. That would be my way of explaining it. The same idea kind of works with 'animals and noise', with album covers like SCSI Duck/Bariken - kind of silly, but the idea of objects being wedded together in surreal/odd ways. Kind of like, I think, his reading of the technological noise of modern day Japan, his reference to that thematically in Amlux, Puroland. And Merzbow as a flip side of channeling that same thing, albeit in a surreal way - his own way of channeling that and silencing it through his own noise, to paraphrase one interview. Which classical composers do I listen to? All of them, as much as possible, from all ages. Classical music for lack of a better term is "the best music out there", the greatest tradition we have for "music" and will take more than a lifetime to properly absorb. So I continue in little bits every day. Composers to check out? Just get to know them all however you can Recent composers worth knowing of - Gerard Grisey, Georg Friedrich Haas, Enno Poppe, Beat Furrer, Philippe Hurel, Brian Ferneyhough, Richard Barrett, Alexander Schubert, Simon Steen-Andersen, Alberto Posadas. From there you could work backwards (Xenakis, Ligeti etc) and just every month or so keep working forwards as new pieces are written and constantly try to catch up on that which was missed and create your own rich understanding of the possibility of musical construction. And of course try to include a bit of time to keep up with what's happening in the hipster band/pop/other-musical-genres (e.g. 'metal') world as sure there are also a few tiny things here and there that are worth knowing about/hearing (but I would argue all of that music is flawed from the start structurally and durationally, in terms of being anything other than a copy with a tiny twist - there's barely any invention in this music, it's the equivalent of candy - which pretty much everyone likes in some shape or form from time to time). Well that wasn't short at all in the end. Ok back to things.
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Post by acsenger on Mar 13, 2016 3:56:05 GMT -5
I agree with your criticism of Merzbow, and I’m sure most, if not all, fans would agree too. He probably always could’ve been more selective, but – for me anyway – things got out of hand post-2000. If he had released, say, 3 albums a year and, say, 1 of those was distinctly different from previous releases (while the other 2 were quality variations of already existing approaches), it would’ve been a lot better. But indeed it’s no tragedy that it hasn’t been like that – one learns to be selective and there’s always the reasonable hope that an unknown album could be good. I guess Akita has settled into a habit over the decades and it’s natural for him to get up in the morning and make an album in his bedroom in his pyjamas (which he referred to in an interview), without much regard for how it turns out in the context of his massive catalogue. Yes, you’re probably right about surrealism and dada being the reasons for the strange album and track titles. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that when it’s obvious, haha... Hmm, I have Last of Analog Sessions and don’t like it at all – after listening to it, I was thinking it’s no surprise they went unreleased for so long. I don’t remember those albums having anything like the memorable moments or structures that the other late ‘90s albums possess. “Rudimentary” would be one of the last adjectives I would associate with Magma (not that they can’t be criticised in other aspects), so that was interesting to read. I see that the classical composers you listed are in the contemporary classical music vein. While I don’t know these particular names, I’ve heard enough of contemporary classical to know I’m not a big fan. Of course, not knowing 99% of this kind of music, I’m sure there are pieces I’d like, but overall it’s not my cup of tea. I especially dislike vocals “contemporary style”. I have a Kenneth Gaburo CD with me (https://www.discogs.com/Kenneth-Gaburo-Antiphony-IX-A-Dot-ENOUGH-not-enough-/release/3324121) that I had great difficulty listening to. It’s just not my style. (On the other hand, I quite like most of his Tape Play CD, but that’s mainly electronic music.) That said, I do like electroacoustic music (though not all), especially the INA-GRM tradition. I do like quite a lot of “light” music and I have no problem with that. If I have half an hour before going to work and I have to wash the dishes, I’ll put on some metal most likely. Recently I discovered a fantastic, kind of new wave album from 1983 by a Hungarian band and I’ve been listening to it a lot. I have limited time and resources to discover new music, but I try the best I can do. There was a time when I had more time and a friend living close by with a huge and varied collection of music, but those days are gone and it’s also only natural that there are shifts of focus in life. I forgot to mention in my previous post that I think one more reason why I value Merzbow more than other noisicians is the crushing sound of his albums. His studio albums just blast out of your speakers like it’s the end of the world (I remember one review that said playing this album will make your landlord knock on your door and ask “You OK in there?” . Everything is sharp, in focus and top-notch with a massive physical impact (I just remembered the beginning of Pinkream – it’s a really extreme and physical sound). Of course, there are many other noise musicians who want to be lo-fi and there’s nothing wrong with that. But when it comes to hi-fi noise, Merzbow is probably unbeatable. Just a sudden thought at the end: the Merzbient CD box set shows a very different and quite surprising Merzbow between 1987-1990. I like those distant-sounding, cavernous metal-banging sounds, so I’m happy with that collection.
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Post by qweasd on Mar 14, 2016 0:34:08 GMT -5
Magma is still relatively straightforward, with the little tweaks of using 7/8 instead of 4/4. The songs are sometimes longer, but it's nothing beyond say Carl Orff or a kind of basic version of some Stravinsky. But sure, less rudimentary than most rock.
I'd encourage you to check out some of the composers I mentioned, as you admit you're not so familiar with contemp classical. I've chosen names that are some of the most interesting composers alive today, not 1950s serialist rehash or Messiaen copy cats etc. Up to you! Beware: Innovative music ahead.
Yeah light music is good, like metal, just the real innovators seem few and far between, lots of generic stuff out there which gets tiring album after album for me.
Last of Analog sessions - Springharp is a fantastic album!! Surprised you didn't dig it. Medamaya also - as harsh as Merzbow gets in parts, really caustic feedback and a DENSE sound!
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Post by acsenger on Mar 24, 2016 23:06:14 GMT -5
I see, so you mean Magma is rudimentary from a technical point of view. For me they are unique in the atmosphere of their music (I don't care about how technically complex music is almost at all).
I'll make a list of the composers you mentioned and check them out.
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Post by qweasd on Mar 28, 2016 1:33:35 GMT -5
Ok, I would then ask, so what makes Magma "unique in the atmosphere of their music"? Pretty soon you'd probably have to be mentioning the components that make up the music, harmony, rhythm, tone colour, structure and so forth to pin it down to what actually makes them unique etc. This has nothing to do necessarily with "technically complex music" (that's an argument for thousands of forgettable technical death metal bands that work merely to a genre code and offer nothing particularly musical), it has to do with the intelligent and artful use of the musical concepts. Which I'm sure is exactly what each of us who listens to Merzbow already, however passively or actively, perceives. (Being able to articulate it in language is considerably difficult for most, especially without musical training). The only other factor would be what function music plays in one's life which falls somewhere along the continuum of confirming comfort zone (to relax, chill out etc) to offering new perspectives (actively seeking things outside of the comfort zone, zone of discovery) - i.e. at what point Merzbow does merely become comfort food music? And if so, what does one do? Does one continue to be a listener to things of the avant garde, or whatever brought us there, or does this mark an endpoint to that? (There's never an endpoint, it will continue so long as we're here, as history proves). The difference between unique bands and not so unique bands, I would argue, could always be articulated according to how musical concepts are used by the band/artist... whether the band/artist knows it or not (nature vs nurture). NB. Please don't consider this a personal attack on what you have said, I am in life forming theories of listening, philosophies of music etc relating to cultural theory and musical history, I appreciate your comments and invite you to attack mine as much as you like! Don't forget, I said I find Magma interesting... I should add that I like them too (you seemed to mainly take my "rudimentary" comment on board).. (Not that liking things means a whole hell of a lot at the end of the day - opinions are too chaotic, I prefer trying to look for realities ) No pressure re: those composers! You may have already made your mind up about new instrumental classical music and what it can offer you. And of course for every great piece from them there's possibly a not so great one with a shitty recording that doesn't make it easier to instantly connect with...
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Post by acsenger on Mar 29, 2016 5:11:32 GMT -5
First of all, I haven't considered anything you've written an attack -- it's been an honest, intriguing and civilised conversation. I also haven't intended anything I've written as anything else than my opinion -- definitely not as a judgement of your opinions. It's clear that we see music rather differently, and of course there's nothing wrong with that. I assume you've either had formal musical training or at least are interested in it and know a fair amount about it. This can't be said about me, nor am I interested in technical aspects that you mentioned in how I could describe what makes Magma unique in their atmosphere to me. I can't describe it to you and I'm fine with that. For me music is such a personal experience that I might not be able to convey what I feel even if I could describe pitch, harmony or any other technical aspect. I could probably describe in real life what I like about music, and with certain types of music it'd be fairly simple whereas with other kinds of music it'd be more abstract. However, it'd take me a while to write this down, and at the end of the day it wouldn't be very interesting to anyone.
What role music plays in one's life, or what one expects from or appreciates in music are interesting questions. There was a time when I was interested to an extent in theoretical questions like these about music, but I no longer am, for better or worse. I just listen to music I like and I don't think about whether it's challenging me or is just chillout music. It seems you're quite into theoretical aspects of music too, and I'm sure it's interesting. I just happen not to be interested in reading and philosophising about music, so we don't have a common ground in this sense, sadly.
I definitely haven't made up my mind about contemporary classical music, just like I try to keep an open mind about any kind of music. Obviously there are many different approaches to music that I haven't encountered, and no doubt some of those I'd enjoy. But I must admit I'm weary about certain kinds of avantgarde music. Again, I have little experience, so I can't generalise, but for example when a friend of mine sent me a link to a concert of an improvised music concert (it was a duo and I think they were part of the Wandelweiser collective), I was even kind of upset after watching it. (I linked it in on this forum and wrote about it, but I have no idea which thread it's in.) The concert consisted of the musicians making one or two sounds on their instruments (one was a wind instrument, I forget the other one) every couple minutes. Inbetween they sat on their chairs looking very serious. To me this was the ultimate snob avantgarde. It seemed to me to be pretentious and arty in the extreme just for the sake of it, with no musical value. Again, this is my opinion only and I'd be happy to attend a concert like that in person to see if I'd change my mind.
By the way, I don't consider Merzbow difficult listening, I mean his style from 1990 onwards (before that a lot of his music was indeed challenging). But, again, this doesn't affect my appreciation of his music. More challenging for me is, for example, improvised music like AMM or Derek Bailey. I do like that kind of music and plan to delve more into it once I've moved out of the noisy apartment where I currently live (where traffic noise from outside seriously takes away from the enjoyment of any kind of music and makes listening to quieter music nearly impossible).
I hope I made some sense. It's not easy for me to write about these things.
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Post by qweasd on Apr 2, 2016 19:32:03 GMT -5
All good Shame others don't join the conversation...
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Post by acsenger on Jul 19, 2016 2:07:10 GMT -5
Just a quick note that I've listened to Rattus Rattus and it's indeed a great album! A full frontal assault but with a lot of rhythm and details. I'm slowly going through albums that I either own or can listen to on Tidal or Bandcamp in chronological order. I started with albums recorded in 1999 and am now in late 2004. I was pleasantly surprised by albums I didn't rate highly before, such as Ikebukuro Dada and Fantail. Although there are a number of albums in this period I haven't heard yet, I've heard most and while some have weaker moments, I can't say I've heard one that I didn't like.
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Post by qweasd on Jul 22, 2016 23:03:19 GMT -5
Glad to hear you're digging Rattus Rattus. In my mind he hit one of his highpoints with that album, Sphere and Houjoue in 2005 (and some great moments elsewhere around then) and made a BIG stylistic turn with the return to analog equipment an feedback with Turmeric, FID etc etc. There have been a larger amount of weaker albums ever since I would argue with of course some great ones coming through. So again, Rattus Rattus is a pinnacle amongst the endpoint of the 'laptop era'.
Leading up to that, ones I would say are noteworthy are: - Dharma (for grittiness, classical music sampling and longer range listening) - A Taste Of... (for detail, digital glitch, rhythmic playfulness) - Fantail (the first half - for variety and more conventional 'musicality' handled successfully) - Timehunter (great variety) - Cycle and SCSI Duck (for longer range listening, incessant looping coupled with density) - Animal Magnetism (a little thin on the ground at times, but expansive tracks and great for raucous animals and guitar manipulations. There's something about this one for me that makes me return to it often enough...) - Sha Mo 3000 (colourful/varied/quirky and as fun/musical/straightforward as Merzbow gets) - Bariken (dense/loopy, like SCSI Duck and a more controlled Animal Mag. That last track feels like a grand summation of the more fixed and loopy laptop style)
Then in 2005 things hit an even stronger level, so many great and varied releases from that year culminating in Houjoue.
Since then.... Minazo Vol 1, Merzbear, Zophorus, Higanbana, Eucalypse, maybe Hodosan, Ouroboros, Dead Zone, Takahe Collage, Konchuuki would be my top 10 of the last 10 years. (Some parts of Turmeric, Lop Lop, Kibako also deserve mention).
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Post by acsenger on Jul 29, 2016 7:40:59 GMT -5
I had Sphere, didn't like it and traded it. I'll try to listen to it somehow again. I know half of the releases you list as outstanding and I agree. In addition, I also really like Collapse 12 Floors, Amlux and Merzzow. I'm looking forward to hearing the stylistic change from 2005 that you mention, but I wonder if there's a more or less clear distinction between the laptop albums and the return to analogue equipment? For example, you mention Turmeric as a return to analogue, but the equipment list suggests extensive use of the computer. Or do you mean he started using both a laptop and analogue equipment? Also, I wonder how many of the preceding laptop albums were purely digital? For example, the last track of Sha Mo 3000 features EMS.
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Post by andypandy380 on Aug 2, 2016 13:28:48 GMT -5
I'm also pretty fond of that prolific 2005ish era of Merzbow releases. Rattus Rattus and Scene are both great, I remember liking Sphere a lot too but will have to revisit it, it's quite a percussive/choppy sort of album if I recall correctly. I Listened to Merzbuddha again the other day... always felt I didn't quite have the attention span for it but I found myself enjoying a lot more of the subtleties this time around. I will admit though that I did begin to find it a little tedious past the halfway point.
The return to analogue also had some definite highlights, I agree. FID has been among my favourites for a long time, it reminds me somewhat of 90's Merzbow. Merzbear, Coma Berenices and Zophorus from 2007 are real gems too in my opinion... they combine what was great about styles from the previous couple of years and are very well rounded albums... definitive Merzbow releases (especially Merzbear) I'd probably suggest they'd be a good starting place for new listeners of Merzbow.
On a slightly separate note, I just listened to Frog+ fro the first time in a long long time. It was one that I got early on, and an album that I very quickly considered 'A really great Merzbow album' I enjoyed hearing it a lot this time around too. An incredibly varied mix of sounds, some of it very bizarre, some of it stripped back to little more than a collection of odd noises (reminding me a little of NWW actually) There's also some rather violent synthesizer parts, perhaps among the most playful use of synths I've heard on a Merzbow record. Having a trip down memory lane with SCSI Duck at the moment... I always did love this one!
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Post by acsenger on Aug 2, 2016 18:57:25 GMT -5
Yeah, Merzbuddha is definitely a fairly unusual album in the Merzbow catalogue, and not one that I put on frequently, but I like it nevertheless. I only know Coma Berenices from the albums you mention from 2007, and I didn't like it except for the surprising use of an actual melody at the beginning of track 3 (I think). I've sold it, so I might look on the internet to see if it's there so I can listen to it again. I keep reading good things about SCSI Duck, so it's definitely on my to listen to/to get list (if it's as good as its cover is ugly, then I won't be disappointed, haha). Same with Frog: I've heard samples from it and they were great, so I'll have to order it.
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Post by qweasd on Aug 25, 2016 4:31:27 GMT -5
Seems like you still need to hear quite a few Merzbow releases or relisten to things to discover the change for yourself between 2005 and Turmeric (and years around then). I don't think it could be more obvious and I'm surprised that there's barely any mention of it anywhere among Merzbow listeners. TO be fair my ears were glued to his releases across those years and it's easier to draw conclusions after having heard everything he puts out sequentially. You realise acsenger that SCSI Duck is on youtube? If I knew I hadn't heard a key album from Merzbow that I could listen to instantly then I know what I'd be doing... ! I'd explain my ideas more but there's not much engagement with analysis among Merzbow fans these days it seems. Let me know once you've listened to the said albums and I'd be happy to chat more about changes of musical approach that I've observed then.
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Post by qweasd on Aug 25, 2016 4:33:23 GMT -5
And re: Sphere, it's the last track which is noteworthy, not so much the 3 Sphere tracks - shame that you traded it (and i don't think Untitled for Vasteras is on youtube in this particular case).
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Post by acsenger on Oct 1, 2016 18:04:56 GMT -5
Indeed, I'm not familiar almost at all with post-2005 material. Regarding SCSI Duck, I did listen to it for a while on Youtube, and once I'd heard enough to be able to say it's worth buying, I turned it off and decided to order the CD. It might seem unusual, but I prefer CDs over Youtube. Most likely it'll take a while till I listen to post-2005 albums, so feel free to share your thoughts. By the way, I've just picked up the remainder of my Merzbow collection from my parents' house: A Taste Of..., Akasha Gulva, the live collab with Achim Wollscheid, the second MAZK album, Merzbow Loves Emil Beaulieau, Puroland, the collab with Gore Beyond Necropsy, Vibractance and the Satanstornade album. I haven't heard these in a very long time, so I'm looking forward to hearing them.
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Post by acsenger on Nov 2, 2016 3:41:38 GMT -5
I recently bought a number of laptop-era CDs and have thus become familiar with most albums Merzbow recorded between 1999 and 2005. As a general opinion, I enjoy this laptop period very much and find it surprising that so many people say these albums are generally weak. If they said they didn't like the computer music elements that feature very prominently, or they don't like the prominent use of loops, I'd understand that. But the way I understand it, this view holds that the quality of the music is not on par with the "classic" 1990s period. My opinion is that there's perhaps a slight drop in quality in terms of releases/tracks that aren't too interesting, but overall there's no drastic difference by any means.
Albums that I really like:
Collapse 12 Floors Dharma Puroland Amlux A Taste Of... (even if it's a bit too digital for me) Merzzow Cycle Yoshinotsune (mainly because of track 1) The collab with Kim Cascone Sha Mo 3000 (don't care much for track 1, but the rest is gold) Bariken (love the dark melodies in some of the tracks) Rattus Rattus Live in Geneva Live Magnetism Mini Cycle/Yoshino Tamago/Yonos Bigfoot (love the hectic chicken samples) The Satanstornade album The MAZK albums.
Albums that I generally like (some parts more, some less):
Hard Lovin' Man Frog (I really like the wailing sound in the first track, and I find the electroacoustic tracks interesting, but overall the album just doesn't really "grab" me, even though it's not bad at all... It's like 1930 in this sense: somehow they both leave me a bit cold. Disc 2 of Frog+ is probably the most "computer music" Merzbow I've ever heard!) Ikebukuro Dada Merzbeat Fantail (that live track is pretty dull) Animal Magnetism (tracks 1 and 5 are great, the other tracks are "just" good, but I really love the last part of one of them which is pure shredding white noise with basically no change for many minutes) SCSI Duck (love that pounding beat in one of the tracks) Tamago (a bit too digital for my taste from memory) Offering Merzbuddha (a unique, even and good album, if not earth-shattering) Scene Merzbuta
I haven't heard Tentacle and Partikel (with Nordvargr) in a long time, so I won't rate them. The Megatone collab with Boris was a disappointment as were Dust of Dreams and Sphere, but I'd like to hear them again after having heard so many others from that period. The Happenings 1000 Years Time Ago 7" is just bad. The Ten Foot Square Hut with The New Blockaders was nothing special, I thought (don't remember what their 10" was like; should listen to it again).
I'm yet to get the splits with Kouhei Matsunaga and Napalmed, Merzbird and Timehunter. I'm curious to hear these. I'll probably never get Electro Magnetic Unit due its price -- has anyone heard it? Also, how is the 24 Hours - A Day of Seals box set? Curious about that one too.
I'd say the lesser albums in this period aren't don't even mark a change in comparison to the '90s: the way I see it, while Green Wheels, Hole and Flare Gun, to mention a couple releases, are solid albums, they're not exceptional like Venereology, Pulse Demon or Tauromachine. This is not to say they're bad at all, though. For me, basically the same trend continued in the laptop era.
To finish my long-winded post, I recently listened to Venereology, and holy crap, what an album it is! There's probably a factor of nostalgia for me as it was among the first roughly 10 noise albums I heard, but it's simply an outstanding album both in terms of sound, composition, and visuals. If I had to choose just one album from that period of Merzbow, it'd be Venereology, hands down.
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Post by acsenger on Jan 11, 2017 22:23:33 GMT -5
I might have praised it before, but I'm just listening to Space Metalizer, and what a great album it is! Those synths give it quite a bit of variety, and some of the tracks are surprisingly mellow. Yesterday I also listened to Hybrid Noisebloom which also has synths but is more straight up noise, and it's also a very good album.
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Post by qweasd on Jan 11, 2017 23:41:14 GMT -5
Yes both of those albums are great - Space Metalizer and Hybrid Noisebloom. Red Magnesia Pink from the Merzbox is for me one of the most enjoyable 'synth' focused albums with a particularly liquid squelching/bubbling quality. Any other albums that bring that phenomenon to mind? Feel free to mention.
Re: the 2nd last post acsenger, I'm surprised you didn't get into Sphere and hope in particular that you checked out the 4th track Untitled for Vasteras. Yes Sphere parts 1-3 aren't the strongest material, but there's still something unique about them in the discography, something focused, organic and sonically different about them. Track 4 though is among the greatest Merzbow half hours. Though I'm merely repeating myself with this comment.
E.M.U. is a weak album, one I never go back to, monochrome and the least interesting among an otherwise varied and interesting time (2003-5). Perhaps I just had high hopes for it that weren't matched given the quality of the other albums.
Merzbird is ok... but for me suffers somewhat from the set-and-forget laptop mode that I'm not as interested in (e.g. Puroland, Amlux, parts of Ike Dada, parts of Animal Mag also in this category). Probably the Merz album I go back to the least (though I used to enjoy the immediacy of track 1). Also I dislike when albums share tracks and this one does with Tamago - I end up liking both albums less unfortunately (the same happens with a few albums from 2006-09 - though the one where I don't mind the double up as much is between Turmeric 1:4 and Hodosan 'The Joy of Soy', still a bit of a bummer but I can live with that one somehow).
Tentacle is quite monochrome, but very intense! A real contrast from Collapse. Worth having I would say.
Timehunter is really good! A varied release with strong and interesting tracks of across a range of lengths. Worth getting!
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Post by acsenger on Jan 12, 2017 9:24:52 GMT -5
I think the albums mentioned with liquid/bubbling synth qualities are quite unique in Merzbow's discography. I just had a quick scan through it and I could only find some that are very marginally similar: Psychorazer and Tauromachine. That said, the differences are definitely bigger than the similarities, and if I listened to them now, I might well find there are no similarities at all... The recently re-released split album with The Haters (Milanese Bestiality/Drunk on Decay) is perhaps slightly more similar in style.
Regarding Sphere, I no longer have it, but I see at least part of it is on Youtube, so I'll have a listen there.
Interesting, I happen to really like most or all parts of the 4 laptop albums you mention as not liking too much.
I should give Tentacle a listen as I haven't heard it in a while. And I'll put Timehunter on my wantlist -- too bad it's so expensive!
I still haven't got around to post-2005 Merzbow. It's a massive task and if I do it, I wanna do it properly 😊. I just haven't found the time yet and some of the releases I've heard were very discouraging. I did, however, recently listen to Minazo vol. 1. I thought it was pretty good, but not very remarkable.
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Post by acsenger on Sept 9, 2017 14:20:00 GMT -5
Yes both of those albums are great - Space Metalizer and Hybrid Noisebloom. Red Magnesia Pink from the Merzbox is for me one of the most enjoyable 'synth' focused albums with a particularly liquid squelching/bubbling quality. Any other albums that bring that phenomenon to mind? Feel free to mention. Today I listened to Space Metalizer and Hybrid Noisebloom again (the latter one is more synth-heavy and psychedelic than I remembered, and I loved it) and then listened to Merzbow's part of the split 10" with Kadef. It's from the same era as these two CDs and is in the same style as Hybrid Noisebloom and parts of Space Metalizer. There's thick noise, rhythmic parts here and there, the EMS running amok (it's like a machine gun at the beginning) and those synth squelches/bubbles I really like. This split 10" is more obscure than the aforementioned CDs, but is worth buying if you're into them. It's also included in the Merzbox. I wish Merzbow had made more albums in this vein (although the Merzmorphosis box set includes some CDs that are the same kind of music, one track or maybe a full disc even being an outtake from the Space Metalizer sessions, with a synth theme being practically identical to one on the album). The track "Mirage" at the end of S.M. is one of the best Merzbow tracks ever, I reckon.
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Post by acsenger on Jun 18, 2019 14:36:25 GMT -5
Today I listened to the “Hannover Interruption” LP and I reckon it’s one of the best Merzbow releases ever! It’s a shame it’s pretty much never discussed (and I myself only got it a couple months ago simply because I’d assumed it was a live recording) because everyone into Merzbow should hear it (it’s expensive too, which doesn’t help either). One thing that’s quite special about it is how amazing it sounds: you feel really impacted by the music, like there’s very little space between you and where the music is actually being played. I especially felt this during side A, which is at least partly a live recording. Another thing about this release (which seems like it was recorded in 1990) is that it’s absolutely savage and merciless, even compared to other Merzbow recordings. It might’ve had to do with my mood today, but listening to side A was almost terrifying at times. The noise is simply punishing and it sounds like it couldn’t possibly get more extreme (okay, you can say that about a lot of his stuff...). What’s also quite special about this record is that Akita uses a lot of metals, so noise electronics play less of a role, or at least they don’t dominate in the way they do on later releases like “Venereology” or “Pulse Demon” etc. As a result, “Hannover Interruption” sounds very raw. Side B is probably entirely a studio recording. It starts off very cleverly structured, and then gradually all hell breaks loose and the structure is gone, to be replaced by a metallic noise orgy. The “Merzbox” includes outtakes from the same sessions. They’re great, but the record is better and sounds better too, I reckon.
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