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Post by davebowman on Jun 3, 2017 13:39:19 GMT -5
Can find very little info on this one regarding format, length, or anything else for that matter - but just a head's up that whatever it is, it's apparently due to be released sometime this year on Bedouin Records.
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Post by andypandy380 on Jun 6, 2017 11:07:48 GMT -5
There doesn't seem to be very much info about this album at all just yet. The only thing I have found is a very brief sample used in a DJ mix by a guy associated with Bedouin records. secretthirteen.org/stm-223-constantine/Tomarigi starts at about 51:20... basically just some synthesizers chirping about, not a whole lot to go by.
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fred
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Post by fred on Nov 8, 2017 6:02:33 GMT -5
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Post by davebowman on Nov 8, 2017 11:46:39 GMT -5
Cool - I just noticed their instagram account gives the official release date as 13th November, so hopefully we'll get some more info soon (currently I cant even tell if it's a 12" single, or a full album!) www.instagram.com/bedouinrecords/
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Post by andypandy380 on Nov 9, 2017 4:51:15 GMT -5
Was wondering when we'd hear more about this one. Seems to me that its a 12" single, or a shorter release given that it's listed on that site as 12" rather than LP, and the LPs are double the price. Merzbows recent vinyl releases have been a bit of a mixed bag in my opinion. kakapo and wildwood2 werent especially strong, but muen and torus were both alright, looking forward to seeing what this is like.
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Post by davebowman on Nov 10, 2017 9:46:12 GMT -5
OK - I got my hands on a copy of this today - so here's some more info for you:
The cover photo is the same as the one on discogs, but it's printed a lot darker in matt on the actual release, so it doesn't show up anywhere near as clearly. There are no song titles anywhere, nor any indication as to when the recordings originate from (though presumably these are recent ones). The record plays at 33.3 rpm - according to my stopwatch, Side A is 17:07, Side B is 15:04 - a total length of 32:11 - I'd call that a full-length album (albeit a short one for Merzbow).
First impressions of the music - I'd label this 'medium' range Merzbow noise - it's not one of his quieter, ambient experiments, but neither is it wall to wall harsh noise. It's actually vary varied - there are rhythmic and musical loops of sound that flit in and out, but it's not one of those releases based around one repeated loop for 15 minutes per track - it keeps changing all the time. At times on Side A there's so much variation I'd almost call it a sound collage, but that gives the impression it's all sections cut up, whereas this flows very smoothly from one idea to the next. Side B continues the same style, but perhaps settles into the grooves a bit longer, though there's still plenty of variation. Lots of rhythmically pulsing synth sounds, with twittering birdlike electronic squeals over the top.
I've only heard it once, but first impressions are very positive. It sounds like a good 'un to me.
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Post by andypandy380 on Nov 10, 2017 13:41:23 GMT -5
Wow that was quick. Glad to hear it's a good album. Strange how it's suddenly appeared after a long time not hearing anything. I've been following the label closely on Facebook and they've not made any sort of announcement, I assume Bedouin are still behind the release? and strange that the only place to get a copy is a record shop here in the UK. Just ordered one up too.
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Post by davebowman on Nov 10, 2017 14:01:59 GMT -5
It's definitely by Bedouin Records according to the sleeve, but it also has printed on the back 'Distributed by Honest Jon's Records' - so this is obviously the right place to buy it from. Being a UK resident I'm quite lucky - I thought this was going to be a tough to get hold of release I'd have to import from the United Arab Emirates!
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Post by andypandy380 on Nov 14, 2017 10:46:05 GMT -5
Completely agree with davebowman's review above. Very good first impressions from me too. It's a strong album for sure, and it explores loads of different sounds. I love the way things seamlessly shift and change pace... there are these 'drops' where a screeching analogue hiss will thud and turn into a hellish droning, loops will gradually slow and become deeper in sound. There is some incredibly accomplished synthesizer work on this album too, at times loud bubbling/chirping, at times I thought it was used in a similar way to 3RENSA with slightly lengthier drones and nice layers just sort of hanging in there. Nothing seems to outstay it's welcome. There are also a lot of bold moves where silence is almost used as an instrument, moments where the intensity ramps up only to give way to something very minimal. A part on the second side is cool where it sounds like he unplugs something and uses his thumb on the end of the cable to give intermittent blasts of noise. In fact, there were plenty of moments where I thought "now that's seriously cool" haha It's just packed with so many different things.
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Post by whisperspit on Nov 15, 2017 9:13:36 GMT -5
There's some decently long samples on Honest Jon's website now if people want it but aren't sure what it's like. All these descriptions seem pretty accurate from what I hear.
Also, what does everybody think? Does Masami like purposely creating artificial scarcity of his material or does he hate sticking with one label so much that he has to outsource to the UAE? Because this kind of distribution seems counterproductive on the face of it.
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Post by venereologist on Nov 15, 2017 19:18:25 GMT -5
Also, what does everybody think? Does Masami like purposely creating artificial scarcity of his material or does he hate sticking with one label so much that he has to outsource to the UAE? Because this kind of distribution seems counterproductive on the face of it. This old chestnut... I will say this much about labels, distribution and "scarcity": All evidence suggests to me that MA takes a very hands-off approach to these aspects of his music, and likely has for a very long time now. I have to figure that, more often than not, he simply releases through labels who specifically request his material. I would think that whatever business he does conduct (for example, percentages of album sales to go to animal charities) is likely handled well in advance of the actual pressing and distribution stuff.
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Post by davebowman on Nov 16, 2017 6:39:38 GMT -5
I might have missed it, but I haven't seen any info to suggest this release is a limited edition, or is particularly 'scarce'. That said, even limited editions in the 300-500 unit range don't seem to sell out very quickly, so I think the brutal truth is there is only a tiny worldwide market for this kind of material. I know Important Records put out a stack of Merzbow records in the early 2000's, but I think after '13 Japanese Birds' they must have felt they'd exhausted the market, or presumably they'd have kept pumping material out - if label and artist were earning stacks of money from doing it, why wouldn't they keep doing more? So I presume it's a case of releasing material from labels who ask, rather than being super-picky and deliberately obscure from Merzbow's side.
There are still occasional releases where I do think the 'artificial scarcity' argument is valid - see things like the ridiculously overpriced lathe singles limited to 20 units, or some of those limited deluxe boxsets stuffed with extra discs, T-shirts, medallions etc - but as far as I can see, this release seems to be a decent price, and unlimited. I think it would be pretty boring if all Merzbow records came from the same label - you get some weird and wonderful variations over the years, as different labels try different things.
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fred
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Post by fred on Nov 22, 2017 7:05:11 GMT -5
I received my copy and after first listening it makes me think of Pi-Geon, the Merzbow' track on the split Biorythm released by Old Europa Cafe as a 12" Lathe Cut. Also the Merzbow mix on 3RENSA. I do appreciate this record.
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Post by andypandy380 on Dec 20, 2017 16:50:50 GMT -5
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