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Post by andypandy380 on May 4, 2018 4:23:05 GMT -5
Next week will see a new 2LP pressing of Pulse Demon courtesy of Bludhoney records. Complete with nice shiny artwork and obi strip - if thats your kinda thing. I wonder whether this year will bring more LP reissues of the 'classics'
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Post by skramz on May 4, 2018 7:04:15 GMT -5
Just my opinion - I wonder if this is good or bad. These albums which are being reissued on vinyl were created for CD medium and mastered accordingly. I think the transition to vinyl would result in inevitable loss of some sound qualities which are impossible to obtain on vinyl, and for what sake? If original analog source materials and master tapes won't be used for this pressing, it's simply garbage, because pressing digital masters to vinyl is absurd in case of noise. Maybe a CD reissue would be just fine...
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Post by acsenger on May 4, 2018 12:35:15 GMT -5
I've read that the original track ("Ab Hunter") meant for the split 12" with AMM couldn't be cut to vinyl because of its extreme nature. With "Pulse Demon" being an extremely harsh album (one which has calmer parts too, though), I agree that CD is the ideal medium for it and for Merzbow in general. But this P.D. reissue, just like the vinyl craze that's been going on for remarkably long now, isn't primarily about sound quality. I don't doubt that the label will do its best soundwise (although I can't be sure, since I don't know the label), but obviously this release will cater to many people who buy records because they look good/they can impress their friends/it makes them feel cool etc. Many people who buy vinyl don't even have a turntable.
That said, I must admit that while I have "Pulse Demon" and "Noisembryo" on CD, I'd really like to have their vinyl reissues. I admit in these cases I think like the hip collectors I just described and with whom I normally do not identify at all (that is, I prefer CD over vinyl, and I don't think I've ever bought the same release on two mediums) -- in other words, I want them because they look fantastic! (Actually, I just remembered I do have the Smegma/Merzbow collab on both CD and vinyl... And yes, I bought the vinyl because of its artwork.)
By the way, the 2xLP version will be limited to 500 copies, while the bundle, which will include a tape version as well (apparently with great artwork too), will be limited to 100 copies. I'm seriously thinking about ordering the latter, but it's entirely possible the painful price with shipping from the US will stop me from buying it.
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Post by skramz on May 5, 2018 3:57:29 GMT -5
I definitely can understand the sentiment with the artwork, dear Acsenger. Merzbow designs always look fantastic and it will be definitely a feast for the eyes to have them larger. With those two reissues, could VENEREOLOGY eventually be vinyl-pressed as well, I wonder? What bugs me a little, however, is that the label Bludhoney looks like a label for vaporwave music. Contextually, Merzbow presented on this kind of label just feels wrong. I can totally imagine bearded hipsters in plaid shirts who have a schtick for Windows 98 and Anthony Fontana just lining up to buy that record. Now I'm not being elitist here, and I have nothing against hipsters and all that. But my opinion is that placing PULSE DEMON in aforementioned context greatly diminishes the impact of the record. I think Merzbow is so much bigger than "noise music", or "music", or "noise". Merzbow is still something totally alien, something that hasn't been engaged with in all its possibilities. And presenting it as an extreme version of a genre, or as a new genre ultimately serves to fog our perception in useless labels. Merzbow is un-labelable. But I digress. With that being said, I personally would be interested in a VENEREOLOGY vinyl reissue, but only if it's done by Relapse themselves (or maybe even by Scott Hull of ANB - that guy is a master sound technician). Especially so if it would include new artwork or liner notes. These guys know how to press a "brickwalled" record to vinyl properly and have been doing it for ages. It's time for a FLARE GUN reissue as well.
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Post by acsenger on May 5, 2018 7:53:28 GMT -5
I personally don't care about what label releases what band/musician, as long as they do a good job.
Merzbow has been kind of trendy among hipsters for a long time. But, again, that doesn't concern me: my opinion about Merzbow isn't affected by who else listens to his music.
In my view, Merzbow clearly operates in the field of noise, but within that genre, his oeuvre is in a league of its own (even though I definitely don't like everything he's done).
The one album I really wish was reissued is "Dadarottenvator". I wonder if it'll ever happen.
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Post by acsenger on May 12, 2018 3:34:12 GMT -5
Both editions of P.D. (meaning 500 copies in total) were sold out in a few hours. I wonder why they only pressed 500 when several thousand copies of the CD version have been sold. A flipper is already selling a copy (and not even the edition with the tape) for £150 on Discogs...
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Post by davebowman on May 12, 2018 4:14:21 GMT -5
I find the sales figures a bit odd personally - not sure why they are so high for this record, when other recent vinyl releases such as Muen (375 units), Wildwood II (500 units), Tomarigi (300 units), Taymodo (299 units) didn't sell out - and those were vinyl exclusives, rather than something that had already been released on CD.
Why did everyone go nuts for this one, and ignore the others? Is it some super trendy record label, or something?
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Post by trollh on May 12, 2018 7:12:52 GMT -5
Why did everyone go nuts for this one, and ignore the others? Is it some super trendy record label, or something? [/quote]
Its a super trendy record, most people/hips know only this one.
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Post by acsenger on May 12, 2018 11:07:58 GMT -5
It's an interesting question indeed, and I guess it's a combination of several factors. One is that P.D. is one of Merzbow's most well-known and iconic albums due to its sheer extremity and having been originally released by a relatively well-known metal label that made a wider audience aware of the album (just like "Venereology" previously) than the usual experimental music/noise crowd. The other factor could well have to do with Bludhoney Records -- I don't know the label as I'm not familiar with vaporwave, but based on the packaging of their releases, it seems like they cater to collectors (at least partly), and since their audience is probably larger than the noise crowd, more people are potentially interested in a Merzbow album they release.
I guess the Merzbow releases davebowman mentioned aren't sold out because the market is simply oversaturated with Merzbow releases, and has been for a long time. Unless a release stands out like P.D. for the above mentioned reasons, it's gonna be available for a very long time, especially if it's a relatively recent release.
At the end of the day though, I'm still a bit surprised that P.D. sold out in an instant, while the recently reissued "Noisembryo" LP hasn't. I'd think it's only slightly less iconic an album than P.D. (due to the original CD being much rarer and more expensive), plus it got the deluxe vinyl reissue treatment just like P.D., and Hospital Productions probably have a fairly large fan base too (although I can't compare it to that of Bludhoney Records). I don't know how many copies were pressed though.
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Post by davebowman on May 12, 2018 14:55:24 GMT -5
I really feel like an old fart now, as I don't even know what 'vaporwave' is! I don't blame this label for only pressing 500 copies though - based on those other sales units for similar limited Merzbow releases they could well have been nervous that they'd end up with a stack of unsold copies, so maybe they were caught by suprise as well? I guess they can always do another pressing on different coloured vinyl or something, if they feel the demand is there.
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Post by acsenger on May 13, 2018 1:20:12 GMT -5
I didn’t know vaporwave existed either until recently a friend told me about it 😊. It’d be good indeed if the label did another pressing and got European distribution for it too. But if it doesn’t happen, I’ll be perfectly happy with my holographic panel sleeve CD version (which is slightly beat up thanks to the previous owner though).
Actually, as I was finishing my post, I checked Discogs and someone says it’s been confirmed the label will do another pressing, plus “there’s more Merzbow to come”.
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Post by andypandy380 on May 13, 2018 11:31:39 GMT -5
The only thing I know about Vaporwave is that same album cover that pops up everywhere, I've honestly never listened to it either or (in the case of many types of dance/electronic music/club/rave music) understand what sets it apart from other styles under that same bracket. It doesnt strike me as anything that unusual since there has been a lot of very particular movements and underground scenes since it's beginnings though. I did notice an usual hype around the LP on facebook, people actually tagging their friends in posts about it. Id agree with most of what you guys have said already, its interesting to hear that they have more plans for Merzbow releases, I wonder whether that same hype would be around if the label were to announce an album of new Merzbow music - would the same crowd jump at that too, or would they be indifferent towards it, out if it not being 'Pulse Demon' I too am happy with a sligtly battered digipak version
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