|
Post by acsenger on Jul 27, 2019 14:04:26 GMT -5
Since none of the tracks feature Reiko A., hopefully it will š. However, I guess the artwork will be altered, unfortunately...
|
|
|
Post by andypandy380 on Jul 30, 2019 14:10:41 GMT -5
A new live album by Merzbow/Kaoru Sato has been announced for a September release via Slowdown. 'Kyoto October 11 2018' It was recorded as part of a showcase event featuring Slowdown and artists from two other record labels. I'm not familiar with Sato's work other than the remix he provided for 3RENSA fb05 which is a bit of a slow burner with lots of ambience and interesting textures.
|
|
|
Post by andypandy380 on Aug 10, 2019 5:03:16 GMT -5
This may or not be old news, but there is apparently a Merzbow Richard Pinhas live album due out this year 'The Koln Conzert' which was recorded back in 2008. I don't think there's been an official mention of the release as such, but Pinhas refers to it quite regularly on his Facebook and there's a rough mix/preview on Soundcloud
|
|
|
Post by acsenger on Aug 11, 2019 10:07:46 GMT -5
For those who have pre-ordered the āYahatahachimanā CD: I just got a message from the label saying theyāre shipping the pre-orders now.
|
|
|
Post by davebowman on Aug 12, 2019 11:09:45 GMT -5
Nice one. I'm currently waiting on physical deliveries of 'Yahatahachiman', 'Hermerzaphrodites', 'Dead Lotus' and 'Noise Mass', so I'm getting pretty anxious every time the letterbox goes!
|
|
|
Post by acsenger on Aug 21, 2019 11:23:09 GMT -5
Old Europa Cafe will reissue "The Lampinak" tape (from 1985) in October. From their email newsletter: "THE LAMPINAK came first out in 1982 on Merbow's own label ZSF Produkt in a small edition. Since than, this tape was never re-released in its entirety (a couple of tracks are available only on the "Merzbox") and is much sought after. Finally OEC is re-releasing such tape in 149 hand-numbered copies. All sounds by Masami Akita using: metals, loops, voice, percussions, flute, chains, cymbals, effects, ritual orchestrations and chants. Yellow tape / Yellow case / Yellow cover."
|
|
|
Post by andypandy380 on Aug 21, 2019 13:16:50 GMT -5
Just noticed that too! Pre-orders are now up for the next Merzbow/Haino/Pandi album via rarenoise. Official release on 27th September, CD and vinyl editions. I actually really like the sound of it, how Pandi's drums are louder and more defined than on other albums, strangely Akita is also credited as performing guitar on this album, I wonder whether that's in the traditonal sense or in a noisemaking/prepared kind of a way. merzbow-haino-pandi.bandcamp.com/album/become-the-discovered-not-the-discoverer
|
|
|
Post by andypandy380 on Aug 27, 2019 7:48:24 GMT -5
The Sixth (!) series of archival albums has been announced, starting with Bluedelic+ and Phillo Jazz being released in October. We're well into the harsh 90's now, Bluedelic+ is alternate takes and outtakes from Metalvelodrome, while Phillo Jazz compiles unreleased tracks and material previously released on compilations. So, that makes it at the very least 24 archival albums, two new albums and a live album released by one label in a single year. Not bad going is it?
|
|
|
Post by acsenger on Aug 27, 2019 11:35:03 GMT -5
Too bad these Slowdown Records releases arenāt distributed in Europe at all.
|
|
|
Post by andypandy380 on Aug 27, 2019 12:18:47 GMT -5
I know, it's a real shame. Cold Spring told me they had been in contact with them at some point, but I guess they couldn't strike up a deal. They aren't cheap to start with either and the only place I've seen them for sale outside of Japan is Soleilmoon in the US. At the very least I'm hoping in due time I'll be able to get a copy of that new live album on discogs.
|
|
|
Post by andypandy380 on Sept 8, 2019 12:12:17 GMT -5
Menstrual's Dying Mapa tapes reissue comes out 12th September. Three CDs in separate sleeves inside a cloth bag - similar to some Rustblade albums.
|
|
|
Post by nofun on Sept 9, 2019 8:16:41 GMT -5
Hey all ! Been getting a lot of emails saying Dead Lotus orders havent been arriving.
International orders can take a long time to arrive ! (Up to 12 weeks) so if you're still missing your order, please be patient, it's on the way.
|
|
|
Post by andypandy380 on Sept 14, 2019 11:11:22 GMT -5
Only just got round to giving that coastal erosion album a listen and thought it was pretty decent. Although there's not a huge amount of variety across the two tracks, it's a really successful pairing of analogue electronics and ambient synth sounds. Akitas's electronics are occasionally on the harsher side but the ambience around it all gives this real sense of warmth and three dimensional space. I recall liking the first track of zophorous for similar reasons whereby the electronics are set within a kind of moody, more musical backdrop.
|
|
|
Post by acsenger on Sept 15, 2019 13:37:30 GMT -5
Iāve finally received the āYahatahachimanā CD and itās great. Iāve only listened to it once, but itās obviously an unusual album due to the drum machine thatās featured in every track and the strange vocal samples in at least one track. I guess the label consciously chose this tape to be reissued as its previous Merzbow reissue, āEscape Maskā, is an unusually rhythmic early ā80s recording too.
|
|
|
Post by andypandy380 on Sept 15, 2019 16:49:04 GMT -5
That's good to hear! Reasurring that it is actually on its way since I had emailed the label to no response - I'm still awaiting both that and Dead Lotus but fingers crossed the wait is nearly over. I did download Yahatahachiman at the time and liked the sound of it a lot, the flipside of that being that it was kind of the same sound for much of the albums duration. I'll give it more of a listen once the CD gets here
|
|
|
Post by davebowman on Sept 15, 2019 19:43:39 GMT -5
I've received both 'Dead Lotus' and 'Yahatahachiman' here in the UK now, so they are definately out there in the wild. It does seem like international post is being particularly sluggish recently. Also got my hands on the new 'Metalvelodrome' reissue box, which looks pretty handsome - I'm kinda suprised the original cover didn't get revised along with the tracklisting, given some of Masami's recent comments about how he is embaressed by the pornographic aspect of earlier Merzbow releases - I guess a lot of innocent folks just don't spot what it's a photograph of (unless my eyesight is going, it definately looks pornographic to me!)
|
|
|
Post by acsenger on Sept 16, 2019 2:35:54 GMT -5
When I emailed Other Voices directly, I also didnāt get a response, but then when I emailed them twice through Bandcamp, they replied immediately. After one listen, I wouldnāt say I had the impression it was a monotonous album. For one thing, the drum machine plays quite varied rhythms throughout it. But Iāll listen to it again today.
I also got the āMetalvelodromeā reissue. If I didnāt have the original whose cover is quite recognisable (and yes, it is pornographic, along with its back cover š), Iām pretty sure I wouldnāt be able to recognise what this new edition depicts on its cover, so I guess thatās why it wasnāt altered. As for the music, itās an absolute classic, and the bonus tracks are great (although the first bonus track is very similar to, from memory, an earlier track also on disc 1, so I found it a bit strange that it was included). Itās a shame the wonderfully bizarre āBlood Sadist Goes to Nudistā track was left off, but overall, I have no complaints (especially since I also have the original edition, haha). As for the packaging: itās a nice package with the wooden box and the individual CD wallets. The poster, I think, is a bit dull, but itās not bad. It hardly changes anything, but itās strange how the letter size one the back of the poster, where the track titles are listed, is not uniform. Overall, I like the original editionās artwork a lot more, but then I think it stands out pretty much in all of Merzbowās catalogue, and given Akitaās changed taste and view of his porn artworks of the past, itās no wonder heās changed the artwork significantly.
|
|
|
Post by davebowman on Sept 18, 2019 12:43:59 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by andypandy380 on Sept 18, 2019 15:50:15 GMT -5
I'm genuinely quite excited for this album. Loved the first track from it and had a flick through the rest but will listen properly when the CD gets here.
|
|
|
Post by andypandy380 on Sept 25, 2019 10:49:34 GMT -5
Just taken a glance at the Masami Akita Discography wiki page and it lists more upcoming albums from Slowdown, two more albums as expected as well as the box sets 'Loop & Collage' and 'Strings & Percussion' all due for release in November. We got there in the end!
|
|
|
Post by davebowman on Oct 2, 2019 13:20:33 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by andypandy380 on Oct 2, 2019 14:15:10 GMT -5
I wonder why this has come back round, Bludhoney must have purchased some sort of a right to the album from Relapse, Maybe it did better than expected and Relapse wanted to get back in on the action, although I guess it's really just a follow-up to their Venerology re-release. Just noticed the very garish and very expensive all-over print Pulse Demon t-shirt they're selling in conjunction with it, haha.
|
|
|
Post by acsenger on Oct 2, 2019 15:09:29 GMT -5
Strangely, the European Relapse site says all orders are currently shipping from the US, which explains the punishing shipping cost of ā¬18.5 to Hungary. I hope theyāll change this and end up shipping from Europe (as it happened in the case of the āVenereologyā reissue). In that case I might order it for the bonus track. I guess next in line from Relapse will be a vinyl reissue of āTauromachineā.
|
|
|
Post by acsenger on Oct 3, 2019 9:18:27 GMT -5
I asked Relapse if they were planning to ship from Europe, and they said no. Iām sure thereāll be European distributors who will carry the record though.
|
|
|
Post by acsenger on Oct 19, 2019 15:10:21 GMT -5
I received āThe Lampinakā tape reissue this week and have listened to it a couple times. Itās not one of his absolute best works, but itās good, solid, satisfying material nevertheless. Just like other recordings from 1985, itās noisy as hell (no quiet and strange improvisation here like a few years before on the āCollectionā series, nor restrained metal percussion like on āStorageā a couple years later). There are often long distorted loops at play, and occasionally semi-ritual percussion (as well as plain bashing of stuff) and vocals in a few spots too.
|
|
|
Post by acsenger on Oct 22, 2019 13:41:50 GMT -5
A few of the Slowdown Records Merzbow CDs are now available from Old Europa Cafe.
|
|
|
Post by andypandy380 on Oct 24, 2019 4:23:29 GMT -5
The final two box sets from Slowdown will be available in December. 'Tapestry Of Noise' and 'Metallic'. I wonder whether this rounds off their archival series (no less than 36 albums deep at this point) or whether it'll venture into the 2000's
|
|