|
Post by andypandy380 on Jan 3, 2021 3:51:32 GMT -5
Happy new year folks. Two days in and we already have our first Merzbow album of '21. Mukomodulator - seems like a bandcamp/download only release at the moment.
|
|
|
Post by davebowman on Jan 3, 2021 7:01:58 GMT -5
Listened to a sample, and it sounds pretty cool. I don't suppose anyone's heard any definitive news as to whether this is going to be a download exclusive? I'm hesitant to buy this right now, only to find out a physical version is getting a release a few days later!
|
|
|
Post by andypandy380 on Jan 3, 2021 10:55:46 GMT -5
Im thinking much the same. Had a look at the label on discogs and the whole lot is a series of digital releases with similar artwork so it seems unlikely. I guess another label picking it up for a one-off physical edition wouldnt be completely out of the realms of possibility.
|
|
|
Post by andypandy380 on Jan 4, 2021 5:20:02 GMT -5
Asked the label on instagram, and apparently they'll likely start physical copies after the summer
|
|
|
Post by davebowman on Jan 5, 2021 5:12:12 GMT -5
Cool - thanks for the update
|
|
|
Post by acsenger on Jan 10, 2021 13:29:55 GMT -5
I've listened to "Mukomodulator" twice today, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. It's a good release indeed.
|
|
|
Post by andypandy380 on Feb 23, 2021 4:16:10 GMT -5
The 12th series of albums is on its way from Slowdown, beginning in April. We're getting into the late 2000s now, starting to explore Akita's use of drums on albums like Anicca, Protean World, Mikrocosmos. Not everybodys favourite era, but it could be cool to hear some of his experiments and source material. The artwork looks great, colourful and collagey.
|
|
|
Post by andypandy380 on Mar 1, 2021 13:07:10 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by davebowman on Mar 2, 2021 4:43:41 GMT -5
The 12th series of albums is on its way from Slowdown, beginning in April. We're getting into the late 2000s now, starting to explore Akita's use of drums on albums like Anicca, Protean World, Mikrocosmos. Not everybodys favourite era, but it could be cool to hear some of his experiments and source material. The artwork looks great, colourful and collagey. Was it ever revealed what happened to the rest of the 'Mikrocosmos' series? I remember it was announced as being 5 albums, but only the first one ever emerged. Do we know if those later volumes came out under different titles, or were never recorded? Or are they part of this new set?
|
|
|
Post by andypandy380 on Mar 2, 2021 8:47:46 GMT -5
I dont know actually, as far as I'm aware its still a mystery as to why those never got released. I'd like to think Akita actually recorded them, but who knows. It hadnt crossed my mind that they could surface in the box set, if the next four discs were Mikrocosmos parts 2-5 that would be a pretty big deal!
|
|
|
Post by davebowman on Mar 6, 2021 11:03:25 GMT -5
My cassette arrived in the UK only a couple of days after ordering, which was a nice surprise. Is this named after a Japanese architect? (That's all I could find online). Anyway, I found this a nice mix of harsh noise over some rhythmic pulses. Nothing earth-shattering, but along with releases like 'Screaming Dove' I am enjoying what appears to be more of a lean back to the extreme side of noise. Maybe it was just the releases I happened to pick up (I can't catch them all), but in more recent years I had noticed an increasing drift towards the milder end of the sonic spectrum.
|
|
|
Post by andypandy380 on Mar 6, 2021 14:20:34 GMT -5
Yeah I was amazed how quickly it got here too! Haven't got round to listening to mine yet but from what I flicked through on bandcamp it does seem like a harsher one, Mukomodultor has a bit of weight to it as well so I feel like there could be another run of harsher albums on the way. I never minded the 'lighter' side of Merzbow (if that's the right word for it), I quite like some of the albums that explore the middle ground, stuff like Merzbear and Zophorus kind of does it for me for some reason. I think in a way that sort of stuff can set Akita apart from other noise artists, for all out harshness I find myself gravitating more towards Incapacitants, K2, Government Alpha.
|
|
|
Post by andypandy380 on Apr 1, 2021 0:50:57 GMT -5
Room 40 have a new Merzbow CD on the way. The album 'Scandal', recorded between 1992 and 1995 features field recordings and tape manipulations. The three tracks available to listen now actually have me quite excited to hear the whole thing.
|
|
|
Post by acsenger on Apr 2, 2021 5:04:56 GMT -5
I’ll get that CD without even listening to the samples, haha. It’s good that Room40 are releasing another apparently unusual Merzbow album after’EXD’. There’s plenty of straightforward noise material by Merzbow from the ‘90s, so I find it exciting to have single CD releases that, to some extent at least, like ‘EXD’, are different in style.
|
|
emgee
New Member
Posts: 50
|
Post by emgee on Apr 2, 2021 5:17:18 GMT -5
Has some of the first track appeared before? I seem to remember a track which sounded like home DIY popping up somewhere. In the Merzbox?
|
|
|
Post by andypandy380 on Apr 2, 2021 5:35:37 GMT -5
I've just stumbled across a new collaborative album between Merzbow and Prurient! 'Black Crows Cyborg' The download is available now, but pre-orders of black/splatter vinyl editions are up via Hospital It seems kind of remarkable that this is their first collaboration, but i didnt see this one coming.
|
|
emgee
New Member
Posts: 50
|
Post by emgee on Apr 2, 2021 6:23:37 GMT -5
Is there a UK distributor for Hospital Productions or do I have to ship from the States?
|
|
|
Post by andypandy380 on Apr 2, 2021 8:02:55 GMT -5
I dont know for definite, but I'd imagine Cold Spring would be pretty hot on this one. Theres a smaller distributor called Tordon Ljud which is well worth checking out if you don't know them.
|
|
|
Post by acsenger on Apr 2, 2021 8:16:32 GMT -5
Has some of the first track appeared before? I seem to remember a track which sounded like home DIY popping up somewhere. In the Merzbox? I've just listened to the samples after all and I don't remember hearing the first track before. I also don't remember any of the '90s material in the 'Merzbox' being similar in nature. From memory, while there are some unusual recordings in that box (like the one that samples a phone dial tone), there are no pure field recordings. To be honest, I found track 1 on this forthcoming CD pretty tedious, but the other two were good. Track 2 definitely uses some of the same source material as the 'Rod Drug 93' 7".
|
|
|
Post by acsenger on Apr 2, 2021 8:52:32 GMT -5
I've just stumbled across a new collaborative album between Merzbow and Prurient! 'Black Crows Cyborg' The download is available now, but pre-orders of black/splatter vinyl editions are up via Hospital It seems kind of remarkable that this is their first collaboration, but i didnt see this one coming. I'm kinda surprised they haven't made an album together earlier. I've just listened to it on Bandcamp and it's pretty good if nothing earth-shattering, but I'd have preferred it if Prurient's synths were more melodic and prominent in the mix. Something along the lines of 'Cocaine Death' or 'The Black Post Society' mixed with Merzbow would've been great, I think.
|
|
|
Post by andypandy380 on Apr 2, 2021 11:34:39 GMT -5
Ive just given it a full listen too, thought it was pretty good honestly, but I do definitely agree with some of the points you made. Its got that definitive 'moody' sound that I expect from Prurient and I like the latter part of the second track which gets a bit more claustrophobic, it does feel like some more of those Prurient-isms could have found their way in though. Those ultra distorted sytnth parts are what I think of when I think of Prurient, some of his other styles can be a bit hit or miss although appreciate the fact he's a risk taker. I picked up his new one 'Casablanca Flamethrower' recently and its a bit of a return to form, if a bit samey.
|
|
|
Post by davebowman on Apr 18, 2021 1:08:07 GMT -5
It looks as though the 'Switching Rhetorics' split with Shora has been remastered and is getting a vinyl release next month. A slightly odd choice for me - the original CD has never been that hard to find and is generally super cheap on the second hand market, plus the Merzbow tracks have already been re-issued once on the 'Another Merzbow Records' compilation. I guess one aimed at those folks who collect vinyl format? www.head-records.com/produit/shora-merzbow-switching-rhetorics-vinyl-lp-pre-order/
|
|
|
Post by andypandy380 on Apr 18, 2021 7:12:11 GMT -5
I recall seeing an instagram post where someone was mixing/remastering this one, that was probably a good couple of years ago though and I thought no more of it. It's a weird album in the way it alternates between both artists, especially given that they're entirely different styles of music, its decent though, but like you said I can't imagine Merzbow fans queuing up for a reissue. I don't know whether there's any sort of a buzz around Shora, somehow I doubt it since it seems theyve been defunct for years, but who knows they might be a cult classic in Switzerland.
|
|
|
Post by acsenger on Apr 18, 2021 12:09:44 GMT -5
Here's an unreleased recording from 1998: soundcloud.com/strumandiodine/si039-merzbow. Haven't listened to it yet, and I couldn't find a website for the label to see if there are plans for a physical release. Edit: I'm nearly done listening to it. It's good stuff, with frequent echoes of 'Door Open At 8 AM', but also some fairly surprising parts (the manipulated voice that lasts a few moments a couple seconds into the album had me thinking I'd started playing the wrong artist, not Merzbow!). It's definitely a recording worthy of repeated listens. Oh, and I found out on Discogs that 'Door Open At 8 AM' will see a vinyl reissue supposedly this month on a Mexican label.
|
|
|
Post by andypandy380 on Apr 18, 2021 14:35:57 GMT -5
That actually sounds really good! Ive only had a flick through it but some parts sound pretty bizarre, almost reminds me of the sort of soundplay a group like Black Dice would have come up with. Looks like it's from a series of podcasts, Would honestly be a crying shame if it didnt get a CD release!
I should probably glance at it more often, but I've just stumbled across Merzbow's soundcloud which seems to confirm another upcoming Slowdown series with material similar to that of LopLop and Kibako.
|
|
|
Post by HaxanDub on Apr 26, 2021 7:35:13 GMT -5
Is there a UK distributor for Hospital Productions or do I have to ship from the States? Juno Records has the Prurient split for pre-order (very expensive) but Boomkat normally stock Prurient/Hospital releases. They sometimes have exclusive colour editions which I think will happen with this split.
|
|
|
Post by andypandy380 on Apr 26, 2021 14:29:48 GMT -5
Urashima have confirmed a remastered 2LP re-release of Green Wheels to be released in May. It contains all the material from both the CD and the 5" vinyl of the original release, plus two bonus tracks.
|
|
fred
New Member
Posts: 55
|
Post by fred on Apr 27, 2021 1:48:33 GMT -5
Urashima have confirmed a remastered 2LP re-release of Green Wheels to be released in May. It contains all the material from both the CD and the 5" vinyl of the original release, plus two bonus tracks. Green Wheels' CD and 5" is a very good release. I look forward to listen to the bonus tracks.
|
|
|
Post by davebowman on Apr 27, 2021 17:27:47 GMT -5
Green Wheels is a great release, but I must admit I'm not keen on how reissues and archive releases are vastly outnumbering new material at this point in time. Great for folks who missed out on the original stuff, but it works out pretty expensive if you are just after extra tracks, or slight variations from new mixes etc.
|
|
|
Post by davebowman on Apr 27, 2021 17:32:23 GMT -5
Is there a UK distributor for Hospital Productions or do I have to ship from the States? I suspect for the UK, your best option so far is probably to order it via WowHD, though the 20% import tax pushes the final price including postage up to £30.58. www.wowhd.co.uk/merzbow-prurient-black-crows-cyborg/843563138151 Used these folks loads of times for imprting stuff from the US, and never had a problem with them. Personally I think I'll hang back till nearer releases time and see if any cheaper options emerge, as it still comes to quite a lot for a split release.
|
|