Merzbow Top Hits

Started by Strömkarlen, December 29, 2009, 03:52:02 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

acsenger

If anyone's interested in what Akita is up to these days, here's a short album he made in November 2020: https://superpang.bandcamp.com/album/mukomodulator. I didn't expect much, but I was pleasantly surprised because it's actually pretty good.

FreakAnimalFinland

I have Batztoutai 2xLP too, but this "Batztoutai material gadgets / Loop Panic Limited" 2xCD edition is not just the CD version. It is entirely different release. First disc is de-composed, re-created version of 2xLP. Many songs vary in length, some up to +5 minutes more. I won't get into analysing how different they are, since it's been too long gap since listening it. I got this 2nd pressing soon after it was published, in 1994.

Even more with this! Actually, I had feeling as if "loop panic limited" title of disc has influenced my perception what this actually is. I recall back in in mid 90's when I got this (this is 2nd press from 1994), my feeling was that it was "just loops". Probably because each title says so. Perhaps true in a sense that it is not some purely free noizu, but looping is just the part of how Merzbow did it in some of the best releases. There is lots of noise on top, and besides of loops, and this disc should be filed just among the probably best Merzbow era (1993). It is great, but also different from pretty much any album.

I recall amusing article in BANANAFISH magazine, where mr Glass tells that his friends did not believe he could say what Merzbow album is playing, if someone put CD on player. He managed to know all albums, and then friends tried even playing LP at wrong speed, but he knew still what it was. This is the 90's, when output was big, but still reasonable in some ways. For some people, it's all "just noise", for a lot of people, until late 90's you can really hear distinctively what album is playing, as they are so different. This is quite achivement in such a huge discography. Batztoutai or Loop panic, not really something you'd think they sound like... antimonument or artificial invagination.
I have managed to get couple Finnish friends to re-appreciate Merzbow after all these years. Of course there are ton of good noise out there, but best era of Merz.. seems mandatory!

Unfortunately sold out from RRR, but I would guess some of the many pressings are affordable to find.
E-mail: fanimal +a+ cfprod,com
MAGAZINE: http://www.special-interests.net
LABEL / DISTRIBUTION: FREAK ANIMAL http://www.nhfastore.net

Zeno Marx

Quote from: Zeno Marx on January 07, 2021, 08:45:59 PM
I'm glad I don't watch him closely.  This label is insane with reissues of 80s and 90s material.  I had no clue it was this many.  Roughly, 25+ CDs and then a bunch of box sets (not sure if they have bonus tracks or not).  Nice to see a handful from the '93-'95 period.  For those into the late-90s, there are a few from then as well.

https://www.discogs.com/label/1116791-%E3%82%B9%E3%83%AD%E3%83%BC%E3%83%80%E3%82%A6%E3%83%B3RECORDS
This label just collected all the sets for a 60CD box.
"the overindulgent machines were their children"
I only buy vinyl, d00ds.

Bloated Slutbag

#288
Quote from: accidental on February 04, 2022, 09:53:02 PM
I think the Slowdown releases are a joke.

String & Percussion and Loop & Collage were for me entirely worth it, even with the overlap (of the overlap of...). Or, you can just cop the Antimonument Tapes and enjoy the abrasive grind.


^ edit. The above are 6-disc sets which include both overlaps and alt mixes of classic merzshizzle. Don't blame anyone for scoffing at the label, but definitely some innerestin stuff to be found. Sorely tempted by that Green & Orange box. Regardless, have to say I enjoy the detailed release blurbs, in themselves good source of insight into some of the processes and ideas.
Someone weaker than you should beat you and brag
And take you for a drag

moozz

Slowdown is the master of Merzbow archive releases but not the only label doing it. A few years ago the Australian label Room40 entered the "Merzbow archival market" as well. As far as I know they have 4 archival releases out and they are all from 1994-1998. One of them I have not heard but the three others are:
- Noise Mass: Alternative mixes for tracks from Hole plus unreleased. Fantastic harsh noise
- Flare Blues: Alternative mixes from Flare Gun 12" and White Blues 7", great stuff, plus this is probably the only Merzbow archival release on vinyl!
- Scandal: Starts with a very unusual piece for Merzbow, it sounds like a 12min unedited field recording in a workshop. Not noisy in anyway, just sparse everyday sounds. After this things get noisier but never reach the Venereology/Pulse Demon frenzy. Feels like material that is still rooted in the '80s but wanting to get harsher. I am not a fan of the first 12 minutes but it is worth it for all the rest.

Bloated Slutbag

This is perhaps more tangential to the same, but not quite the same release thread, but didn't want to muddy it too much. Just to note that, as far as the Slowdown releases, there are perhaps no liner notes attached to the discs, but you can find notes online, on bandcamp and the dedicated Slowdown website.

Only bc has the notes in English, but for fun you can compare and contrast to the original Japanese notes run through Deep-L and Google Translate respectively.

Excerpted from the notes to Antimony:

Bandcamp (English, yorosz (aka Shuta Hiraki))
"Antimony" is the first take of "Sadomasochismo", a cassette released by ZSF Produkt in 1985. Compared to the cassette release, it is almost a different sound source except for the first track. It is also part of the unused material for Merzbow's collage side masterpiece 'Batztoutai with Memorial Gadgets', so it can be said to be a buried tracks in more ways than one.

Slowdown website (JP to Eng, Deep-L)
Antimony" is the first take of the cassette "Sadomasochismo" released from ZSF Produkt in 1985. Compared to the other takes on the same cassette, all but the first track are almost completely different. It is also a part of the unused work for Merzbow's collage masterpiece "Battoutai with Memorial Gadgets", which can be said to be a buried source in multiple ways.

Slowdown website (JP to Eng, Google Translate)
"Antimony" is the sound source that corresponds to his 1st take of the cassette work "Sadomasochismo" released from ZSF Produkt in 1985. Compared to the take recorded on the same cassette, it is almost a different sound source except for the first song. In addition, the sound source recorded here is also a part of the unused work made for Merzbow's collage side masterpiece "Batztoutai with Memorial Gadgets", that is, it can be said that it was buried in multiple meanings.
Someone weaker than you should beat you and brag
And take you for a drag

Garu

Magnesia Nova is an amazing and I believe little known or talked about album

especially the first 2 tracks combined (they flow seamlessly one into the other), Rituale Lucis & Magnesia Nova, is for me up there as among my all time favorite pieces of noise or any music, ever. Gives me the chills every time. Super psychedelic and intense. Great panning and mixing, feedback, Synthi, loops, some weird tape/delay stuff going on (i think), his metal instrument with buzzing electric shaver used to its fullest. The concept of the album also sheds light on his work around this time in general, being based on alchemical/tantric ideas of "energy body" flows.

https://youtu.be/cRwsk4RY3S4
https://youtu.be/6KDSjOnrzNM

Eloy

Some of the releases of this list have been reissued on vinyl and/or CD in recent years, so I guess the rest will follow sooner or later. I'm rooting for "Oersted".

FreakAnimalFinland

Merzbow "Storage" 2x pic LP + CD set.
Menstrual recordings

I only listened this from the pic LP's before, so decided to listen CD too.
I do have Merzbox, but this CD appears to be re-re-mastered from original tapes. Sound is really good, although I doubt there is anything to complain about merzbox version either, but not going to do any nerdy analysis of different cd's. Good thing in stand alone CD is that it is more likely to pull this out, than single disc from merzbox.

First couple tracks are sort of percussive, no drums or regular percussive instruments. Metal objects and mistreated violin and some electronics/tape manipulations, some pitch efx, and so on. Really neat and clean sound. No distortion, almost acoustic. Really juicy and full soundscape where every detail can be heard. Storage 3 gets pretty noisy. Not yet the 90's Merz-noisy, but something you can easily call noise. Not just experimental sound.

Really great album and my only complaint would be the format. And not as listener, but as distrubutor! Albums as good as this, or some other Merz-reissues are, I am slightly annoyed that small print run double pic LP and CD bundle isn't item you could just recommend everybody to check out. If this would be available as regularly priced stand-alone CD, it would feel ideal. Now you will have same sound in two different formats sold as one object... that isn't that affordable that some youngster who would benefit getting it, would be likely to buy it.

As a listener, it's fine! My complaint is from perspective of distributor who'd like this good items to be more widely available and appreciated in best possible fidelity...
E-mail: fanimal +a+ cfprod,com
MAGAZINE: http://www.special-interests.net
LABEL / DISTRIBUTION: FREAK ANIMAL http://www.nhfastore.net

Zeno Marx

As if I need much nudging, but you went ahead and did it, FreakAnimalFinland.  Knocked me out of my Militia and power-electronics dive and back into Merzbow.  Via the Merzbox.  I wasn't well acquainted with Storage.  Antimonument being the favorite early work, Storage isn't far behind it now.  Then listened to Live in Khabarovsk, CCCP 1988, Crocidura Dsi Nezumi 1987, and Enclosure/Libido Economy 1987. Vratya Southwards 1987 is cued up.  I'm not the biggest fan of the early material in general, but right now, I'm really appreciating him as a percussionist.  And all the rust and strings work is a reminder of Agencement.   One of the standout sounds is when his homemade string instrument seems to be connected, or just affected, by a deep hum or vibration, giving it both a rumble on the lower register and tings on the upper register.  I don't usually like collaborations, but hearing Merzbow and Militia drumming away might be interesting.
"the overindulgent machines were their children"
I only buy vinyl, d00ds.

impulse manslaughter

CD reissue of Flesh Metal Orgasm is something to look forward to. Great tape released in 1989 on Nihilistic Recordings.

Bloated Slutbag

#296
not sure why i deleted this, prolly just automated response upon waking up in the morning to find i posted some shit.

Quote from: Bloated Slutbag on February 05, 2022, 06:25:47 PM

String & Percussion and Loop & Collage were for me entirely worth it, even with the overlap (of the overlap of...). Or, you can just cop the Antimonument Tapes and enjoy the abrasive grind.

Recently got around to the other two boxsets released thenabouts (2019), namely Tapestry of Noise and Metallic.

Will go out on a limb and say I'm more than good for Merz circa 1987 ~  1995. A period which might possibly represent all I will ever need of the project. (Admitting in the event that the quintessential sucker had already long since suckered said suckering self into copping the other two  10 x archival cd sets popping up some years prior.) More than good.

The Tapestry in particular. Much like the earlier Loop & Collage, an opportunity to salivate over some neat other goodies. Like: Untitled volumes 1 through 3. That's three discs worth of merz-vection. Think Merz but with the compositional qualities at a remove, if not so far removed. Le shit, in a word, raw. Very raw, and, by degrees, deep, in the harsh. Whanging and banging of the metals, edging toward some fairly rough stuff, scraping and scrapping upon still more metals, strings, collage. Shambolic in the excess but such glorious shambolicism. Kurt would approve.
Someone weaker than you should beat you and brag
And take you for a drag

Krigsverk

Looking forward to Flesh Metal Orgasm too... but the top hit for me is still Hard Lovin Man. Not sure why to be honest, I tend to love his early 90´s output more but HLM is just awesome. Then we have Frog also - crushing stuff. So much... baaah

Eastern Embargo

Quote from: Eloy on April 05, 2022, 12:34:45 AM
Some of the releases of this list have been reissued on vinyl and/or CD in recent years, so I guess the rest will follow sooner or later. I'm rooting for "Oersted".

I will be reissuing Merzbow's Scene on double LP in the coming months. One of my favorite surrealist works from his 'laptop era'.

FreakAnimalFinland

METALVELODROME

Many times when hearing noise, you roughly know how it is done. At least assumption. Sometimes gear or recording methods seems obvious. One of the guys I'd really like to see how they really made the noise, is of course early 90's Merzbow. Most of individual sounds, you most likely know how one could achive that type of sounds. Something pretty close, but how he was doing the mix? Live mix on multi-track? Playing sources and running them through the stuff? Big part of this era of Merzbow sounds very much "hand on" live mix of playing electronics and playing source tapes. He is not afraid of letting song go into thin single layer wah wah wank, and then explode into thick multi layered noise blast. Lots of those oddities very few artists do - the pan button spastic attacks, short odd bursts of sounds as if just cranking mute button of mixer for fragment of second in seemingly random moments.
While ago I was listening Macronympha "Baroque" and "Amplified Humans" CD's, they reminded how in lots of old harsh noise there was different kind of approach to volume than now. Of course you got guys now who do noise CD's with a lot of dynamics and variation of volume, but it is hard to really explain how those Macro CD's or this era of Merzbow differs. Metalvelodrome often considered as those total harsh days of Merzbow, while in reality, compared to aggro-harsh blast, this is playful, colorful and weird noise! Way more often that, than being bluntly harsh.
Of course none of this really news, but listening 4 discs of Merzbow one after another makes one want to talk about it!
E-mail: fanimal +a+ cfprod,com
MAGAZINE: http://www.special-interests.net
LABEL / DISTRIBUTION: FREAK ANIMAL http://www.nhfastore.net