MELT BANANA Teeny Shiny (A-Zap) cd 13.98
Ultra hyper Japanese art-spazz combo Melt-Banana have really perfected their assault in recent years, and this new album is nothing short of incredible. This record somehow manages to sound like a catchy old punk rock LP played at 78rpm, or faster, being scratched by some maniac DJ... Plus there's sirens going off in the background, and explosions, and all kinds of crazy guitar shit, almost-d'n'b breaks, and studio manipulations. It's a not-of-this-earth rock experience. Squeaky, freaky, and really good.
RealAudio clip: "Free The Bee"

MELT BANANA / BIG D AND THE KIDS TABLE split (Fork In Hand) 7" 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Fans of Japan's Melt Banana know that they're always great at doing covers. On their side of this split 7" they do "Monkey Man" by Toots And The Maytals. Really. And of course they sound like they're on 45 even when they're on 33 like they always do, super hectic, the least-mellow reggae you've ever heard. Some of us thought it was a cartoon theme or music from an ad for a kid's toy or something. There's also a Melt Banana original called "Operation: 3rd Attack" on here, with some turntable scratching, that's equally wild.
The flip side features US ska act Big D And The Kids Table, they do an original and a Ministry cover ("Thieves")...there's got to be some novelty value in that. Actually, we *think* they're a ska band. But even their original sounds more like a metal or hardcore band with a horn section than your typical ska stuff. So, kinda cool too.

MELT BANANA / CHUNG Split (Sounds of Subterrania) 10" 35.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Second chance on this, last copies EVER!!
We hate to do this to you, but there's not much we can do about it. THIS IS INCREDIBLY LIMITED!! WE ONLY GOT A HANDFUL OF COPIES, MOST LIKELY NEVER TO GET MORE! SO ACT FAST. This 10" is limited to a couple thousand worldwide, only 700 or so made it to the US and only 20 made it to AQ. So definitely don't dawdle. Yet another split from masters of the split record, Japanese ultra spaz rockers Melt-Banana, this time teamed up with another unlikely, but still quite cool band we've never heard of. The strangely monickered Chung offer up short sharp bursts of angular post punk on their side, kinetic new wave rhythms, fuzzy organs and yelped vocals. Like a punkier mix of the Fall, Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand and all those sorts of bands. Melt-Banana counter with some of their most unlikely music to date, confounding and confusing with their three tracks (be sure to play their side on 45 -- we were WAY more confused when we mistakenly played it at 33 the first time). Strangely sparse, with a bouncy minimal rhythm, poundiing piano (!) and even some horns all sort of new wave-y and abstractly angular with lots of blooping space sound effects, rockabilly guitar and a trippy tweaked out production. Definitely MB's most melodic and least spastic record to date. But just to remind us who we're dealing with, they finish things off with a mega distorted blast of classic Melt-Banana style spaz-grind-pop weirdness. Comes packaged in an amazing sleeve, thick screened cardstock, and affixed to the front is one of those lenticular stereo 3D cards that moves when you shift the image, the image just in this case is a cartoon city and a giant fly and a madman with a flyswatter and an explosion.WOW. And once again, VERY LIMITED!

MELT BANANA / THREE STUDIES FOR A CRUCIFIXION Split (Passacaglia) 8" 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We recently reviewed a record by the Deadsea, a chaotic mix of black metal, and post rock and prog and sludge metal which we all dug like crazy, and as we mentioned in the review, one of the Deadsea guys used to be in the band Three Studies For A Crucifixion. So we managed to get a just a handful of these long out of print 8" eps for those of you who wanted more -- oh, and for you Melt Banana fans as well!! Here's what we had to say about it when we first had it way back when:
Tokyo's Melt-Banana have made a much welcome return to their hardcore roots with six new songs, fast and furious as ever. Three Studies for a Crucifixion, from Athens, OH, contribute two tracks of technical spazz and grind. VERY limited, so act fast.

MELT-BANANA Lite Live: Ver.0.0 (A-Zap) cd 13.98
It's been WAY too long since we've seen Melt-Banana live, they are definitely one of THE raddest live groups ever, sonically brutal and precise and manic and impossibly complex, their stage presence unbeatable, the whole band bouncing around wildly non stop, the guitarist perpetually clad in surgical mask, the vocalist a tiny whirling dervish, it's pretty awe inspiring, and wild pogo pit inspiring too.
So this killer live set might tide us over, the sound is incredible, you would never know it was a live record unless you were told, and might not even believe it then! They are in fine form, the record opener is awesome, about as slow as they get, a killer midtempo jam, all freaked out effects and processed vox, lots of buzz, squiggly guitar weirdness, all set to the frenetic drumming, before the band launch into a burst of lightning fast hypergrind, insanely manic and frantic and frenzied, the vocals a staccato chirp, the drums spastic and chaotic, the guitar though, spitting out incredible riffs, then all sorts of impossibly tangled squelches and glitchy fragmented melodies. The songs blow by in a blur, which makes the slower tracks all the more powerful. "Cat And The Blood" is a droned out prog jam, all wooshing synths, and surprisingly restrained vocals, and muted guitar squiggles, before once again spitting out a handful of manic metal grind microjams before finishing off with two epics (4 and 5 minutes respectively), first "Last Target On The Last Day" a gorgeous tripped out space jam, super atmospheric and heavy, long drones, and warm swirls of synth underpinning an almost doomic groove, finishing off with the super atmospheric and cinematic "Humming Jackalope, Waiting For The Storm", all Theremin-like melodies, clouds of cymbal sizzle, washed out bass rumble, and streaks of total Tangerine Dream like synth shimmer before finishing off with a burst of white noise crunch. Phew. Epic and incredible and heavy and wild and wonderful. Definitely don't miss MB next time they come to your town, and check this out to remind yourself what you've been missing.
MPEG Stream: "Feedback Deficiency"
MPEG Stream: "T For Tone"
MPEG Stream: "Slide Down"
MPEG Stream: "One Drop, One Life"

MELTING GLASS BOX (TOKEDASHITA GARASU BAKO) s/t (Erebus) cd 21.00
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Writing as many reviews as we do each week, trying to sell records to the people who will like 'em, we really appreciate it when a band makes it easy, as in this case, like, by being from Japan. And from the early '70s. Playing acid folk. And then they've got a cool name like Melting Glass Box. All that really remains is for us to tell you if is as amazing as it seems it might be - and it is.
Of course, though they're pretty obscure, you may have heard of them already, as this 1970 album has quite a deserved rep among connoisseurs of Japanese psych stuff - though it's mysteriously given short shrift in Julian Cope's Japrocksampler book, though he does praise albums by another band, Five Red Balloons (Itsutsu No Arai Fusen) from whom comes the main Melting Glass Box guy, singer-songwriter Takasi Nishioka, who is the pretty sharp looking denim clad hipster gent in the Melting Glass Box cover photo. MGB was a one-off studio project (though Takasi made many albums with Itsutu No Arai Fusen, and a bunch of later solo records as well) that also featured folks from such crucial underground Japanese psych acts of the era as The Jacks, Apryl Fool, and AQ faves Blues Creation. There's three members of proto-metal heavies Blues Creation on board here, actually, including Iommi-esque guitarist Takeda Kazuo. Not that this is at all heavy, it's actually a mellow, melodic record, quite gentle and pretty and placid, the lazy la la la's of their folky flowerpowered pop punctuated with such surreal details as the sound of shattering glass that startles the listener halfway through the lead off track "Anmari Fukasugite". Likewise, electronic FX, tape speed manipulations, ethnic instruments, and some stinging acid guitar licks are sparingly stirred into the mix throughout, this album one of many interesting, dreamy details and odd arrangements, but that still succeeds especially due to Takasi's balladic songs, that are so very melancholic and emotional - even though we can't understand the lyrics. We bet Masaki Batoh and Ghost grew up listening to this record!
Definitely a thrilling reissue that all of us here at AQ are digging, it's been getting a LOT of in-store play. Nicely done, too, by the Erebus label, with liner notes, original sleeve shots, and discographical information in the cd booklet.
MPEG Stream: "Anmari Fukasugite"
MPEG Stream: "Kimi Ha Dare Nanda"

MENCHE, DANIEL / KIYOSHI MIZUTANI Garden (Auscultare) cd 11.98
Kiyoshi Mizutani began his career working in Merzbow (when Merzbow wasn't just Masami Akita alone). After parting ways with Akita in the late '80s or so, Mizutani released a number of solo recordings, most recently focusing on field recordings. His first foray in his search for natural sounds was the less than perfect Bird Songs, but since then Mizutani has blossomed into an exceptional contextualist of found sounds. Garden is his collaboration with Portland noise veteran Daniel Menche, who has been struggling for several years now to calm his work, but can't quite seem to shake his preternatural talents for explosive noise. On this recording, Menche handled all of the low frequencies, while Mizutani was responsible for all of the high frequencies. The source material was a finely captured field recording of Japanese locusts and crickets, presumably from the Mizutani archives. The slow organic chorus of those insects starts out with a very hypnotic, natural introduction; but Mizutani offers small clues to his manipulation by first repeating the choral phrases which would never be so precise in a natural setting, and later by filtering out everything but the timbral roots. Mizutani's gradual shift from these environmental sounds to almost mechanical ones is particularly unsettling, especially in communion with Menche's ominous bass plod which slowly emerges over the course of this recording. Within this metamorphosis of sound, Mizutani and Menche rewrite insect languages as metallic, inorganic, and alien ones where apocalyptic implications abound. Really gorgeous. Released on Randy Yau's immaculately designed Auscultare label.
MPEG Stream: "Garden"

MERRELL, BAKER AND JORDAN Nagual (aRCHIVE) cd 13.98
Not sure who Todd Merrell or Patrick Jordan are, but we sure as heck are familiar with the third part of this drone trio, the Baker in question is none other than Mr. Aidan Baker, he of Nadja, Arc, and a million or so releases under his own name.
This live set finds Baker handling guitar duties, but you'd never know it from the sound, augmented by short wave radios, electronics, and various bits of processing, the sound here is deep and dark, a crumbling and epic expanse of rumbling shimmering low end. Roiling clouds of murky melodic fragments, distant swells, throbbing low end pulses, barely audible bits of static and washed out glitch. Very cinematic, if you were watching a film that was almost entirely dark, with just barely visible shifts in the various shades of black and grey. Lovely though, minimal and haunting. Think Coleclough, Chalk, Lustmord, that sort of ambient darkness.
But the second track is an entirely different beast. Simple guitar strums, minimal melodies, the strings struck softly, the metallic buzz and clang ringing out into the ether, some sort of underwater slow motion Fahey, smeared and soft and dark and dreamy. The final half of the track, the guitar disappears completely, leaving streaks of feedback that sound like the cries of gulls, grinding slow motion slabs of shifting low end, whirling windlike whirs, almost like a manufactured nature recording.
The guitar returns for the third track, drifting gently, while the background noise builds into a slow motion wash of sound, the track culminating in a cloud of chimes and reverbed percussion, seasick swirls and struck steel strings, before slipping languidly into the final track, a lugubrious underwater crawl, all of the sounds muddy and indistinct, a sonar like ping buried way down in the mix, underneath it all a thick blanket of constant whirring drones, quite lovely.
Packaged in one of those cool, 6 panel, gatefold aRCHIVE sleeves, glossy paper, super striking image of forest and clouds, LIMITED TO 600 COPIES!!
MPEG Stream: "Undertow"
MPEG Stream: "Half-Life"

MERZBOW 24 Hours - A Day Of Seals (Dirter Promotions) 4cd 32.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Let's settle this bullshit once and for all. The best Merzbow record of all is of course the Merzcedes -- the legendary (perhaps to the point of being mythical) conceptual artpiece of raw Merzbow noise permanently fixed into the cassette deck of a Mercedes sedan. No, we haven't actually had the pleasure of experiencing the Merzcedes; but the Merzcedes is the best Merzbow album regardless of all comers!!. It's not "Amlux" (which was claimed to be the 'definitive' Merzbow album), it's not the "Merzbox" (the massive, ridiculous 50 cd retrospective), and it's not "24 Hours - A Day Of Seals" (hyped as the 'most satisfying' Merzbow album). It's the Merzcedes. End of argument.
This illogical rant is not to say that any of those aforementioned albums are bad; but, it should illustrate the point that any quantification of the Merzbow's massive catalogue into generic superlatives is not only stupid but also useless to any critiques about Merzbow. "Most satisfying"? How could you ever know? But, this new mini Merzbox is indeed a fine addition to his canon.
As has been the case for many of the contemporary Merzbow albums, the four-CD set "24 Hours - A Day Of Seals" centers on mechanical loops of volatile grindings, ugly digitalized flanges, and cascading white noise. Is it manipulated field recordings of harbor seals? It could be. It could also be a guitar, or a vibrator, or just some analogue synth twaddle, or a seal playing a guitar! Whatever it is, it should "satisfy" your Merzbow/noise jones for at least as long as it takes to listen to all four cds. Those partial to heavy guitar-based drone noise rock a la old Skullflower or Ramleh might find portions of this particularily enjoyable.
RealAudio clip: "Mincle No Uta"
RealAudio clip: "Rising King Penguin"

MERZBOW A Taste Of... (Mego) cd 15.98
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A very eclectic and adventurous offering from the Ryori No Tetsujin of noise. "A Taste Of Merzbow" serves up a smorgasbord of sonic catastrophe, texturally shifting from Akita's current digital synthesis practices to the jagged cut'n'paste aesthetic that harkens back to the days of "Ecobondage" and "Batztoutai With Material Gadgets". Conceptually, Akita has assembled a collection of recipes that correspond to each track, though the relevance and/or significance of the relationship between composition and cuisine is unknown to us. Most unusual is the use of distinctly digitally rendered randomizations and algorithmic structures, not of common practice in the past. While not as powerful as the recent "Hard Lovin' Man" or "Amlux", this is still an extremely potent mélange of furious vehemence and elegance. Very Mego, very Merzbow. Seconds, anyone?
RealAudio clip: "Turban Shell Blues"

MERZBOW Amlux (Important) cd 12.98
In the continuing onslaught of Merzbow releases (and considering the emphatic reverence displayed by the attendees at Akita's All Tomorrow's Parties performance, as well as Sonic Youth's seal of approval, there will no doubt be tons more to come), Newbury, MA's Important Records has offered what they like to refer to as "the definitive modern Merzbow record". Sure, this is prime Merzbow, replete with sonically massive sounds sure to mesmerize and amazing frequency dynamics, as expected with any high quality Merzbow document. At high volumes, it would destroy eardrums if not small buildings. But can you make such a claim as "definitive" in regards to any one particular Merzbow release? One such contender might just possibly be the Merzbox (still available, by the way), as it displays the many moods and faces of Akita-san. However, the Merzbox represents the primitive era, pre-Powerbook methods of Akita's activities. How about "Hard Lovin' Man"? Definitely one of the highlights of post-analogue Merzbow (and even post-shoegazer bliss!). "Frog"? Beautiful. I feel it is much too soon to declare a modern Merzbow product "definitive" as a statement as strong as that is generally reserved for a piece of art that holds up through the test of time. But what do I know? Maybe Important Records are on to something. One important (har har!) note about this release: it contains the source material which will be distributed to various artists to remix for a compilation titled "Merzmix" (how original). Remember that remix disc "Scumtron" that came out years ago? Anyway, contributors thus far include: Acid Mothers Temple (bling bling!$!), Bola, Chicks On Speed, Jack Dangers (Meat Beat Manifesto), Alec Empire, Arto Lindsay, KK Null, Sonic Boom and DJ Spooky with the possible inclusion of many more artists. Anyway, to break it on down: Is it good? Yes. Essential? Maybe. Definitive? You decide.
RealAudio clip: "Takemitsu"
RealAudio clip: "Looping Jane"

MERZBOW Animal Magnetism (Alien8 Recordings) cd 14.98
If you made a graph of Japanese noisician Merzbow's career, the zig zagging lines of both consumer interest and product quality would definitely be on the ascendant of late, even as his volume of releases remains steady, and large. Here's another one, to be greeted with "yay, a new Merzbow!" rather than the "oh god, another Mezbow?" response that might have been appropriate a few years back. Nope, he's happenin' right now, and Animal Magnetism further continues these positive Merzbow trends.
The obi blurb provided by label Alien8 implies that this record is either inspired by Merzbow's pet chickens (as pictured on the cover) or utilizes them as a sound source for sampling. Perhaps. But pet chickens, pet rocks, whatever, you can't tell. Wildlife meets white noise? It works as a description anyway. As does: pulsing and grinding, in large part this disc is an attack of static somewhere between and beyond the distorto spazz of Lightning Bolt and a television set on the blink. Hissing, howling, and heavy, even haunting -- as noise goes, this is both wonderfully, uh, noisy, and interestingly varied. A lot is going on. It's not without layers of rhythm as well as texture. Really, Animal Magnetism approaches "music", psychedelic music, as close as Merzbow ever does. No disappointment!
MPEG Stream: "Quiet Men"
MPEG Stream: "Pier 39"

MERZBOW Bariken (Blossoming Noise) cd 14.98

MERZBOW Blackbone Part.5 (Blossoming Noise) cd 11.98
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MERZBOW Bloody Sea (Vivo) cd 14.98
Batten down the hatches! From the Japanophile Polish label Vivo, here's a pair of new cds from everyone's favorite Japanese noisemonger, the mighty Merzbow. On Bloody Sea, Masami Akita (for he be Merzbow) displays his softer side. Not sonically, no not at all, but in his concerned efforts to save the whales via his "protest-noise". Yes, this is an anti-whaling album, hence the title, and we'd imagine that if Greenpeace were to find some way to blare it loudly at the Japanese whaling fleet whenever they tried to leave port, they might be forced to call off the whale hunt for the season. There's three cacophonous parts to this 50-minute disc, composed of battling blown-out chattering rumble and sizzling synths. Very abstract and assaultive, as if Merzbow is trying to channel the pain and suffering of all the whales into a song they never could sing.
Meanwhile, the more recently released Coma Berenices contains five lengthy, throbbing machine-screams of dense distortion, zapped with high-end skree... it'll wax yer ears but good. Fried and frenzied, but also carefully looped and layered with sonic detail. It is (relatively speaking) quite listenable as harsh psychedelia, the dark-drone-doom thing taken to the extremes of Merzbowian methodology!
MPEG Stream: "Anti-Whaling Song Pt.1"
MPEG Stream: "Anti-Whaling Song Pt.3"

MERZBOW Coma Berenices (Vivo) cd 14.98
Batten down the hatches! From the Japanophile Polish label Vivo, here's a pair of new cds from everyone's favorite Japanese noisemonger, the mighty Merzbow. On Bloody Sea, Masami Akita (for he be Merzbow) displays his softer side. Not sonically, no not at all, but in his concerned efforts to save the whales via his "protest-noise". Yes, this is an anti-whaling album, hence the title, and we'd imagine that if Greenpeace were to find some way to blare it loudly at the Japanese whaling fleet whenever they tried to leave port, they might be forced to call off the whale hunt for the season. There's three cacophonous parts to this 50-minute disc, composed of battling blown-out chattering rumble and sizzling synths. Very abstract and assaultive, as if Merzbow is trying to channel the pain and suffering of all the whales into a song they never could sing.
Meanwhile, the more recently released Coma Berenices contains five lengthy, throbbing machine-screams of dense distortion, zapped with high-end skree... it'll wax yer ears but good. Fried and frenzied, but also carefully looped and layered with sonic detail. It is (relatively speaking) quite listenable as harsh psychedelia, the dark-drone-doom thing taken to the extremes of Merzbowian methodology!
MPEG Stream: "Earth Worms"
MPEG Stream: "Alishan"

MERZBOW Dharma (Double H Noise Industries) cd 14.98
Merzbow's intense noise attacks continue with this release on the noise subsidiary of Hydrahead. Like his more recent recordings, Merzbow infuses his white-hot grinding distortion with bursts of frenetic shards and ominous low end pulses. The major departure for "Dharma" is his sporadic repitition of a very clunky, purposefully avant-garde sounding piano riff, sprinkled with generous eruptions of granulated noise.
RealAudio clip: "Piano Space For Marimo Kitty"

MERZBOW Dust Of Dreams (A Thisco) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Merzbow's Dust Of Dreams is another bludgeoning record of scalding noise for all of those raw nerve endings that need to be damaged just a little bit more. Compared to the almost jubilantly rhythmic Senmaida (one of many Merzbow records alongside this one to hit the stores in the early fall of 2005), Dust Of Dreams is a far more dour recording, with the rasping haze of mechanical wasps constantly swarming above seasick marching rhythms. If you've always been confused when Merzbow is pegged as being psychedelic, Dust Of Dreams will only perpetuate that confusion as the kaleidoscopes of swirling noise are of a leaden grey, as opposed to dozens of other Merzbow records which explode with a molten synaesthesia of nauseating flourescence. Nonetheless, Dust Of Dreams is still miles above almost every other recording of the globe's massive population of Merzbow wannabes.
MPEG Stream: "1339"
MPEG Stream: "Dust Of Dreams"

MERZBOW Frog (Misanthropic Agenda) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Yep, that's right, Masami Akita exploits the powerful and hypnotic depth of everyone's favorite musical amphibians. The record begins, simply enough, with the soothing rumbling croak of the webbed feet wonders, gradually evolving into an explosive demon that only Merzbow can conjure up. Handsomely packaged in a gatefold sleeve adorned with colorful baby frogs and layered with a gorgeous glossy transparent iconic design (designed by Akita, and included in an exhibition at Yokohama Triennale 2001 in Japan, where Merzbow also had a sound installation room). Pressed on truly amazing green and red spotted "frog" colored vinyl that makes this worth owning in itself! All in all, another fantastic post-analogue release from Akita-san, and top-notch excellence in its concept and execution.

MERZBOW Hard Lovin' Man (Anoema) cd 15.98
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Possibly the first deconstruction (re: remix) effort from Akita-san (unless you count that disc supposedly based on free jazz drumming?). Yes, that fragment of guitar you'll hear looped and processed on "Hard Lovin' Man" is that of Ritchie Blackmore, from the 1970 LP "Deep Purple In Rock". But really this sounds more Kevin Shields than Blackmore, as Akita's original studio piece (recorded in his Bed Room Studio on October 5, 2000) is a twenty minute hypnotic beast rich in texture and dynamics. Brutally punishing, but so beautiful as well. The subsequent forty-two minute live track which opens the disc (recorded October 11, 2000 at the Avanto Festival in Helsinki, Finland) expands on the piece, adding real time effects and manipulation. More harsh and destructive than the original Bed Room piece. It seems Akita's move into the digital realm has opened new doors and endless possibilites for the King Of Noise. A very rare sparkling gem in the extremely vast oeuvre of Merzbow. Absolutely fucking gorgeous. Seriously.
RealAudio clip: "Hard Lovin' Man"

MERZBOW Ikebana: Merzbow's Amlux Rebuilt, Reused and Recycled (Important) 2cd 16.98
Although it says that this is not a remix record on the sticker, not sure what else you could call it. A bunch of folks incorporate bits of the Merzbow record Amlux into their original compositions. The sound is all over the place. From hip-hop instrumentals to crazy turntablism to glitched out big beats to all out noise to malfunctioning video game sounds to riot grrl-ish techno to droning soundscapes and beyond. Features: DJ Spooky, DJ/ Rupture, Plug, Alec Empire, Negativland, Hrvatski, Mouse On Mars, KK Null, Kim Cascone, Kim Hiorthoy, Nobukazu Takemura, E.A.R./Sonic Boom, Cornelius, Atom, Custom Drummer, Bola, Jack Dangers, Freiband and a bunch more. Two discs!

MERZBOW Last of Analog Sessions (Important) 3cd 24.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We were all ready to pan this. I mean, do we really need more Merzbow? More ear splitting, speaker wrecking Japanoise? And is Merzbow's "last analog sessions" really all that newsworthy even meriting a triple cd box? And is Merzbow's 23,000-and-counting album discography in need of a 3 disc boost? Well, not sure we can answer any of those questions (um...yes we can..NO). So while this IS more of that shrieking crunchy fuzzed out white noise that is Masami Akita's trademark, that you've heard on perhaps hundreds of records, these three discs are actually pretty darn good. Textured and thick, lots of pulsing rhythms, throbbing rumble, shrieking hiss and fuzzy non-melodies. Casutic and face melting indeed, but also surprisingly listenable! Don't take that to mean that if you don't like 'noise' that you'll like this, 'cause you probably won't. But if you do dig stuff like Masonna, Merzbow, and the like, or even if you're a fan of Total, Skullflower, and other noisy drone and just want to try something a little more extreme, then this would most certainly fit the bill. Comes in a nice, silver-embossed slipcase with the cds in individually printed sleeves, with a patch (although, it's a bit of shameless promotion with Important Records embroidered right there next to Merzbow).
MPEG Stream: "Monmon"

MERZBOW Live At Radio 100 (ERS) cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Meet DJ Merzbow! Yes, the famed Japanese noise-artist Masami Akita hops on the wheels of steel for this live Dutch radio broadcast. Wikky wikky woo. Which means that the turntables certainly come in for some abuse! Plus he deploys his usual noise electronics as well. Still, this is marginally more 'musical' than most Merzbow output, 'cause of the records being 'played'. Dedicated Japanese noise fans might recall the Flying Testicle project, that's what this reminds us of. Also featuring Merzbow members Bara (turntables, voice) and Reiko A. (theremin). Plus guest Radboud Mens on turntable as well. Comes in a handsome cardboard slipcover package. Limited to 500 copies.

MERZBOW Merzbear (Important) cd 14.98
Cute title, harsh noise!

MERZBOW Merzbeat (Important) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Ah, another Merzbow disc. I'm expecting a good hour's worth of sheer audio fuckery from the king of noise Masami Akita, a.k.a. Merzbow. But what's this? MerzBEAT? And... is that really a Kid606 plug on the cover sticker? Hmm. I'm sure I can't be blamed for having been a little worried about what this was going to sound like. Fortunately it's *really* good. There's all the typical Merzbow-isms here -- cascading sheets of sonic screeches, shimmering metallic flutters, gritty distortion -- but he's gone a little percussion-happy and anchored each track with just awesomely satisfying muscular drumming that sounds like he's pounding on trash cans and sheet metal. Unpredictable and yet, strangely, one of his most accessible releases due to the grounding nature of the drums, reminding us, naturally, of Akita's countryfolk, the Boredoms who too know the power of the drum. Those of y'all diggin' the angular noise core of hipper than jesus duos like Lightning Bolt, Pink & Brown, etc. oughta give this a try. Loose yet right on target aggression.
The hidden track, a remix by Jack Dangers of Meat Beat Manifesto, isn't quite so hidden since it appears right here in the track listing, but nonetheless it's the most punishing 8 minutes on the album. Oh, and it must also be mentioned that track one is a (totally unrecognizable, natch) cover of "Promotion Man," by obscure proto-metal hard rockers Highway Robbery. (Geez, that's like an Allan wet dream!)
RealAudio clip: "Promotion Man"
RealAudio clip: "Forgotten Land"
RealAudio clip: "Tadpole"

MERZBOW Merzbird (Important) cd 14.98
As you may imagine, it's sometimes tough for us to keep up with all of Japanese noise master Merzbow's releases...in fact, we can't claim we do, although Jim did review the entire Merzbox once upon a time so that's something! Anyway, let's get to this one: what's billed as the follow-up to the much-liked Merzbeat, released by Important in 2002. As with that, this is about the beats...squelching, crunching, distorted beats, immersed in a howling vacuum-cleaner din! Probably only Kid606 would seriously consider this dance music, but as Merzbow albums go, I guess it is (there really are breakbeats on here). But we're pretty sure that if, say, the US Army got their hands on it, it'd be getting blasted at insurgents holed up in some mosque in Iraq. Repetitive, insistent, very dynamic stuff that fans of Wolf Eyes, Nautical Almanac and all that ilk will surely dig.
MPEG Stream: "Black Swan"
MPEG Stream: "Brown Pelican"

MERZBOW Merzbook: The Pleasuredome of Noise (Extreme) book + cd 34.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This is for all the sane people out there who didn't buy the Merzbox (a massive 50 cd anthology offering a mere sample of Japan's most prolific noise artist), but who are interested in the wealth of information found within the box. The Merzbook, which was previously published for the Merzbox, is an equally impressive document delving into the history and critical analysis of his work. Edited by Brett Woodward, the Merzbook also features specially commissioned essays by admirers, collaborators, and peers, as well as a CD-ROM with tons of text, art, video, images, soundbites, and even a Merzbow game!

MERZBOW Merzbuta (Important) cd 14.98

MERZBOW Metamorphism (Very Friendly) cd 40.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We will admit, we've pretty much reached our Merzbow saturation point. For all the joking we do about bands who are WAY too prolific. Nobody come close to Merzbow. Not even counting the mighty Merzbox, Merzbow must average a release a month. For the last 20 years. Holy shit. You do the math. And some months there are 2 or 3 new Merzbow releases. Does anybody need every single one? We're pretty sure the answer is no. And there are probably a few people who could argue that nobody needs ANY. But c'mon, for every pointless disc of straight white noise feedback, there is a disc of weirdly chopped rhythms, or weird karaoke noise, or a record made from all jazz drums. Maybe the ratio is quite that balanced, but there are quite a few discs well worth checking out. And Metamorphism is definitely qualifies. Sure most of the disc is a head shredding barrage of brutal digital glitch and shrieking looped feedback and all sorts of caustic harshness, but even within a squall of such brutality, there are lots of cool little sonic subtleties and bizarre alien melodies, careening and getting all tangled up into impossible shapes and mixing to form even more unlikely sounds. The final track is our favorite though. Some damaged detuned Jandekian guitar buried under thick swirls of spacey FX and fuzzy white noise whir, all the while haunting ghostly stumbling melodies hover and drift within a lurching looped psychscape of tangled and garbled sonic splatter. So cool. So even after maybe thousands of records, he's still got it in him to surprise us with something super far out and surprisingly listenable.
Another way in which certain Merzbow records stand out is their packaging. The Merzbox of course, 50 cds, a shirt a book, a poster a medallion, all in a weird rubberized case, the legendary Merz-cedes, an actual Mercedes with a Merzbow cd permanently stuck in the stereo, and a dizzying assortment of strange shapes and weird cases. But Metamorphism definitely has to be one of the nicest we've seen. A thick velvety bag, holds the disc, a printed insert on thick glossy cardstock, all housed in an incredible heavy marble box, hinged on one side, with a fossilized Ammonite engraved into the top. So amazing. LIMITED TO 500 COPIES!
MPEG Stream: "Metamorphism Pt. 2"
MPEG Stream: "Metamorphism Pt. 4"

MERZBOW Minazo Vol 1 (Important) cd 14.98

MERZBOW New Takamagahara (Jazzassin) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Although the fine editors of this AQlist have been slowly releasing my rants on the Merzbox even though all of the writing and all of the listening has been long completed (fuck yeah! 'punching air' as The Wire would put it), Merzbow had to put out another Goddamn record. So after 50 discs of NoiseJunkEjaculationFuckCollage, you think I'd have nothing more to say... well you're right. Read all those reviews of the Merzbox if you care what I think about the Japanese noise god.
This is late period Merzbow. It's 'limited' to 500. It's on a Swedish label. It's 39.32 times cheaper than the Merzbox. What more do you want?

MERZBOW Protean World (Noiseville) lp 16.98

MERZBOW Rainbow Electronics II (Dexter's Cigar) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
From Jim O'Rourke and David Grubb's new Drag City imprint, the previously-unreleased companion piece to Rainbow Electronics, one of the classics that made the King of Japanese Noise worthy of his title. Fine stuff with lots going on, and "rainbow electronics" is as fitting a description as any.

MERZBOW Scumtron (Blast First) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Not just another Merzbow noise-blast disc, this is a remix compilation that lets folks like, among others, Jim O'Rourke, Panasonic, Autechre, Bernhard Gunter, and Masami Akita himself, take the noise and create something perhaps more obviously structured with it. As such, it's pretty interesting, and if you're not going to buy all 2,000 Merzbow releases this year, this one at least should be considered. In fact, even if you weren't going to buy *any* Merzbow this year or any other year, "Scumtron" might still be for you. Certainly fans of Panasonic-style beat-cruch won't be disappointed.

MERZBOW Senmaida (Blossoming Noise) cd 14.98
I really don't need to listen to any more Merzbow records in my life, as several years back I (Jim) took the task of enduring the entire Merzbox (all 50 CDs of monstrous, punishing noise.) Yet month after month, Masami Akita continues to churn out extraordinary records from his battery of noise machines. With the roll of the die cast in my direction, I strap myself in for some raw aural brutality. Senmaida stands out immediately with its galloping drum machine breakbeat that precedes the virulant boils of his signature seering noise, giving Merzbow a legitimate noise grooviness previously held by Christine 23 Onna and Aufgehoben No Process. The beat itself starts out a little stiff, which is not surprising as Akita-san is not really known to get down and boogie; but when the noise machines begin to explode with their volcanic psychedelia of molten noise, the breakbeat takes a step back and actually forms an excellent counterpoint to the noise. Out of this rhythm (which come to think of it really does sound like a Garage Band preset, ha!), our noise hero lays down several lumbering industrial loops of a percolated squiggle alternated with a menacing plod, out of which comes the shredding noise and a post-Neubauten metal bashed rhythm. And oh, yeah there's a track built out of a sample of a sheep's bleating which oozes with the danse macabre of Alec Empire. Be prepared to be impressed by Senmaida!
MPEG Stream: "Tract 1"
MPEG Stream: "Tract 3"

MERZBOW Sha Mo 3000 (Essence Music) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Another Merzbow. Another Circle. Another Acid Mothers Temple. It's like these bands are just daring us. Taunting us. But at least in the case of these three bands, they keep winning. We're all ready to unleash a "Who the fuck needs more of..." and they hit us with a record that kicks ass. Again. Which is fine. There will always be plenty of records deserving of a "Who the fuck needs more of...", we'd much rather hear more great music. And Sha Mo 3000 is pretty great. Admittedly, Merzbow has sort of painted himself into a corner with his straight noise records, as the noise crowd is pretty limited and noise as a genre and sound has existed pretty much unchanged for 2 or 3 decades. And there are only so many ways you can record and produce white/pink noise. But occasionally Merzbow will step out of his Japanoise persona and surprise us, and let non-noise folks in for a peek. Well, Sha Mo 3000 is NOT one of those records. Nope. This is definitely a noise record. Continuing in his exploration of the lap top, Merzbow contiues to punish and destroy. Thankfully, his sonic palette is much expanded by his shift to computer and years of noise has seemingly helped him understand the need for dynamics. Thus we have a very sonically engaging, very dynamic noise record. The sounds are amazing, grinding and throbbing, pounding and hissing, notes and melodies may be present, but they've been squeezed and stretched and tangled up into impossible shapes, which makes this record absolutely fascinating. Listening to it, I found myself not really "listening to a record", but sort of navigating a treacherous labyrinth, where around any corner could be a potentially dangerous spike of white noise or blast of barbed fuzz. Like a musical Indiana Jones. A very challenging, very satisfying listen, but only for the truly brave or those who consider noise to be their friend.
MPEG Stream: "Suzunami"
MPEG Stream: "Ghost Hide Your Eyes"

MERZBOW Timehunter (Ant-Zen) 4x3"cd 30.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Merzbow must have a thing for office supplies. The 50 cd Merzbox didn't come in some crazy custom designed box or wrapped in human flesh or anything like that. It was in a regular old Case Logic cd carrying case. The kind you keep in your car. So it came as no surprise that this new four 3" cd set comes in a day planner. Yep. Like the kind your Mom scheduled your soccer games in when you were 12. Granted, the name and title are silkscreened in silver on the front. But it's still a regular old day planner. Inside are a calendar, much like...well, like a day planner, although the design is a little more sleek and stylish. And the occasional day is filled in with stuff to do. Although the stuff to do reads: 4:34/65#//32 or something like that. But it's all part of the concept. Time. Get it? The four 3" discs are mounted nicely (and securely, thankfully) on two pages of the calendar. We were super excited to hear this because supposedly the samples are from 70's hard rock bands like Golden Earring, Spontaneous Combustion and the like. Coupled with fierce breakbeats and mutated into walls of guitar drone. Yeah, sounds great doesn't it? Well, it is pretty great, but I don't think it necessarily sounds like it was described. It's definitely more dynamic than the majority of Merzbow releases (dynamics was, to me, always Merzbow's main failing) but it's not nearly as wall of guitar sounding as the recent "24 Hours - A Day Of Seals" 4cd set which definitely channelled the spirt of Skullflower or Earth, it actually reminds us way more of the recent "Merzbeat" cd we reviewed several lists back with some almost-danceable beats, and lots of murky rhythms and pulses. But there ARE moments of heaviness although they aren't necessarily heavy the way you might envision when you hear the word heavy along side the idea of samples of 70's hard rock. It's more like thick, corrosive waves of sound, that very well could've been guitars or something else organic at some point, but have shrugged off their mortal coils and became MERZ-sounds. Good stuff. Nice to see there's still some new ideas and new directions to be explored even after 152,342 releases. This definitely ranks as some of the more interesting/appealing Merzbow and it's certainly worth a listen. Especially if you're also in the market for a kind of expensive daily planner.
MPEG Stream: "Warhorse"
MPEG Stream: "Space Trackin'"

MERZBOW Tumeric (Blossoming Noise) 4-cd 36.00

MERZBOW / AMM split (Fat Cat) 12" 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The latest in this high profile series of split 12"s. Merzbow is at his most melodic, coming up with an almost hummable bit of white noise. The AMM side is all rhythm, primarily beautifully meandering chimes and bells.

MERZBOW / BASTARD NOISE (Release) cd 14.98
Split cd between Japan's prolific master of noise and the noiser side of California "power violence" heroes Man Is The Bastard. Very nice packaging, by the way.

MERZBOW / MATSUNAGA KOUHEI Split (Tigerbeat6) cd 13.98
Split disc between two noise giants from Japan via Kid 606's Tigerbeat6 imprint. Masami Akita furthers his explorations in the digital domain, appropriating the tranquil somniloquisms of Olivier Messiaen's "Mode De Valeurs Et D'intensite Pour Piano" and transmutating it into the unique extremity that is Merzbow. The Kouhei tracks are slightly more rhythmic, though somewhat static, DHR-style beat destruction. You might recall his work from the "Upside Down" release on Mille Plateaux to which Merzbow as well as Masonna contributed.
RealAudio clip: MERZBOW "Nakesendow"
RealAudio clip: MATSUNAGA KOUHEI "Garden Of Earthly Delights (Center)"

MERZBOW / PAN SONIC V (Victo) cd 15.98
When is a Noise Record (tm) not a noise record. Well, 'V' is definitely not going to answer that question, because this is unequivocally, without a doubt, a noise record. Most of this sounds like vintage Merzbow. Shards of white noise and digital skree, sheets of feeding back effects processors, a mighty wall of head crushing sound. Good stuff, but nothing we haven't heard a thousand times before. Good thing Pan Sonic were on hand to mix things up a little. But only a little. No real rhythms or beats to be found, but Pan Sonic's rhythmic tendencies do come to the surface about 2/3 of the way through this hour long performance with pulses of white hot static and crunchy digital throbs, but ultimately they quickly dissipate and fade back into the thick wash of this Noise Record (tm).
MPEG Stream: "V"

MERZBOW VS NORDVARGR Partikel (Cold Spring) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Merzbow may be prolific to the point of no return by now, and so you may scoff at yet another release (that makes what, 10 so far this year?) but don't pass this one up. All of us around here have been mildly obsessed with Swedish ambient / noise / drone technician Nordvargr, from his days in the dark-ambient-in black-metal's-clothing outfit MZ412 to his later militaristic folk ensembles Toroidh and Folkstorm. Strangely these two noiseniks make the perfect combination, Japanoise meets Scandanavian power electronics and the result is a crushing slab of low end doom drone dirge. Merzbow created the source material for Nordvargr to process in his inimitably grim fashion. Three lengthy tracks. The first is a spine tinglingly creepy and gut churningly, ominously oppresive rumbling glitchy throb, crumbling slabs of low end over sinister whir and brittle crackling skeletal beats like the scary parts of Tron, or the part in some demonic anime snuff film when you first discover the true face of evil. Track two turns crushing ambient sludge into HUGE crunchy stuttering beats, not just block rocking beats, but beats that flatten entire neighborhoods like Autechre or Aphex twin jamming with Sunn 0))), spare and skittery, wandering through a precarious landscape of hissing blasts of Japanoise and keening squalls of high end iridescence. The final track is clicky, glitchy, haunting almost-IDM filtered through the noxious fumes of demon's breath and dipped in boiling pitch. ominous and frighteningly lovely. One of the best noise / sludge / drone / slow-motion-dance-music-for-demons record of the year!
MPEG Stream: "Tardyon Storm"

MERZBOW VS NORDVARGR Partikel II (Cold Spring) cd 15.98
BACK IN STOCK!
The long awaited second installment in the who-knows-how-many-parts Partikel series, which features a collaboration between AQ fave Swedish dark ambient, militant folk, black metal noise technician Nordvargr (Toroidh, MZ412, Folkstorm, Goatvargr, HH9, etc...) and Japanese noise legend Masami Akita aka Merzbow.
Strange bedfellows maybe, but the results here, as on the first installment, are pretty mind-blowing. Akita generated the sounds, Nordvargr took those sounds and twisted them into completely new forms, the result some strange noise/drone/rhythm hybrid that is WAY more listenable than it has any right to be.
The opener sets the tone, a twenty minute crumbling distorted noisescape, like bits of old Merzbow records all chopped up and assembled again Frankenstein's monster fashion, that veers from full on near-metallic crunch, to strange skittery almost IDM, but even at it's calmest, the track is still rife with strange sounds and damaged FX, bursts of harsh noise surfacing here and there amidst an alien landscape of stutters and shuffles, of creaks and squeaks, almost like a black metal Mouse On Mars if one could even imagine such a thing.
The second track sounds heavier on the Nordvargr than the Merzbow, a rumbling shimmering low end, that creeps and drifts before splintering briefly into another rhythmic glitchscape, just as quickly transforming into a buzzing snarling fuzzed out drone, thick and corrosive, subtly rhythmic, but intense and crackling with energy. Deep cavernous tones swell in the background, while above the blurry buzz, strange crunchy electronic pulses mark out a simple static rhythm.
The third track is Part 2 to the opener's Part 1, and takes the openers skitter to a much meaner, much harsher place, a swirling high end cloud of hissing static and keening sine waves, over a relentlessly pulsing backdrop, that changes pitch, and tempo, stuttering and hiccuping, creating a gorgeously confusional rhythmscape, eventually breaking into a near-groove, a loping downtempo slither, but still wrapped in all manner of electronic detritus and squalls of fuzz and crackle and whir.
The closer winds things down with more of a whisper than a scream, the glitchy rhythms are still present, but they are ultra minimal, skeletal, almost like shortwave interference, beneath a tidal swirl of murk and blur, a dark ambient buzz that stretches lazily into long expanses of slow shifting sounds. Over the course of the track, little bits of melody surface here and there, the rhythms get more agitated before drifting back beneath the surface, and mysterious voices surface amidst sparkling sonic glimmers and moaning ambient rumble, a dreamy dark ambient coda to an intense slab of droning skittering buzz and crunch, shimmer and swirl.
Partikel II is IDM for the demon set, a blackened noise drenched skitter, an abstract metallic free-electronica, and a definite droney dancefloor filler, that is if you want your dancefloor filled with shuffling zombies, growling beasts and unspeakable denizens of the underworld...
And who doesn't?!
MPEG Stream: "Reakt 1"
MPEG Stream: "Luxon"

METALUCIFER Heavy Metal Bulldozer (Iron Pegasus) lp 17.98

METALUCIFER Heavy Metal Chainsaw (R.I.P) cd 14.98
You have to be pretty darn metal to get into this band, and that's as it should be: no poseurs allowed!! Metalucifer are Japanese metalheads (some from the cult black metal combo Sabbat) paying tribute to the glory days of '80s true metal, a la Maiden and Priest. This is their third album, following up to 1998's "Heavy Metal Drill" and 1996's "Heavy Metal Hunter" (what's next, Heavy Metal Hacksaw? Heavy Metal Pliers?). Brilliant, aren't they? And utterly ridiculous of course, something I doubt guitarist Elizabigore or bassist Geniezoluzifer would deny. In fact, they may be the MOST ridiculous tongue in cheek (yet kick ass) metal band ever. Get this: track four on here is called "My Way Is Heavy Metal" while on their previous disc they had an anthem entitled "Heavy Metal Is My Way". Wow. If you think that's stupid, I don't need to tell you not to buy this album. But if you think that's kinda rad, then, this is for you -- and it's not just for laffs either, 'cause they really do lay down the metal law fairly convincingly: screaming guitar leads, triumphant lyrics, pounding drums, majestic riffs, the works. A Thor for today. Over-the-top and awesome.
RealAudio clip: "Warriors Ride On The Chariots"
RealAudio clip: "Heavy Metal Samurai"

METALUCIFER Heavy Metal Drill (Iron) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This Japanese metal band should win some sort of award for their name, not to mention their song titles: "Heavy Metal Is My Way", "Heavy Metal Drill", "Heavy Metal Hunter"...you get the idea. '80s leather & shades speed metal worship with all the Maidenesque guitar leads you could desire, topped off with charmingly warped English language lyrics/vocal delivery. Metalucifer is a side project of cult black metal band Sabbat, if that means anything to you. Fun stuff.

MICHIHIRO, SATO On A Cold, Cold Night (PSF) cd 22.00
Traditional Japanese Tsugaru-jamisen solo recording, released on Tokyo's neo- psychedelic/jazz/folk label PSF (home to Keiji Haino among others). We don't normally like to quote wholesale from a label's description of their own release, but we totally agree with Alan Cummings' blurb and it couldn't be bettered by us:
"Michihiro Sato is a recognized master of the percussive, hugely exciting Tsugaru-jamisen style that originates in the deep north of Japan. The rough-hewn, freewheeling spirit of the Tsugaru style is perhaps comparable in iconography and individual expression to the Delta blues. Its history is full of blind shamisen-men, wandering forlornly from town to town through desolate winter snows, maybe not selling their souls to Satan but certainly playing till their fingers bleed. Either way, it's about a million and one miles away from the limp, effeminate plucking soundtrack you might be used to from nights at your local sushi emporium. In the West, Sato is best known for his collaborations with John Zorn (one of which, Ganryu Island, was recently reissued on Tzadik), and with the cream of the NY downtown scene on Rodan. In Japan, though, Sato's profile is higher as a master of the traditional repertoire of his instrument, and his improvisational experiments have a lower profile. On this totally solo disk (his previous releases have always featured accompanists). Sato manages to fuse his two obsessions: combining several pieces from the traditional canon with a lengthy improvisation. Sato coolly reigns in the pyrotechnic grandstanding that has won him a clutch of national trophies, substituting a sensitive control and sense of space. It's a breathtaking performance, fully the equal of the verve with which he revitalizes the traditional pieces. Of all the Japanese folk styles, tsugaru-jamisen is the most immediately approachable,and Sato is a contemporary master at the peak of his powers. This disk can only serve to underline his brain-melting prowess. The cover-painting by Baku Ueda is equally transporting."

MICROCOSMOS Pilgrimage (Tzadik) cd 15.98
Vocalist Tenko and turntablist Otomo Yoshihide join forces (their first time as a duo, although they've performed together in Tenko's Dragon Blue group) on this new installment in Tzadik's New Japan series.

MIDORIKAWA, KEIKI Complete 'Grune Revolution' (Doubtmusic) 2cd 29.00
Attention Masayuki Takayanagi fans! Actually, attention all '70s Japanese free jazz fans!! Heck, attention everybody!!! (Well, everybody who likes crazy creative freeform improv skronkiness.)
Doubtmusic brings us this compact disc reissue of a 1976 album by Japanese improvising cellist/bassist Keiki Midorikawa playing with several heavy friends, nicely packaged of course, in a miniature LP style sleeve. Actually, it's more than a reissue, as this double cd edition has been expanded twofold to include previously unissued music. The original LP documented Midorikawa's duo with legendary guitarist Takayanagi on one side, and his duo with pianist Masahiko Sato on the other side, about 20 minutes each. But at the same concert, Midorikawa had also performed a duo with percussionist Mashaiko Togashi, the 40 minute recording of which appears here for the first time, as disc one of what's now a two disc set, which is why it's now considered "Complete". Additionally, it's been remastered, and includes both the liner notes from the original vinyl release as well as new liners penned by Taku Sugimoto. Perhaps they explain why all the titles are given in what appears to be German, we don't know though, we haven't read 'em yet.
Since we came to this primarily as Takayanagi fans, naturally we jumped right to disc two to hear his contribution to this set. The Midorikawa/Takayanagi duo, entitled "An die Prinzessin die aus dem Maulbeerbaum geboren wurde", is crammed with plinking and plonking, scrabble and scrape, silences and even some (vocal) screams, the busy fingers of both men rustling up some (mostly quiet) noise. It's the Derek Bailey-ish side of Takayanagi on display here. Following it on the same disc, Midorikawa's duo with Sato, "Der Todeskampf am Maderospatch" is rather more dramatic, sounding melodically lovely (jazzy) in parts, but also building to loud, rumbling crescendos. Quite satisfying for our free jazz cravings.
But actually, turning to disc one, we soon discovered that Midorikawa's lengthy duo with Togashi, "Dichorragia nesimachus", is probably our favorite piece here. It's both wonderfully moody, Midorikawa caressing his strings in "classical" mode, melodically droning away amidst beautiful bells and gentle shimmer, which gives way on the percussive side of the equation to more martial drum beats, a physical pounding that then elicits a sawing, shuddering response from Midorikawa's cello, both players coming together for rapidfire percussive skitter-scatter... of course, it's a long piece, and that only describes a portion of it. Nice to have it rescued from the vault!
MPEG Stream: "Dichorragia nesimachus"
MPEG Stream: "Der Todeskampf am Maderospatch"