IDM Mailing Archive

I've often heard talk of the Japanese noise assault that is Merzbow. Is it worth looking into, if so, which album is a good starter. Just so you know, I've got a decent tolerance for noise (I like Lesser, Alec Empire, and Shizuo quite a bit). Thanks Jamie --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

On 31/12/99 06:48, Jamie Johnson said in living color:

quoted 4 lines I've often heard talk of the Japanese noise assault that is Merzbow. Is it

> I've often heard talk of the Japanese noise assault that is Merzbow. Is it > worth looking into, if so, which album is a good starter. Just so you know, > I've got a decent tolerance for noise (I like Lesser, Alec Empire, and > Shizuo quite a bit).

I'm not a huge fan and haven't listened to much of Merzbow's output but I've found the "1930" album on Tzadik to be the most interesting Merzbow I've come across. g. -- Guillaume Grenier - gollum@videotron.ca in space there is no north in space there is no south in space there is no east in space there is no west --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

On Fri, 31 Dec 1999, Jamie Johnson wrote:

quoted 4 lines I've often heard talk of the Japanese noise assault that is Merzbow. Is it

> I've often heard talk of the Japanese noise assault that is Merzbow. Is it > worth looking into, if so, which album is a good starter. Just so you know, > I've got a decent tolerance for noise (I like Lesser, Alec Empire, and > Shizuo quite a bit).

I don't really subscribe to the "heard one Merzbow disc, heard 'em all" theory, which is usually put forth by people who haven't taken the time to check out the various flavors of Merzbow releases. Though I have to admit there was a period in which the market was flooded with similar-sounding junk. For convenience's sake, there are mainly two different kind of Merzbow discs out there- the junky-sounding loop stuff derived from applying Deutsche Grammafon Avant Guard methods (c.f. the liner notes to Batztoutai w/ MG) to Kurt Schwitters' worldview, and the blaring distorto-noise fests which are more approachable as ever-shifting textural waves. As a rule of thumb, the early material (mid 80s to about 1990) tends to fall into the junkier phase, wherease the later stuff gets more amped up. If I had to pick a handful of releases to sum things up, I'd probably go for _Batztoutai w/ Memorial Gadgets_ (2CD on RRR, cheap and still available) and _Ecobondage_ (CD reissued by Jim O' Rourke's then-girlfriend, I think) for the early period and _Rainbow Electronics_ (CD on Alchemy- his first masterpiece of "I feel your pain because I'm causing it to happen"), _Pulse Demon (CD on Relapse) and maybe _Flare Gun_ (out of print LP, but I have pretty fond memories of this one). There's also a collaborative LP with SBOTHI (I think) which was pretty nifty. In fact, there was a period of time in which a staggering number of mail collaborations w/ Akita were being put out, but don't fool yourself into thinking that they vary that much according to his collaborator. There's also a bunch of odds and ends, including _Music for Bondage Performance_ (CD on Extreme), which is more of a chilled-out ambient disc. A lot of people seem to like this, but I suspect it's more because they secretly think it "proves" that Akita is not a one-trick pony than an indicator of relative quality. There's also a pretty amusing stab at Factory-style new wave, documented on the cassette-only release _Aka Meme_ (V2 Archief, NL). Akita must've figured out that it was too confusing to put these things out under the Merzbow franchise, because lately he's been using his own name for these weird sojourns (as in the _Prosperity of Vice_ CD and the really terrible 12" on Mego). As a final note, Iannis Xenakis' _Legende d'Eer_ CD (Disques Montaigne) has this really amazing aural rendition of his wartime experience of being hit by a grenade that any Merzbow fan would do well to investigate. Not too many audio experiences are hairier than that one. -rob ps- cheers to Masonna, whose vocal acrobatics sound like nothing more than Henri Chopin being seared by arcs of electricity (c.f. Madame Anne Sanglante...). Jeers to the Incapacitants, who can't even claw their way into the cesspool of mediocrity that Hijokaiden has been stewing in for almost a decade. --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

On 04/01/00 06:41, R. Lim said in living color:

quoted 3 lines As a final note, Iannis Xenakis' _Legende d'Eer_ CD (Disques Montaigne)

> As a final note, Iannis Xenakis' _Legende d'Eer_ CD (Disques Montaigne) > has this really amazing aural rendition of his wartime experience of being > hit by a grenade <snip>

ROTFL!!! Thanks for the laugh. I think Xenakis would find that one funny too. That said, La Légende d'Eer is indeed a great electroacoustic piece of epic proportions. g. -- Guillaume Grenier - gollum@videotron.ca in space there is no north in space there is no south in space there is no east in space there is no west --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

No, not in the slightest. People who say the like Merzbow more or less like the idea of liking Merzbow. It's hip, ya know. There's a remix disc out there which is nice, though. I like to listen to grinding noise and static! I am cool! - wells oliver / s0ewoliv@titan.vcu.edu " The ball is round. The game lasts ninety 90 minutes. This much is fact. Everything else is just theory." -----Original Message----- From: Jamie Johnson [mailto:jajohnso@logantele.com] Sent: Friday, December 31, 1999 6:50 AM To: idm Subject: (idm) Is Merzbow worth checking out? I've often heard talk of the Japanese noise assault that is Merzbow. Is it worth looking into, if so, which album is a good starter. Just so you know, I've got a pretty developed tolerance for noise (I like Lesser, Alec Empire, and Shizuo quite a bit). Thanks Jamie --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

try his complete works assembled in a boxset... Forgotten how many were in it... probably more then 100 cd's... My advice is to pick up some 7"'s... In that way you'll have a pretty good idea... Or switch on a hoover, get a job in a steelfactory or blow bubbles in yr bath:) -----Oorspronkelijk bericht----- Van: Jamie Johnson <jajohnso@logantele.com> Aan: idm <idm@hyperreal.org> Datum: vrijdag 31 december 1999 12:45 Onderwerp: (idm) Is Merzbow worth checking out?

quoted 2 lines I've often heard talk of the Japanese noise assault that is Merzbow. Is it

>I've often heard talk of the Japanese noise assault that is Merzbow. Is it >worth looking into, if so, which album is a good starter. Just so you

know,

quoted 1 line I've got a pretty developed tolerance for noise (I like Lesser, Alec

>I've got a pretty developed tolerance for noise (I like Lesser, Alec

Empire,

quoted 13 lines and

>and >Shizuo quite a bit). > >Thanks >Jamie > > > >--------------------------------------------------------------------- >To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org >For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org > >

--------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

I see Santa didn't give you that anti-sarcasm treatment, Wells! :) Yep, there are probably some people who say they like Merzbow to appear "cool" or whatever, but this happens with all types of music as it does with most everything in our culture these days. Too, there are plenty of Merzbow fans out there, myself included, who *really* do like what he does. Happy New Year. Andrew duke :) wells wrote:

quoted 35 lines No, not in the slightest. People who say the like Merzbow more or less like

> No, not in the slightest. People who say the like Merzbow more or less like > the idea of liking Merzbow. > > It's hip, ya know. > > There's a remix disc out there which is nice, though. > > I like to listen to grinding noise and static! I am cool! > > - wells oliver / s0ewoliv@titan.vcu.edu > " The ball is round. The game lasts ninety 90 minutes. > This much is fact. Everything else is just theory." > > -----Original Message----- > From: Jamie Johnson [mailto:jajohnso@logantele.com] > Sent: Friday, December 31, 1999 6:50 AM > To: idm > Subject: (idm) Is Merzbow worth checking out? > > I've often heard talk of the Japanese noise assault that is Merzbow. Is it > worth looking into, if so, which album is a good starter. Just so you know, > I've got a pretty developed tolerance for noise (I like Lesser, Alec Empire, > and > Shizuo quite a bit). > > Thanks > Jamie > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org > For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org > For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

-- Cognition/Andrew Duke's In The Mix mailto:cognition@techno.ca http://techno.ca/cognition 1096 Queen St #123 Halifax NS Canada B3H 2R9 --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

quoted 8 lines No, not in the slightest. People who say the like Merzbow more or less like

> No, not in the slightest. People who say the like Merzbow more or less like > the idea of liking Merzbow. > > It's hip, ya know. > > There's a remix disc out there which is nice, though. > > I like to listen to grinding noise and static! I am cool!

true!!!! merzbow sucks!!!!! it's hard music to listen to. :( :( :( it doesn't sound like it could be the soundtrack to fight club. :( :( :( :( :( :( ps i luv plone!!!!!! ~ david --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

quoted 4 lines I've often heard talk of the Japanese noise assault that is Merzbow. Is it

> I've often heard talk of the Japanese noise assault that is Merzbow. Is it > worth looking into, if so, which album is a good starter. Just so you know, > I've got a decent tolerance for noise (I like Lesser, Alec Empire, and > Shizuo quite a bit).

I love Merzbow personally. The remix disc has Autechre and Panasonic remixes that are quite nice, although the Autechre sounds NOTHING like the Merzbow. Music for Bondage Performance is usually considered his best release. My favorite noise band is the Incapacitants. They did a cd-r on a label that is at least tangentially related to Mego. I haven't heard it though. Noise is generally noise, bands tend to have sounds that are similar to those of their countrymen- Japanoise is louder, more static; German noise is more rhythmic and uses lots of low frequencies, Swedish noise is evil; etc.) The new Pain Jerk/Bastard Noise spilt was disappointing though. --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

Yes Merzbow is worth checking out. Basically any of his Cd's are good starters, so just find one and buy it. <N> In a message dated 12/31/99 5:44:09 AM Central Standard Time, jajohnso@logantele.com writes:

quoted 2 lines I've often heard talk of the Japanese noise assault that is Merzbow. Is it

> I've often heard talk of the Japanese noise assault that is Merzbow. Is it > worth looking into, if so, which album is a good starter. Just so you

know,

quoted 6 lines I've got a decent tolerance for noise (I like Lesser, Alec Empire, and

> I've got a decent tolerance for noise (I like Lesser, Alec Empire, and > Shizuo quite a bit). > > Thanks > Jamie >

--------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

In a message dated 12/31/99 10:43:06 AM Central Standard Time, johan.loones@skynet.be writes:

quoted 2 lines try his complete works assembled in a boxset... Forgotten how many were in

> try his complete works assembled in a boxset... Forgotten how many were in > it... probably more then 100 cd's..

50 <N> --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

In a message dated 12/31/99 3:02:57 PM Central Standard Time, s0ewoliv@vcu.edu writes:

quoted 8 lines No, not in the slightest. People who say the like Merzbow more or less like

> No, not in the slightest. People who say the like Merzbow more or less like > the idea of liking Merzbow. > > It's hip, ya know. > > There's a remix disc out there which is nice, though. > > I like to listen to grinding noise and static! I am cool!

Oh yeah, fuck you. It's an acquired taste. Trust me I don't listen to noise to impress anyone, I listen to it because of its purity, I like the fact that most of it is improvisation and as long as some effort is put into it by the artist it can be quite interesting. Most is crap that people with a distortion box and a keyboard put together, but there are some gems. And listening to noise is not hip. Your weak sarcasm annoys me. <N> --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

I wouldn't claim to be a Merzbow fan because I haven't been exposed much to the music. However I did have the unique opportunity to see them host a music seminar and play live, which really opened my ears to their sound. To experience such a performance (1 1/2 hrs) is not unlike being sucked into a vortex of organized chaos and then being deposited at the far end of space totally speechless. The noise saturation in the performance was quite sublime and there was also a curious rhythm to the sound wash. Merzbow certainly is not for the unenlightened listener. It is much easier to dismiss than to really appreciate. :~) A Z --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org