Camouflage CD/Box & 13 Japanese Birds Subscription

Thought I give you a hint about the upcoming Camouflage CD/Boxset that is supposed to come out today on the Brasilian label Essence-Music. They always do a great job with their releases so it's worth F5ing a little (even if they tend to postpond stuff).




And if you have not heard it yet: Important Records will be doing a 13 CD subscription series, althought no further details are known yet:

We will be offering a subscription opportunity for the upcoming Merzbow "13 Japanese Birds" series. This is a 13 month/13 record set that begins January 2009 and ends February 2010. We're still working out the details of the subscription and building prototype's for the bamboo box.
The bamboo boxes are hand made in Massachusetts out of organically grown Moso bamboo. The boxes hold all 13 cds with a handy slide lid. Click on the image of the lid to enlarge. More details soon.
Boxes will ship in the order that they are purchased. Due to the time required to hand build each box it could take up to 2 months to ship your box. Available boxes will ship when we ship you your cds.

Hodosan, 2009

First 2009 Album release for Merzbow! And ofc: buy it if you can.

1		Peace Pig Part I (20:11)
2		Peach Pig Part II (13:27)
3		The Joy Of Soy (19:08)

The 5th album by noise genius Masami Akita on VIVO RECORDS.
One of the most accessible releases in a huge discography of Merzbow. Drums, rhythms and noises packed with a pig-ass shining cardboard sleeve.

Rapidshare.com [1], Mediafire.com [1] [2]

Mp3@VBR / 85mb

Merzbear, 2007

Another one of the Merz-Series on Important Rec.

1		Part.1 (8:20)
2		Part.2 (9:54)
3		Part.3 (15:17)
4		Part.4 (16:04)

I don't know about you guys out in the virtual world out there, but I'm pretty chuffed to see Mr. Merzbow (otherwise known as Japanoise genius Masami Akita) dumping the chugging laptop noise rubbish and going back to what I really like - guitars and analogue synths. 'Merzbear' is the sixth album in Akita's Merz series for Important records and is the most 'analogue' yet, with most of the sounds coming from killer vintage analogue synth the EMS Synthi and his homemade 'junk' guitar. I'm not entirely sure what a junk guitar is but listening to the tracks on here it's made pretty clear the sort of noises that come out of it - screeching deadly tones and rumbles that cut through the record like a knife through butter. This is Merzbow how I love to hear him, taking a chunk of Nurse With Wound and Throbbing Gristle and fusing it with a love of early electronics and psychedelic rock - the resulting audio slop is not as frenetic or as unlistenable as you might think either. It's hard to explain, it's still noise but this ain't Akita in full-on white noise mode, this is something far more interesting than that, and while it isn't as traditionally 'noisy', it has an intensity which is almost impossible to match. With 'Merzbear' we have Akita turning to the young upstarts of the noise scene and showing that he can take them all on at once, man to man - they might be putting the punk rock back into it, but damn, Akita was there 25 years ago and he's still got it. Whether it's shards of broken electric guitar or giant oscillating synthesizer drones, each sound is terrifying and visceral - you want something that's gonna make you sit up and take notice, look no further. Without a doubt my favourite so far in the Merz series and probably Akita's finest work for a while now, you need this album.
- Boomkat Presstext

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Coma Berenices, 2007

1		Earth Worms (11:31)
2		Dark Stars (8:05)
3		Alishan (11:04)
4		Silky Feather (12:27)
5		Revenge On Humanity (10:45)

This is another work that does not have a specific identifiable "theme" regarding its sound (i.e. no focus on guitar, psychedelica, drums, etc), but there is a distinct dark, nihilistic feel to the work as a whole. The overall sound is augmented by the packaging, which depicts Masami Akita in front of a demolished building, all tinted dark and such like. Surprisingly, this darkness manifests itself in the music without pushing it to abnormally harsh or violent realms (by Merzbow standards, of course). Quite the contrary, for a noise work, it is relatively mild and listenable.

Across five tracks, Akita manages to slip in a surprisingly notable amount of musical elements into the noise mix. "Earth Worms," for one, shows some synth melodies and psychedelic guitar notes bubbling up from the murky noise swamp. "Alishan" also demonstrates an ear for composition, as the track builds from a looped bass melody, layer by layer, into a denser mix of phased analog synth noise chaos.

While there's no explicit sense of percussion in the album, some tracks show a penchant for rhythm in the form of short pulsing synth tones. The swooping synth of "Revenge on Humanity" builds in pace until it takes on the 4/4 kick drum sound of hardcore techno. Mix in the laser gun synth sweeps and you've got a piece of chaos that lives up to its name, but never feels out of control or completely random. One recurring element of the album that maybe entirely accidental are that the synth tones (my guess, the classic EMS Synthi 'A') are mostly of a high register chirping variety, which sounds very bird like. Given Akita's well-known love of fine feathered friends, it might just be his way of bringing a brighter element to this otherwise dark, fatalistic outing.
Not all the material feels as planned, and other pieces sound more random, but they make up for compositional shallowness in sheer depth of layering, such as the distant punk band practicing in a garage down Masami's street in "Dark Stars," along with the thumping synth pulses and clatterings of junk in his own backyard. As a whole the disc seems to focus on combining the subtleties of his early 1980's tape-loop based work with his mid 1990's focus on analog buzzsawing. It works very well, because it makes for a listening experience as opposed to an endurance test, which many noise albums seem to strive to be.
Coma Berenices doesn't break any new ground in the Merzbow canon, but it does a more restrained version of his harsh noise background very well. It's actually a rather accessible album for the genre, and a stark contrast to the building destroying din of Venerology (which was often a little too much even for the staunchest of noise fans), here is a chance to see what the newer, mellower (slightly) Masami Akita has been up to.

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Paradise Pachinko, 1999

This CD-R was limited to 70 copies but the label put up a free download option. Since they moved their space it's gone.

1		Untitled Raw-Material 1 (28:54)
2		Untitled Raw-Material 2 (23:47)

"No mix, no editing, no synthesizer, no oscillator". All tracks were recorded on Tascam Porta Two in 1990 and 1992. Mastered from 4-channel cassettes direct to DAT.

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Red 2 Eyes, 1997

Parts of it appear on the "Red Magnesia Pink" disc on the Merzbox.

A1		Red (Aka)
A2		Eyes (Me Me)
B		Red Eyes Pt.3

Electric Salad, 1996

1		Prologue (1:36)
2		Electric Salad (60:20)
		Voice [Chant] - Bara
3		Metallic Fever Echo (10:03)

Recorded & mixed at ZSF Produkt Studio, 14th & 15h October 1995
Live noise concrete mix.
Completely no overdub, no editing.

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Green Wheels, 1995

CD+5" release from Merzbow.
Disambiguation: Green Wheels is the name of a sustainable transportation advocacy project in Northern California. There is also a MORE THAN Green Wheels Insurance

1		Myo-Inositolasanessentia Growthfactorforhumancellsin Testosteronepropionate Anabolicaction (17:28)
2		Monstrousscrotalangioleiom Omapresumablyoriginating Intheepididymisneuromuscular System (24:05)
3		H. Penisorpenoscrotalis, Penile Orpenoscrotalhypospadia Stapphylococcusseminoma Blastomeren (17:30)
A		Meattrapezoid (2:32)
B		Spermatogenicenveloper (3:03)

Total armageddon from start to finish. Layer after layer of noise, this album is one of the most dense soundscapes Merzbow ever created. Only H. Penisorpenoscrotalis, Penile Orpenoscrotalhypospadia Stapphylococcusseminoma Blastomeren opens on a calm note, but soon transforms into yet another sonic beast. The two 5" tracks are of a whole different kind, with constantly mutating sounds and contrasting loud/silent passages.

A must have for anyone even remotely interested in Merzbow. A noise classic, if there ever was one.
- RateYourMusic Userreview

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Flare Gun, 1994

Great 12" from Merzbow, Track #3 was recorded live at "Sound as Weapon", SHOWBOAT, Tokyo, July 5 1994.

A1		Flare Gun (Part 1)
A2		Flare Gun (Part 2)
B		Flare Gun (Part 3)

This is the holy grail of all Merzbow releases. With more analog feedback than a Steve Albini record and more tape loops than some hilarious joke about tape loops (sounding more like electronics than random junk this time), this could very well define the genre of harsh noise. And the B side is arguably the greatest thing Merzbow has ever recorded: This defines "walls of noise": chaotic, feedback laden madness with a truly spectacular vocal performance by Bara (of Venereology fame!). If you have even a remote interest in noise, track down this beast.
- RateYourMusic Userreview

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Music For Bondage Performance 2, 1996

Part two for your Bondage Peformances ;p.

1		Ambient Study For Kinbaku-bi Part 1 (5:41)
2		Short Piece For Bondage CD-ROM 1 (1:33)
3		Ambient Study For Kinbaku-bi Part 2 (6:04)
4		Short Piece For Bondage CD-ROM 2 (1:10)
5		Ambient Study For Kinbaku-bi Part 3 (9:33)
6		Short Piece For Bondage CD-ROM 3 (0:57)
7		Ambient Study For Kinbaku-bi Part 4 (5:43)
8		Ambient Study For Kinbaku-bi Part 5 (6:04)
9		Short Piece For Bondage CD-ROM 4 (1:24)
10		Ambient Study For Kinbaku-bi Part 6 (5:48)
11		Bondage For Satomi Fuji (29:17)

MERZBOW is Japan's premier noise group. Since 1981, MERZBOW, under the direction of Masami Akita, have pursued the sonic quest for power. In addition to this, Akita has also been documenting, in numerous books and articles, the history and current status of bondage in Japan.

"Music for Bondage Performance" brought together all of the elements of Akita's involvement with music and performance. His association with RIGHT BRAIN caused him to form RIGHT BRAIN AUDILE, the sonic counterpart to the RIGHT BRAIN videos. This has opened another dimension to the music of MERZBOW, being more subtle in its aural expression of the visual imagery presented by the performance.

Bondage in Japan, in fact bondage per se, is a much misunderstood art form. It has been a part of the Japanese culture for many centuries. The beauty and nuances, indeed the contrast with the western perception of beauty, that are inherent in the act are often overlooked by the general populace and sensationalised to be brutal, violent or pornographic.

"Music for Bondage Performance 2" continues the musical and visual direction of its predecessor. Akita has intentionally raised the taboos about Bondage. Whether it is art or whether it is pornography? Whether bondage in itself is the sexual act or merely the entree to sexual intercourse? Whether western society is really in a position to make these judgements?

Sonically, "Music for Bondage Performance 2" pursues a greater intensity. There is a relentless and torturous quality to this new musical experience. As a comparison, a previously unreleased work from the first volume has been included on the album. As is said in Japan, "Otanoshim Ikudasai" (please enjoy).

- Extreme Music Presstext

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Music for Bondage Performance, 1991

Guess what's about :). One of the tracks is part of the Movie 'Shitsurakuen': jôbafuku onna harakiri ("Lost Paraidse") which was directed by Merzbow in 1990. I've got the movie and might post it here someday - we'll see :D.

Right Brain Audile
Track 1 (1991): for Asako.
Track 2 (1989): made for female prisoner in bondage & seppuku Japanese style. B&D performance by Ruka Mikami in Homo Fixas Studio, Yotsuya.
Track 3 (1990): made for bondage & pipe in western style. B&D performance by Santomi Fuji in Kannon Studio, Shinjuku.
Track 4 (1989): made for office girl in bondage in Yokohama. B&D performance by Youri Sunohara.
Track 6 (1989 & 1990).

1		Hara-Kiri Video 'Lost Paradise' Theme (3:06)
2		Seishi Seppuku Kei (10:47)
3		Ropes In Tears (6:56)
4		Aimei Nawa (12:08)
5		'Lost Paradise' Fire Scene (0:43)
6		Bondage Performance At Homo Fixas (26:17)

MERZBOW is Japan's premier noise group. Since 1981, MERZBOW, under the direction of Masami Akita, have pursued the sonic quest for power. In addition to this, Akita has also been documenting, in numerous books and articles, the history and current status of bondage in Japan.

Music for Bondage Performance brings together all of the elements of Akita's involvement with music and performance. His association with RIGHT BRAIN caused him to form RIGHT BRAIN AUDILE, the sonic counterpart to the RIGHT BRAIN videos. This has opened another dimension to the music of MERZBOW, being more subtle in its aural expression of the visual imagery presented by the performance.

Bondage in Japan, in fact bondage per se, is a much misunderstood art form. It has been a part of the Japanese culture for many centuries. The beauty and nuances, indeed the contrast with the western perception of beauty, that are inherent in the act are often overlooked by the general populace and sensationalised to be brutal, violent or pornographic.

Music for Bondage Performance is the most complete presentation of the music and visual forms of Japan's MERZBOW. Prepared over a number of years, it brings an insight into a culture not often understood yet discussed and often much maligned. It is hoped that knowledge brings understanding.

- Extreme Music Presstext

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Switching Rethorics (Split with Shora), 2002

Split between Merzbow and the Swiss band Shora.

1	Merzbow	T 2000
2	Shora	Erode / Implode
3	Shora	Discussing Watercolor Techniques
4	Merzbow	Black Cat
5	Shora	Conciliated Coercion
6	Merzbow	Vanlla Groon
7	Shora	To Further Confines

While Merzbow was probably the name that brought this split CD release to your attention, you're unlikely to forget Shora any time soon! There's enough of an eccentric dynamic between the two bands to satisfy your taste for variety, but more importantly, Switching Rethorics packs one hell of a solid punch.
- Read the rest of the review over at splendid mag

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Akasha Gulva, 1996

Not an easy starting point looking at 70+ minutes of (harsh) noise.

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Akasha Gulva (73:39)

Masami Akita, possibly Japan’s most respected and prolific extreme artist, delivers his debut release for both Alien8 Recordings and Canada.

Akasha Gulva was recorded live in Tokyo on June 29, 1996. The seventy minute-plus piece is relentless and without pause. Akasha Gulva demonstrates many of Merzbow’s trademark techniques in creating extreme soundscapes.

This recording marks the premiere release for Alien8 Recordings and is limited to 1000 copies.
- Alien8 Presstext

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Rainbow Electronics 2, 1996

Remix of the Rainbow Electronics Disc.

1		Untitled (21:42)
2		Untitled (9:28)
3		Untitled (11:30)
4		Untitled (5:19)
5		Untitled (9:54)
6		Untitled (8:20)
7		Untitled (6:20)
8		Untitled (2:26)

Dexter's Cigar, the label curated by Jim O'Rourke and David Grubbs, made its name as a platform for reissuing works by Derek Bailey, Loren Mazzacane Connors and Rafael Toral, but Rainbow Electronics 2 stands as the imprint's one and only original album. Legend has it that the label contacted Masami Akita looking for an out of print Merzbow release for reintroduction to the great listening public. According to legend, the label mentioned 1990's Rainbow Electronics as a personal favourite, and so a few weeks later a master tape with "Rainbow Electronics 2" written on it arrived through the mail, much to everyone's surprise. It's an alternate mix to the original Rainbow Elecronics, and as its title points out, this is electronic noise music that lifts itself out of the murk and gloom associated with more industrial sounding material that was popular at the time, and fills the stereo spectrum up with virtuosic, articulate and finely crafted noise. The sound sources are all strictly analogue on this one too; Akita chooses bowed instruments, various metal scraps and an electric shaver as his starting points, making for a lively coming together of layered, brain-evaporating noise. It's great having this in circulation all these years on, especially given Akita's recent return to these sorts of sound palettes. Excellent.
- Boomkat Presstext

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Rainbow Electronics, 1990

1

Rainbow Electronics (73:23)

Good Alchemy Series Volume 1, Part 1.
Work All Cut-Up From Works.
Transformed from about 21 hours tape for 14 fragments.
Raw material tapes were recorded in 1987-90/including Live at V2 (23/9/89), Diogenes (3/10/89), Heaven' s Door (22/6/90) & Gig Hall (23/6/90).

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Amlux, 2002

1		Takemitsu (5:26)
2		Looping Jane (15:41)
3		Cow Cow (4:22)
4		Luxurious Automobile (Krokodile Texas Mix) (22:23)

Masami Akita continues to have a way of creating noise that cannot be ignored, whether it's harsh or quietly menacing. A lot of noise work risks either fading into the background or being unlistenably repetitive and one-dimensional. While like anyone who releases so much, not every Merzbow release is essential, the sounds here demand attention, due to both their constant change and careful composition. The myriad of ways in which Akita destroys, demolishes, and alters these sounds makes it clear that his many years of dedication to experimental audio work has taught him a lot of worthy lessons. We can all be glad of our continued opportunities to enjoy the results. This is another superb addition to the Merzbow catalog.
- Read the rest of the review over at dusted

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Partikel II (v.s. Nordvargr), 2007

Part two, I think #3 is coming out somewhen in 2009.

1		Reakt 1 (20:19)
2		Luxon (11:34)
3		Reakt 2 (27:55)
4		Brockengeist Elektron (9:15)

Another beautifully constructed collaboration from the two noise giants - Japanoise King Masami Akita (aka Merzbow) and Swedish Lord Henrik Nordvargr Björkk (MZ.412, Folkstorm, Toroidh etc). The styles on Partikel II range from total noise barrages to more subtle dark ambient pieces. Essential!
- De Luidspreker Presstext

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Partikel (v.s. Nordvargr), 2004

First of three parts of the collaboration between Merzbow and Henrik Nordvargr Björkk (Nordvagr).

1		Tardyon Storm (22:49)
2		Kyoufu-0 (25:39)
3		Tachyon Paradox (7:39)

Exclusive to Cold Spring, the King of Japanese Noise meets the Lord of Scandinavian Power Noise! Housed in a beautiful matt foldout digipak, this album takes specially recorded source work by Merzbow, given the mighty Nordvagr treatment. Heavy loops, rhythms, pulses and noise, mixed with ambient moments - this is absolutely essential listening.
- Presstext

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Sphere, 2005

1		Sphere Pt. 1 (9:13)
2		Sphere Pt. 2 (15:29)
3		Sphere Pt. 3 (13:30)
4		Untitled For Vasteras (29:35)

Another wild and wonderful celebration of noise from the singular Japanese pioneer who started it all. Active in live noise electronics since 1978, Akita Masami is an international cult figure, and for his second Tzadik release we are once again treated to music unlike anything he has ever done before. Mixing a whole new world of acoustic percussion and drumming into his enormous arsenal of analog and digital noise makers, Sphere is one of Merzbow’s most startling and unique creations. A powerful symphony of noise from one of Japan’s most important musical thinkers.
- Tzadik Presstext

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Frog, 2001

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Aqua Necromancer, 1998

FIXXXX MEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Merzbird, 2004

1930, 1998

24 Hours - A Day Of Seals, 2002

Live Destruction At No Fun 2007, 2007

Electric Dress (with Carlos Giffoni and Jim O'Rourke), 2007

Live CBGB's NYC 1998 (v.s. Alec Empire), 2003

1		The Alliance (3:17)
2		The Destroyer And Merzbow (2:24)
3		A Fire Will Burn (0:48)
4		Nightmare Vision (2:08)
5		The Full Destroyer / Merzbow Meltdown (4:26)
6		The White Man Destroys His Own Race (2:28)
7		Curse Of The Golden Angel (3:26)
8		The Predator (1:49)
9		Brooklyn Connection (2:10)
10		Dawn (1:48)
11		The Slayer Calls At Night (5:08)
12		Blow This Thing (2:13)
13		606: The Number Of The Beast (1:00)
14		202 Lightyears From Home (1:18)
15		Shock Treatment For Corporate Control (1:18)
16		Enter The Forbidden Space (2:18)
17		A Degenerated Nation Reacting To Fear (5:31)
18		A Degenerated Nation Reacting To Fear Pt.II (8:25)
19		Some Might Even Die... (4:08)

While putting the Live at the ICA record together for DHR Alec had the idea of releasing other live performances, covering other genres of music he is involved with - in particular, his exploration of noise and his abstract DJ work. Alec’s extensive collaborations with the renowned Japanese musician Masami Akita, aka Merzbow, have taken place over the last seven years – the artists playing together many times under a variety of guises. (In addition to the purely electronic projects Masami also played drums in the original line up for the Intelligence and Sacrifice album). One of Alec and Masami’s most intense performances took place during a DHR night at CBGB's in new York in 1998. Alec pulled out the tapes and found they sounded as exciting as he remembered. Masami approved the recording and "Merzbow Vs Alec Empire at CBGB’s" was scheduled. Alec: “It is exactly what you think it is: a total blast! Masami Akita the godfather of noise meets the Destroyer in New York to bury the last ashes of punk rock.”
- Boomkat Presstext

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Merzbuddha, 2005

1		Mantra 1 (21:42)
2		Mantra 2 (16:53)
3		Mantra 3 (21:01)

Warning; this man is out to eat your ears! After a dub drenched summer spent listening to the likes of Horace Andy and Keith Hudson, Merzbow (aka Masami Atika) decided to set about procuring himself some serious low-end dub shenanigans to under wire the analogue/noise kaleidoscope displayed on his previous two releases. Opening with the cochlea shredding digital onslaught of 'Mantra 1' it soon becomes apparent that Akita is intent on taking dub down to the Styx and cadging a lift into Hades with old man Charon. So low down it's literally subterranean, Merzbow pumps fistfuls of guttural dub into growling wads of rimy electro-fermented feedback, allowing the whole thing to jerk along in the most debauched and pleasing of fashions. Continuing along a similar by-way, 'Mantra 2' has shades of Aphex in its utter disregard for conventional form or function, splicing what sounds ominously like a chain-saw onto analogue screams and a dirty-as-you-like clunking rhythm that best represents the kind of thing heavy industrial machinery must listen to in their spare time. Concluding with the tempestuous and utterly brutal 'Mantra 3', 'Merzbuddha' is the kind of record that'll keep the neighbours awake for months. Ouch.
- Boomkat Presstext

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Merzzow, 2002

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1		Elephant Song (7:49)
2		Horiwari (3:38)
3		Inside Looking Out Pt.1 (9:15)
4		Inside Looking Out Pt.2 (8:37)
5		Koshinzuka (2:09)
6		Music Machine (9:58)
7		Horse (4:47)
8		Penderecki (4:50)
9		Green (9:16)
10		Hummingbird (6:52)
11		Aenokoto 223 (3:15)

MERZZOW combines animal concepts and deconstructions of 20th century music, ambient drones and a deep grinding groove, synth tones and harsh bursts of liquid electricity in a varied and dynamic 11 tacks in 70 minutes that is sure to please all you fans. It is even accessible enough that it makes a perfect introduction for your friends who have never heard Merzbow music before. (For those of you that don't know, 'zou' is the japanese word for 'elephant'. So, I think you can pronounce this album's title as 'mertz-zoh'.)
- Opposite Records Presstext

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