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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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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Akasha Gulva, 1996

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

1

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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Pulse Demon, 1996

To kick off the blog, one of the better known 'harsh' albums of Merzbow (with an awesome cover artwork ;)):

1		Woodpecker No. 1 (6:42)
2		Woodpecker No. 2 (3:37)
3		Spiral Blast (4:30)
4		My Station Rock (4:54)
5		Ultra Marine Blues (11:29)
6		Tokyo Times Ten (11:09)
7		Worms Plastic Earthbound (24:53)
8		Yellow Hyper Balls (6:03)

Internationally recognized as the premier Japanese noise artist, Merzbow is the god of noise. Release Entertainment proudly presents Pulse Demon, a more psychedelically-flavored follow up to some of Merzbow's more brain-pummeling releases. Extremely sight-confounding artwork compliments the lucid squalls of Merzbow's electronic assaults. Mastered at apocalyptic audio levels, this is one of the loudest Merzbow recordings ever released. Heed the warnings!
- Release Entertainment Presstext

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