So.. I've waited about 15 years for the chance, I'll finally be seeing Merzbow tonight. Anyone seen him play live before? Anyone recently? He is sharing a bill with Venetian Snares, so I'm a bit nervous that he might try to do a bunch of his drum or rhythm stuff. I want pure noise, or (though it won't happen) Music for Bondage era electroacustic awesomeness.
If the frequency is anything like when I saw Pansonic it could be quite literally sick. ha ha It's to bad, the show is moved from the seedy little punk bar it was scheduled for to a larger venue. Should still be overwhelming though.
I went back to through a bunch of my old noise stuff (at request of a friend who wanted recommendations) and just can't get into a lot of it like I used to. I can't even imagine a whole merzbow show at this point. lol
I have a friend in England who obsessively collects Merzbow - he claims to have everything at this point. 200+ releases, I believe.
I was pretty much into Merzbow, not my favourite Japanese noise act but still one well worth exploring. I think I have 55-60 albums (not the whole 200+ run but still a discreet collection) and one of his bondage books (really nice edition). I've seen him twice, both times in Milan. Years ago with Mike Patton (very powerful gig with Patton on a vocal high) and once solo. He was pretty cool in both occasions, he tends to stand still and lacks the physical presence that a Masonna or Hijokaidan gig would have but can still be venomous - and earsplitting Don't forget your earplugs
The last time I saw him was at Nest in Tokyo with Jim O'Rourke in 2008. Very much a wall of noise. It was my son's first show (still in his mom's womb but I believe it still counts!). Saw him in 2000-ish at a noise festival at a huge club in Shibuya. Most of the acts sucked since there was some hardcore techno in the next room (DJ triple-star-era Eye I believe) and the subtle power electronics of Sachiko M and Otomo Yoshihide et al. were pretty much lost in the din. But Merzbow had the whole room to himself (I think he was the headliner) and again, it rocked. Would definitely recommend it - but then again I think I'm like audiodifficulties and am not sure I'd go back myself.
I'm getting excited! Sounds like anyone who has seen him has had a good experience. I don't listen to as much noise as I used to, but the funny thing is that when I do pop it on I find it to be less harsh than I remembered. I guess with the whole HNW thing etc. that the older noise albums sound really composed. I think the most painful show I ever saw was otomo yoshihide. Started out with a thoughtful subtle performance, but then he got frustrated. It was high pitched ear destroying feedback for the rest. I think it may have been the only noise show I actually walked out on. It was 100% damaging frequencies and I wasn't willing to go through that. @ coop and RudeBeast. Those are some collections! Coop, I wonder if you buddy could pic a top 10 out of that? I probably only have 15-20
I saw Merzbow at ATP:LA in 2002. It was pretty incredible. He just stood hunched over some laptops so there wasn't much to watch, but the texture of the sound was so incredible. So loud that you could really feel the music... I'll need to dig up my recording of the show...
AHHH RAD!!!!! I love his stuff. Got turned on to him like 13 yrs ago. One of my friends went to a show (many yrs ago) and totally loved it. So Cool that you get to see 'em!!!
I'd be into hearing that 2002 show. I actually found his stage presence kind of distracting. I moved further back in the room to get more of a disconnect. With noise music I don't really like to be able to see what is creating the noise. He had a laptop, that guitar made of springs and an old film canister thing, and a bunch of pedals. The show was good. I'm really happy to have seen him live now. I wonder what it would have been like to see him live in the 80s. Now I'm all geared up again. Wikipedia claims he has over 350 albums now.. and it's cool that a lot of old material is getting released. Thanks for the share on that album coop, I look forward to checking it out. I like Otomo's stuff, it was a big disappointment to have his show be so crappy at the time.
IMHO some of the best Merzbow material has been released on CD in his Merzbox set (50 CDs). http://www.discogs.com/Merzbow-Merzbox/release/100630 This set contains a lot of his early eighties analogue work (the same period when Merzbow was exchanging tapes with MB and was still experimenting with drums and tape loops), very interesting stuff. Otherwise I would recommend the following (but you probably already have these): http://www.discogs.com/Merzbow-Music-Fo ... ase/183696 http://www.discogs.com/Merzbow-Noisembr ... ase/102317 http://www.discogs.com/Merzbow-Pulse-De ... ter/134227
Re: Otomo Yoshihide I would suggest, if you haven't already heard it one of Ground Zero's classics, 'Play Standards'. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RCT7y1y ... dded#at=26
I think this is the whole Ground Zero 'Plays Standards' album online, via youtube http://www.playtable.jp/detail.php?ItemId=B00004X0KE
You know, I've got a rip of the Merzbow but haven't delved into it yet. Those other ones are all great. Favorites of mine that I have (off the top of my head): Rainbow Electronics 2 http://www.discogs.com/Merzbow-Rainbow-Electronics-2/release/128460 This was the first Merzbow recordings I ever heard so will always have a place in my collection. Just before the wall of noise 90s harsh noise period (pulse demon etc.). Sheets of white noise, but a lot of stuttering, stopping and movement. both Music for Bondage disks. Batztoutai With Material Gadgets RRR 10th anniversery box. Like what you were saying about the merzbow, cool older collage work. http://www.discogs.com/Merzbow-Batztoutai-With-Material-Gadgets/release/1093187 Akita* / Azuma* / Haswell* / Sakaibara* – Ich Schnitt Mich In Den Finger http://www.discogs.com/Akita--Azuma--Haswell--Sakaibara-Ich-Schnitt-Mich-In-Den-Finger/release/11564
I saw him in Austin as part of a video/film festival in 2000. He played in a university lecture room and blew the monitors in the first ten minutes. We patiently waited for another twenty while someone ran home to get a new PA and get it set up. It may have been the classroom atmosphere but I have to say it was one of the most relaxing musical experiences I've ever had. I sat there completely sober, closed my eyes, and just got devoured by sound. Incredible.
Aaagh, I'm insanely jealous! He's playing in Toronto...right now...and I couldn't make it to the show. Almost, but the trip fell through. Someday...someday. Anyone here ever record/perform stuff themselves? I feel like every noise fan gets inspired to try their hand at it at least once. I've been playing shows around town for a few years, but it's just for for fun, mostly at group shows with a bunch of other dudes hunched over pedals.
i would like to see him some day but i don't think that will be in the cards any time soon. some of my favorites well at least the ones that stand out are: last of the analouge sessions, tamango, and the rectal anarcy collabo/split with gore beyond necropsy.
Here is a pic from the Winnipeg show: and from the Toronto one: I played in a Noise/Grind/Breakcore band called the Blasphenaut for several years. We had a 10" out on History of the Future. I've also played out since about 2000 as 3x3is9 doing internal feedback, field recording, and data error computer soundscapy stuff. Not harsh noise at all, more minimal. I got to play Mutek a few times and have a few releases out. A live collaboration with Bernhard Gunter was released on the Send + Receive 10 year anniversary box set. Lately I'm performing as lilac. It's a bit more open ended with room for other performers. More drone than anything else. I only manage to play live once or twice a year these days though. some stuff here: http://soundcloud.com/c-bryan and a bit more 3x3is9 here: http://www.archive.org/details/ROP-003 and there are clips of the Blasphenaut record here: http://praxis.c8.com/catalog/product_info.php/manufacturers_id/124/products_id/3247 I think there is somewhere you can hear the whole thing...
this is old but still relevant I think... http://www.esoterra.org/merzbow.htm I have never seen Merzbow.
I think it's awesome on a board dedicated toys that Merzbow can start such a discussion and sharing session. I could go months in normal life without running into anyone who even knows who Merzbow is let alone kaiju or sofubi. I grew up with such a mix of music, art and pop culture and it never ceases to amaze me how many of the more obscure ones end up intersecting on SB. Y'all are some cool ass toy nerds in my book. Anyways sorry for going off topic. Not Merz but anyone else listen to these guys?
Yeah, AUBE was one of the early noise acts from Japan I first got to hear (there was this VHS tape, Kingdom of Noise, featuring AUBE, Masonna, Merzbow, Violent Onsen Geisha...), I never realised it was an actual release until now that I've found it on discogs http://www.discogs.com/Various-Kingdom- ... ase/696376 I thought it was a compilation produced by someone and then spread around like the early mail art MB tapes (Merzbow and MB were already exchanging work via tape in the early eighties). On the same VHS there was this absolutely awesome live from Masonna: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmktv963m3k
I totally agree Daimyo, we all probably grew up with a similar mix (your handle and profile pic reminds me of Kenji Misumi's Lone Wolf and Cub series ). Amazes me to think of how all this used to spread across the planet way before the web. I mean the Japanese noise scene is still niche, yet I remember finding many years ago (probably late eighties, early ninties) in a little rockabilly / garage record store in the center of Milan, Italy a copy of this UFO OR DIE cd The Japanese noise scene in general has had a huge influence on me, all the way to sofubi. Anyway I'm going off topic so back to Merz
