CD-Charts Position 61

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Voice Pie

CD-Charts > Music > Noise
by: Merzbow & Bastard Noise

Release Date February 07, 1997

CD-Charts Position 62
Average Rating:

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Merzbuddha

CD-Charts > Music > Noise
by: Merzbow

Release Date March 14, 2005
Merzbow's latest release for Important Records consists of 3 long tracks, titled simply Mantra 1, 2, and 3. Each of them is a similar variation on the same theme, as a short bass sample is looped for the duration of each track, while Masami Akita does his usual wild noise improvisations over the top. This constant repetition of bass lines is both the records main distinctive point, and it's weakness - at their best these tracks become almost hypnotic, but with looped samples sometimes going on for up to 20 minutes at a time occasionally boredom can set in. As far as harshness of the noise goes I'd rank this record as average for Merzbow - not too restrained, but then not one of his most ear-splitting releases either. Decent - but a little ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 63
Average Rating:

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Cathode

CD-Charts > Music > Noise
by: Otomo Yoshihide

Release Date October 04, 1999
Merzbow's latest release for Important Records consists of 3 long tracks, titled simply Mantra 1, 2, and 3. Each of them is a similar variation on the same theme, as a short bass sample is looped for the duration of each track, while Masami Akita does his usual wild noise improvisations over the top. This constant repetition of bass lines is both the records main distinctive point, and it's weakness - at their best these tracks become almost hypnotic, but with looped samples sometimes going on for up to 20 minutes at a time occasionally boredom can set in. As far as harshness of the noise goes I'd rank this record as average for Merzbow - not too restrained, but then not one of his most ear-splitting releases either. Decent - but a little ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 64
Average Rating:

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Vintage Sound Effects [IMPORT]

CD-Charts > Music > Noise
by: Various Artists

Release Date March 05, 1997
Merzbow's latest release for Important Records consists of 3 long tracks, titled simply Mantra 1, 2, and 3. Each of them is a similar variation on the same theme, as a short bass sample is looped for the duration of each track, while Masami Akita does his usual wild noise improvisations over the top. This constant repetition of bass lines is both the records main distinctive point, and it's weakness - at their best these tracks become almost hypnotic, but with looped samples sometimes going on for up to 20 minutes at a time occasionally boredom can set in. As far as harshness of the noise goes I'd rank this record as average for Merzbow - not too restrained, but then not one of his most ear-splitting releases either. Decent - but a little ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 65
Average Rating:

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Total Castration

CD-Charts > Music > Noise
by: Zeni Geva

Release Date August 01, 2005
Merzbow's latest release for Important Records consists of 3 long tracks, titled simply Mantra 1, 2, and 3. Each of them is a similar variation on the same theme, as a short bass sample is looped for the duration of each track, while Masami Akita does his usual wild noise improvisations over the top. This constant repetition of bass lines is both the records main distinctive point, and it's weakness - at their best these tracks become almost hypnotic, but with looped samples sometimes going on for up to 20 minutes at a time occasionally boredom can set in. As far as harshness of the noise goes I'd rank this record as average for Merzbow - not too restrained, but then not one of his most ear-splitting releases either. Decent - but a little ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 66
Average Rating:

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Ordier

CD-Charts > Music > Noise
by: B.C. Gilbert

Release Date November 10, 2008
Merzbow's latest release for Important Records consists of 3 long tracks, titled simply Mantra 1, 2, and 3. Each of them is a similar variation on the same theme, as a short bass sample is looped for the duration of each track, while Masami Akita does his usual wild noise improvisations over the top. This constant repetition of bass lines is both the records main distinctive point, and it's weakness - at their best these tracks become almost hypnotic, but with looped samples sometimes going on for up to 20 minutes at a time occasionally boredom can set in. As far as harshness of the noise goes I'd rank this record as average for Merzbow - not too restrained, but then not one of his most ear-splitting releases either. Decent - but a little ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 67
Average Rating:

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I Said, This Is the Son of Nihilism

CD-Charts > Music > Noise
by: Keiji Haino

Release Date February 24, 2003
Merzbow's latest release for Important Records consists of 3 long tracks, titled simply Mantra 1, 2, and 3. Each of them is a similar variation on the same theme, as a short bass sample is looped for the duration of each track, while Masami Akita does his usual wild noise improvisations over the top. This constant repetition of bass lines is both the records main distinctive point, and it's weakness - at their best these tracks become almost hypnotic, but with looped samples sometimes going on for up to 20 minutes at a time occasionally boredom can set in. As far as harshness of the noise goes I'd rank this record as average for Merzbow - not too restrained, but then not one of his most ear-splitting releases either. Decent - but a little ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 68
Average Rating:

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Spahlinger - Extension

CD-Charts > Music > Noise
from: Unknown Label

Release Date December 01, 1993
The Piano Sonata is a fine piece of music, but I want to write of "De Profundis". Rzewski has written a piano accompaniment to his own recitation of Oscar Wilde's terrifying essay on the destruction caused by imprisonment. This works to emphasise the humanist core of the work - and the use of struck chest and groans, despite sounding naff, is as moving as anything I've ever heard. This is a true original - and I believe it should be much better known. The ideas on time within Wilde's text are used within the music as it speeds and slows, dances and drags. As always with Rzewski there is the meeting of "classical" modernism, of jazz sonorities and counterpoint, and the rolling rythms of popular song; but not as a "crossover" ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 69
Average Rating:

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Pleasure Ground

CD-Charts > Music > Noise
by: Prurient

Release Date November 20, 2006
The Piano Sonata is a fine piece of music, but I want to write of "De Profundis". Rzewski has written a piano accompaniment to his own recitation of Oscar Wilde's terrifying essay on the destruction caused by imprisonment. This works to emphasise the humanist core of the work - and the use of struck chest and groans, despite sounding naff, is as moving as anything I've ever heard. This is a true original - and I believe it should be much better known. The ideas on time within Wilde's text are used within the music as it speeds and slows, dances and drags. As always with Rzewski there is the meeting of "classical" modernism, of jazz sonorities and counterpoint, and the rolling rythms of popular song; but not as a "crossover" ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 70
Average Rating:

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Tongues

CD-Charts > Music > Noise
by: Kieran Hebden, Steve Reid

Release Date March 20, 2007
As a big fan of the Exchange Sessions CDs, I was very much looking forward to this release. Unfortunately it didn't live up to expectations.

On Tongues Kieran Hebden and Steve Reid have changed their format considerably; gone are the extended improvisations, and they are replaced with shorter, and to my ear, much more planned and rehearsed pieces. Also Steve's signature polyrhythmic drumming seems to barely be used, in favour of a simple 4/4 beat in many of the tracks. It seems as if they have tried to make their music more accessible and appeal to a wider audience. I wouldn't have a problem with this, but in doing so they seem to have taken away just about everything that made the first two albums so good in my opinion! Most disappointingly, the ... Read More: