Merzbow is the king of dense Japanese noise-scapes, and Richard Pinhas is one of the most innovative French electronic pioneers, founding Heldon in the mid-seventies and continuing to explore his layered guitar and sequencer based walls of sound. This disc is surprisingly good, showing why both of these artists have longevity and interest today. The melding of each's individual styles is seamless. The only beats are the propellant hum of the machines. The trick that many current experimental-noise projects miss is that density of sound is not the only criteria! This release exhibits swells and levels of drones and melodies panning across the frequency spectrum. The clarity of the recording results in a shimmering mesmerizing dose of sound.
Since the tracks are long, the best way to play some of this in 1190's mix would be to cross-fade in at some of the times noted. Merzbow now has hundreds of releases, driving noise collectors nuts. Richard Pinhas was heavily influenced by Robert Fripp & Eno's experimentation with Revox tape-loops in the early '70s (No Pussyfooting and Evening Star), and even titled an early Heldon track "In the Wake of King Fripp". Building on the sound developed across Electronique Guerilla and the Chronolyse LPs released on obscure French labels, Pinhas's looped methodology has advanced with technology. Merzbow's anchoring pulses in the mix are reminiscent of Germany's Klaus Schulze, making this release both a referential and contemporary polyglot of global electronic experimentation.
-Uncle Jeff (Route 78, Sundays 10-12)
Read more reviews at Vitamin Fuzz.
Posts
Dear Uncle Jeff,
ReplyDeleteKeep on the lookout for 24-hours of Merzbow in your mailbox that I have from the radio station I worked at in London!
Yours Truly,
Alisha.
Hey Jeff--I'm glad you're putting stuff up on here. Keep doing it. I have appreciated Merzbow in the past, but I'm not feeling him lately. I'll check this out, though, as I am a huge fan of No Pussyfooting and Evening Star and am curious about Pinhas.
ReplyDelete