The Merzbow Archive series by Slowdown Records, which has released nine editions so far, enters its tenth edition. This edition contains recording material from 2004 to 2005. Merzbow was very busy during this period, releasing a huge number of works including "Merzbird", "Sphere", and "Turmeric", and performing overseas. As a result, there were not many sound sources that had been completed and unreleased, so this edition contains mainly edited rehearsal sound sources for live performances. The rehearsal sound sources were composed with live performances in mind, and included patterns that were used repeatedly in live performances at the time, but the overlapping parts were edited out to ensure the individuality of the work. Other than the live rehearsals, the album contains re-issues from the very few edition works at the time, long mixes of previously released songs, and outtakes. Merzbow started to use laptops as well as self-made instruments and analog equipment in his live performances around the latter half of 2005, so the period of this edition can be seen as the culmination of his laptop-only performances and productions that he have been attempting since 1999. In 2003, he became a Vegan in ideology, and the theme of his music production shifted toward Veganarchism (Vegan Anarchism), and many animal motifs appeared in his artwork and titles.
This album "Electronic Union" contains excerpts from rehearsals for the 2005 EU tour including All Tomorrow Parties (London, UK) and Kunstraum Wallcheturm (Zurich, Switzerland). The first track opens with a wall of noise that can best be described as harsh, and from the middle of the track, a bass loop similar to the one used in "Merzbuddha" is added to create a vortex of sound that intoxicates. The second track is a faster paced performance with several interconnected scenes, including a bass loop from "Denki No Numa" from the 2003 album Frog. This second track, there are groovy moments where the looped sound attracts the ear, thick noises reminiscent of a muddy river, rumbling attack sounds reminiscent of stones and rocks colliding in the river, and a climax where noise and loops come together to attack. The album is filled with a variety of styles that have been tried only on laptops.
yorosz(aka Shuta Hiraki)
credits
released December 26, 2021
Composed, Mixed, Performed by – Masami Akita
Recorded at Bedroom, Tokyo 2005.
Mixed at Munemihouse, Tokyo 2020
Mastered at Kentaro Hayashi, Osaka, Japan.
Yasuyuki Nakamura (slowdown records) : A&R
supported by 4 fans who also own “Electronic Union”
マサミは1970年代以降のノイズ業界で40年以上働いており、スケルチ、ブリーチ、ドローン、爆発的なブザー、高音のスケルチが彼のトレードマークであることを理解する必要があります。このラケットには喜びがあり、発見する価値があります。マサミのおかげで感謝祭で七面鳥の料理と食事をやめました!He has been working with post 1970s noise for more than 40 years & you need to understand that scratchy squelches, bleats, drones, explosive buzzes & high pitched squealing squeals are his trademark. There is joy in this racket & it is well worth discovering. I've stopped cooking and eating turkey on Thanksgiving thanks to Masami! MERZILLA
supported by 4 fans who also own “Electronic Union”
While still sounding harsh a lot of the time, this will not obliterate you like other Merzbow releases. Steady elements give a noob like me something to cling to amidst the chaos. Hans
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