MERZBOW (Masami Akita to a mum) is a man of simple tastes. Having put his name to hundreds of slabs of white noise and collaborations with the likes of SUNN O))) and BORIS, nothing seems to make him happier thanpushing the boundaries of music with with a migraine inducing approach to avante-garde. His music doesn't allow indecision, you'll either love it or hate it and one gets the feeling that he wouldn't have it any other way. This time around, he has company with able assistance from Mats Gustaffson and Balázs Pandi, neither of who are strangers to collaborations with Pandi having lent his considerable drumming talent to jazzcore maniacs, ZU as well as VENETIAN SNARES, BONG-RA and many more while Gustaffson is bestknown as the saxophonist in THE THING amongst others. At this stage in each of their careers , you'll know what to expect from them but this collaborative effort adds a different dynamic to them making it a worthwhile addition to any fan's collection.
It's hard to think of any other artists that sound remotely like MERZBOW but as a vague reference point imagine, if you will, an insane concoction of SHINING's blackjazz, JOHN ZORN's avante garde grind outfit NAKED CITY, the sci-fi soundtracks of the BBC RADIOPHONIC WORKSHOP and Akita's countrymen,BOREDOMS. Mats Gustaffson's saxophone shrieks discordantly over MERZBOW's inpenetrable walls of noise while Balázs Pandi keeps a vague semblance of control with his remarkably skilled free jazz drumming which erratically jolts along while still maintaining the restraint which the other two thirds of the trio lack. Not that this is a negative, while Akita and Gustaffson seem to be in all out war with each other, there are still plenty of subtleties in the ebb and flow of the five tracks here to warrant repeated listens. Over its 72 minute running time, "Cuts" manages to be both subtle and divisive as alway on this mtach mad in avante-garde/ noise heaven. If there's one (minor) gripe with "Cuts" it's that the constant noise doesn't always allow Mats Gustaffson's saxophone enough space to truly shine but, otherwise, the album is every bit as mental as you would expect and all the better for it. This is a brilliant addition to any MERZBOW fan's collection to be filed next to "Maldoror" and "Pulse Demon as a definite high point. If you don't come out with a thumping headache, you're not listening loud enough! (7/10)
"Cuts" is out now through RareNoise
In an age where one only needs to log into Twitter to find out what their favourite band had for dinner and a celebrity wearing a dress they've worn before constitutes news, it's nice to see that some people still like to keep a little mystique. A supergroup of sorts, though one would presume they'd reject such a tag, ENSEMBLE PEARL is a quartet consisting of Stephen O'Malley (SUNN O))), KTL, BURNING WITCH etc.), Atsuo and Michio Kurihara (both of BORIS) and William Herzog joined, this time around, by Eyvind Kang and Timba Harris. Information like this, though, is secondary to the music, a breathtaking mixture of ambient and drone with influences ranging from "Hex"-era EARTH to early TANGERINE DREAM via LINK WRAY. Originally composed for the play "This Is How You Will Dissapear", the six tracks that comprise "Ensemble Pearl" have grown into something much grander than just a soundtrack on record.
Foreboding mantras slowly build up with minimal atmospheres in place of the oppressive feedback of SUNN O))). Also amongst the droning riffs, one can discern a world music influence similar to the transcendental doom of latter-day OM and lush ambient passages. "Ghost Parade" opens proceedings with a three chord drone subtly metamorphosing over time while a myriad of other effects float across the sound spectrum. Following this, "Painting On A Corpse" twins a CULT OF LUNA-esque mantra with more swirling effects underpinned by a constant, insistent drum pattern before climaxing with searing noise and sonic experimentation that MERZBOW would be proud of. All the while though, that same guitar and drum drone continues, occasionally speeding up, seemingly getting closer and closer before fading away. Sweet respite. Next comes the gentle rise and fall of "Wray" with beautiful evocative keys and strings unaccompanied by guitar or percussion before "Island Epiphany" reintroduces the drones, noise and drumming. A tangible sense of dread cuts through the beauty of the strings and keys but even at its densest, everything feels like it has its own space. Rather than rushing to the finishing line, parts are given full opportunity to develop to their natural conclusions, running the gamut from beauty to horror and from thrill to melancholy to fear. "Giant" takes ENSEMBLE PEARL's knack for creating an emotional rollercoaster over the course of one track even further with one sustained note forming the centrepiece for the most part while the constantly shifting backdrop radically alters the overall mood of the piece. Proceedings conclude with the 20 minutes of "Sexy Angle" complete with dub vibes and angular, off-kilter violin.
Put simply, "Ensemble Pearl" is an earth-shattering collaboration between geniuses unrivalled in the field of drone and their debut album as ENSEMBLE PEARL is another stunning high point in their respective careers. (9/10)
"Ensemble Pearl" is out now through Drag City
