Debut release from this monstrous new Japanese underground supergroup that pairs arguably the two most influential and radical modern Japanese musicians for the first time, Keiji Haino and Masami Akita aka Merzbow. Recorded live at the Victoriaville Festival in 2007, Haino pretty much dominates the proceedings, which isn't to say that Akita is reduced to any kind of background contribution but rather that Haino - in the way he does with other heavyweight collaborators like Tony Conrad et al - immediately establishes the grounds of the exchange. It's a good move, especially when he's dealing with the kind of overwhelming firepower and monomania of Akita. When the first track starts out it sounds like classic Merzbow for the first minute or so but then Haino usurps the arc of the track with some unlikely wordless vocals, forcing Akita into backing down to a cracked Industrial drone while Haino builds loop after loop of forlorn song. In fact, the first track is most directly comparable to the psychedelic choral song of Haino's Nijiumu project. After that there's a bunch of tracks that see Haino using percussive, acoustic instruments and combining lung-destroying vocals with Akita's streamrolling analog assault. But it's the final track that's the real monster, a 30 minute guitar/electronics/drums jams with Haino playing classic iconoclastic single note lead bombs ala the first track on Pathetique while Akita destroys a drumkit behind him. A fantastic set that goes well beyond what you might expect from this particular duo. Also features a picture of Haino wearing baggy trousers and big clumpy boots - what the fuck? Highly recommended.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|||||||||
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
||||||||
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
 |
|||||||||
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PAST TIP OF THE TONGUES
