Project Name:	Merzbow
Album:	Maschinenstil
Record Company:	Dual Plover
Catalog Number:	COQ-ROQ
Year:	1998
Categories:	harsh, drums, psychadelic
Line-up:	Masami Akita - Noise Electronix, EXD Electric Drumkit, TR606 (as 5 oscilators), Frostwave Filter, Ring Modulator, Etc.
Collaborators:	none
Track List:	1. Stormy Monday 34:08 2. Shin Kawasaki 17:39
Related Albums:	Doors Open at 8 AM, Springharp, Aqua Necromancer
Comments:	As far as I can tell, this is one of the last analog era releases and one of the first recorded at "Bedroom, Tokyo." Structurally, the two pieces here sound a lot like what Akita would go on to do with his powerbooks, but much harsher and significantly more organic than much of the often too rigid material of the digital era. The first track has some incredible high end and harsh droning waves of harsh noise, in some ways bringing to mind harsh power electronics, but this element of intense high end is coupled with psychadelic but insistent processed drum loops and tones. In other words, this is an album with some very harsh sounds, but it's not brutal from start to finish. At roughly 52 minutes, this album is a little short (for Merzbow), but still satisfying. I found this quote attributed to Masami Akita here: 'Stormy Monday' was a title taken from first track of Lee Michaels album (A&M 1969), cause this composition is looks cluster organ sound! This organ sound was made by 5 oschilators unit, ring modulator and of 20 pitch shifters and enhancer, limiter, drum sound which sampled on 1 second sampling delay was taken from Terry Bozzio drum solo on 'hands with hammer' which featured on Frank Zappa 'You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol.3 (Zappa Records). I was very liked that drum sound. So, recently I often used bozzios sampling on stage as previous eupopean tour. 'Shin Kawasaki' was inspired from landscape of Shin-Kawasaki industrial city. I recognized this station first time when I back from Yokosuka by fast train of Yokosuka line. I used drum machine (tr606). also used exd electro drum kit for bass sound. These equipments are sound very techno pop in early 80s. My composition was inspired from equipments too. Triva: Some clever writer of record descriptions in mail order catalogs has popularized characterizing this cd as the "only Merzbow release to misspell Masami Akita's name." (The liner notes say Masami Akitama.) Because of the sheer size of Akita's discography, I somehow doubt that is genuinely true, but it's a funny way to sell an cd, I suppose.
Related Links:	Digital Merzbow, EAR/Rational Music
Reviews:	None
Images:	Front Cover   hi | low Back Cover   hi | low