Drone Records

MERZBOW - Merzbient

Format: 18 x LP-BOX

Label & Cat.Number: Soleilmoon Recordings SOL 171

Release Year: 2012

Note: the incredible "Merzbient" set from 2010 as vinyl re-issue with 3 exclusive / additional LPs - all recorded 1987-1990 and much more "ambient" (in a MerZbowian sense) and atmospheric as usual... comes in two big boxes with three textured inlays, each LP in full sleeves, numbered ed. 222 copies

Price (incl. 19% VAT): €295.00

Warning: Currently we do not have this album in stock!

More Info

" "Merzbient" was originally released in 2010 as a box set of twelve compact discs. The edition of 555 numbered copies, which sold out within weeks of its release, was hailed by fans as some of Merzbow's best work, and it has since become a highly desirable collector's item. Now an expanded edition of eighteen albums is being released in an edition of 222 numbered and signed copies. The music from the original CD release is presented on albums 1 to 15. Some of the tracks have been edited to conform with the limitations of the medium. Albums 16, 17 and 18 contain exclusive bonus material never released until today. This vinyl release of "Merzbient" is presented in utterly lavish packaging, starting with a pair of custom-made foil-blocked boxes that look like large versions of the boxes made for the original CD edition. Each box holds nine LPs. Each record has full-color center labels, and comes in a full-color sleeve. Three inserts printed on textured paper complete the package. The records in the first 44 sets are pressed on translucent dark red vinyl, and are reserved for Soleilmoon's direct mailorder customers. The remaining 178 copies are pressed in black vinyl. "Merzbient" is a collection of Merzbow's previously unreleased ambient recordings. The music was recorded in the late 80s and early 90s, at a time when Masami Akita (Merzbow) was becoming famous for his live performances. The records he released at the time mirrored the harsh electronic wall-of-sound style that characterized his peformances, and helped establish his reputation as the prime mover in the Japanese noise scene. Out of necessity he toured with gear that was small, simple and portable. The electronics he used for his recordings were the same ones he used for live shows. But at the same time he was also recording quieter, more atmospheric music at home, and using a wide variety of acoustic instruments including an impractical monstrosity he describes as a "big handmade junk instrument made from a metal box with piano wires", which he played with a violin bow. He made hours and hours of recordings, but kept them private and never released them, until eventually they were set aside and forgotten. After rediscovering them years later he remastered the music and named the collection "Merzbient". The music on these albums represent a side of Merzbow never before heard. The music bears many of the signature styles expected from Merzbow - think of the theme of long-form drones pierced by random bursts of sound, for example - but it's enticingly different from what we've heard before, with spacious sounds evoking prehistoric misty landscapes, desolate abandoned industrial sites, and sci-fi/horror film soundtracks. If the familiar and traditional Merzbow is like a jet plane taking off at full-throttle then "Merzbient" is the hanger where the plane was built. Not a violent assault on the ears, but something more interior, more personal, and more gentle. "Merzbient" is Merzbow's third release for Soleilmoon, following "Ouroboros" (May 2010) and "Eucalypse" (July 2008). Masami Akita, recording under the name Merzbow, with more than 200 albums to his credit, is considered one of the preeminent artists in the field of noise music. In recent years his output has centered on animal themes, following his concern for the protection of animal rights. Albums for chickens, whales, seals and dolphins have been released on a variety of labels." [label info]

www.soleilmoon.com