About three weeks ago I reviewed ‘Hodosan’ by Merzbow, which showed his love for drums, or perhaps a return to the drums he once started to play in the formative days of his career, but its not an one-off move, as for ‘Somei’ he chooses the same route. Or perhaps, in good Merzbow traditions, never do anything once you can do more. I was quite surprised to see this released on a label that is better known for electronic rhythms, technoid music and darker ambient courses, but hey why not have Masami Akita banging the drums, along with his fine line of feedback and distortion. His drums are in total free spirit here, free jazz its best. Like with ‘Hodosan’ its absolutely unclear what came first – the drums or the noise, or whether the drums respond to the electronics, or the electronics go, in perfect synchronization, with drums. Kinda like the Silver Apples once did with some different result. I wrote on ‘Hodosan’, ‘another small alley opened’, but perhaps it would have been better to say, ‘another motorway opened’. This is another fine CD. For all those who read this and mumble ‘but why would need another Merzbow CD’, I’d say ‘quite right, you don’t, but then would you need a CD by anybody at all’? No doubt the true devotees marched to the e-stores already.

Merzbow, c’est le stakhanoviste made in Japan, l’asiatique geek mal luné forcément pervers et névrosé, acharné sur ses laptops et autres machines de guerre musicales depuis 1979, aujourd’hui icône alternative mondiale du haut de ses centaines de productions, dictateur d’un art viral brut qu’il a largement diffusé dans le monde comme une gangrène de la musique radio-friendly. De la musique tout court même, cette relique inutile usée depuis le début de tout pour une recherche de l’harmonie parfaite, vague orgueil futile de l’humain qui fuit le chaos assourdissant de ses semblables, celui qu’aura cherché à résumer Masami Akita toute une vie. Résumer sa discographie est une entreprise vaine, le chroniquer peut même paraître incongru. Car comment poser des mots sur ce qui n’a pour aspiration qu’une lutte brutale, sans pitié, entre l’auditeur martyr et ses enceintes faites bourreaux ? Quand la musique devient synonyme d’anarchie, de supplice, quand la musique s’affirme comme un élément physique à part entière, capable de faire vriller les membres par les tympans, Merzbow se pose comme bon lui semble, reproduisant invariablement depuis des années des dizaines et des dizaines de variations de la douleur, apportant à chaque piqûre la sensation de plus qui rassasiera d’émotions viscérales l’accro misérable, junky se consumant avec satisfaction dans la dépendance plus que de son objet. Si Merzbow peut intriguer, faire mal, être absurde parfois (albums aux thématiques tel que la nourriture japonaise), c’est qu’il est aussi le parrain de son auditeur-victime, et qu’en cela il lui laisse le choix des armes pour son seppuku (anti)musical du jour.

Pourquoi se poser sur Somei alors ? Parce que s’il n’est pas représentatif au maximum de l’œuvre de Merzbow, c’est aussi parce que la ligne de conduite de ce dernier n’a de sens que si elle est libre de fluctuer comme bon lui semble. Ériger Somei en parangon de l’art bruitiste n’est pas l’objet de cette chronique, il s’agit simplement de parler un peu de ce disque comme un disque de Merzbow, un de ses tout dernier qui plus est. Somei est donc sorti le 15 janvier 2009, date récente pourrait-on supputer, mais ce serait ignorer la sémantique de Merzbow, qui s’est imposé depuis les premières années comme la définition suprême de “prolifique” – tout ça pour faire comprendre que d’autres disques sont arrivés depuis. Somei donc, est un exemple cru de recherche sonore dans ce qu’elle regorge de plus suffocant, dans ses respirations les plus asphyxiées, sous la forme la plus simple qu’il soit. Tsunami de bruits plus ou moins aigus, plus ou moins tranchants, plus ou moins rapides, plus ou moins forts, l’objet n’est qu’une modulation qu’on jurerait aléatoire, elle est par ailleurs probablement improvisée, modulation qui ne trouve son sursaut d’intérêt que dans la panacée classique à tout bordel, le rythme. Garde-fou dans un monde qui ne renferme que ça, des fous, Somei voit donc son intérêt germer de deux palpitations opposés, les pointes rondes et stimulantes de la pulsation contre les scies acérées de la saturation pure des machines. Ce n’est pas la jouissance rythmique breakcore de la collaboration avec Alec Empire (un des points d’orgue de l’univers Noise) ou du beat aliénant de Merzbeat (projet rythmé de Merzbow) mais pourtant une énergie assez particulière se dégage de l’ambiance, comme si les sifflements harsh faisaient un bras de fer et qu’il durait tout au long des 55 minutes avant de se conclure dans un ex-æquo dépité. Un bras de fer aux bras vraiment de fer par contre, biomécanique japonaise à la Katsuhiro Otomo, pour rester dans l’esthétique tordue qu’il se doit. Que ce soit dans les breaks faussement doucereux et les assauts soniques comme pointe ardente de l’oscilloscope, la linéarité ne prend jamais l’avantage sur un relief étonnamment développé pour du Merzbow, qui réalise facilement un de ses disques les moins austères, avec ses parties de batterie syncopées comme du grindcore et ses petits clins d’œil incongrus comme ses petits bruitages de poulet, preuve ultime que malgré tout le sinistre qu’on se plait à fabuler autour de l’ombre menaçante de Masami Akita, il y a surtout un musicien sincère, beaucoup moins impie que dans nos fantasmes.

Et à Somei d’incarner en estampe le savoir-faire d’un artisan forgeur de la chair sonore, minimaliste et précis même dans l’improvisation, à considérer comme tout Merzbow comme un objet à la fois radoteur et nouveau, qui honore ses promesses et griffe nos tympans comme le ferait un chat : avec style.

So far, I’m impressed by what it’s bringing to the table. Part drum solo fest, part destruction, it has equal parts of both that make it interesting in two layers.

Interesting to note how Masami Akita leaves some of his static-y ambience out of the songs, focusing on more of the drums and less on the noise at some points. I think that’s what’s different here than in his recent releases; he’s trying different things here, rather than just layers upon layers of surging, squealing undertones.

In other news, I am working on reviewing Matt Henshaw’s album Unfurled. I meant to listen to it at home on my nice stereo this weekend, where it should be properly listened to, but I didn’t get a chance. I’m still holding out for that opportunity.

Low Impedance offers up a live Merzbow performance, recorded last August at Tokyo’s Munemi House. Any suppositions held about the music’s content are effectively squashed. Devoid of notes or diatribes, the record’s free of Masami Akita’s political and cultural agendas and artistic propositions, allowing the music its place at the fore. Akita plays solo for the recording, on drums adulterated by heavy doses of prepared noise and live electronics. Merzbow’s followers won’t be startled by Somei, but like me, they’re bound to revisit amazement at the sheer range of Akita’s output, and how quietly (loudly) he betrays anticipation.

Completists should take note of the opportunity to take in the probable limits of Akita’s chops on the drums; it’s relentless, 55 minutes of straight pounding at a furious pace. This is best heard in the 25-minute opener, “Run Chicken Run,” where for all the activity taking place behind the kit, the live playing is virtually overtaken by shriek-filled electronics and sheer high-pitched abrasiveness. If there was intent behind the Munemi show, it may well have been sustained assault, for the playing is so unremitting and heavy that little room is made available for the melodic tendencies Merzbow’s been known to give way to in the last four or five years. Of Somei’s three extended numbers, “Lava” is the most controlled in cadence and atmosphere — almost merciful by comparison — supplied by accompanying noise and computer-generated trash. But Akita abandons coherence for the 11-minute closer, “August Depression,” where the attack of percussive frequencies wards off any hopes at lyricism. Yet the tune’s relative concision leans more toward controlled free improv or paced speedcore than the utter chaos of “Run Chicken Run”.

In terms of fidelity, the live recording is a raw, grainy beaut, still capturing the ring and hollowness of Akita’s toms and the onslaught of cymbal crashes and electronics occupying the same register. The energy here is brutal but coherent. If Somei left an impression on me, it’s that there’s no metaphor for nihilism.

Akita is banging the drums as alarming as a crash landing starting with stuttering engines as “Run Chicken Run” starts of quite subtle and conform musical traditions. But as the CD continues and the first ten minutes have past we fall in usual sonic armageddon with all distortions far in the red. A thick blanket of noise is created. Rhythmic white noise grows along with the drumming into a dense mass before it will sweep around arbitrary where Akita is pummelling the knobs.

Somei is another noise excursion along the ranks of torture with grinding structures shredding the eardrums and numbing the brain. Bloody body parts are flying around in this 55 minute raging trip. “Lava” is like the eruption of a volcano, as the name makes you believe and “august Depression” is like maniacal grind core with fast drums.

Merzbow is releasing records as changing shirts but there seems a constant quality in his work like there is in the works of The Ramones or AC/DC; they seem convertible and Somei is as stunning as those recording before. Is there a special reason for purchasing Somei. The only reason is to comfort yourself with some outstanding noise when you still have not enough Merzbow candy in store.

The grim & lo-fi black ‘ n’ sliver pictures of graveyards that make up the artwork for “Somei” are very fitting for the albums lo-fi, stark & grimy garage sound which sees Merzbow offering up three lengthy noise & coarse percussion brutal work-outs. First up we have the track “Run chicken Run” which is the longest track here at just under the 25 minute mark. It all starts out with a series of panicked chicken clucking sounds and slow ‘n’ meaty feed-back muffled and choking cymbal work-outs. To which are added building & painfully birthed feedback simmers and nudges which Merzbow slowly coaxers and builds with grim delight to more heady dusty speaker muffled throbs ‘n’ purrs & sometime piercing highs. As the track progresses Merzbow starts attacking the rest of the drum kit with battering & nasty intent as the feedback hums, throbs & purrs get more pressing & building in there intent. At about the 13 minute mark things really seem to take off as a looped, deep & urgent electro pulse element takes hold in the guts of the track & seemingly the drums (which are now quite manically jungle like at times) & noise are coming at you from all angels in a wonderful claustrophobic manner. The whole track is kept nice, urgent & tense through-out it’s 25 minute & it’s a great opener to the album.

Next up is the track “Lava” which lasts around the 20 minute mark & starts out with this crowding drum run that’s over run by theses series of different shades of hissing static tones, feed-back figure of eights, and this weary sort of almost harmonic bass hum right at the base of the track; with the track starting off quite open yet still intense in it’s feel. At about the four minute mark the hissing static tones kick-in big time & the track gets denser with feed-back scores & almost harmonic swirls of grimy noise being let loose. The rest of the track shifts between the denser & hammering moments, and the more open & drum-fill lined simmers & caustic purrs.

Lastly we have “August Depression” which is the shortest track here at around the 12 minute mark. And this track goes straight for the throat from the start with thundering & quite speedy muffled drum attack which seared is by caustic rumbles & this almost turntable like scratched & almost kind of groove element over the top of it all. This surprising element really adds quite a unequal & different edge to track, as the track goes on this original element disappears to be replaced by similar sort of snarling yet definitely groovey elements. All told the tracks a great & quite surprising mix of hammering & intense drum attack , noise sheen & (for want of a better word) groovey-ness.

All told Somei is another great Mezbow record which for most of it’s life is quite grim, snarling & barbaric; but towards the last quarter of the album harmonic & groovy yet still caustic elements surface in a surprising yet very rewarding manner.