Nasty. My head is throbbing. As a hint Akita is also known as Merzbow, the infamous Japanese artist for whom Extreme in Melbourne released a mythical 50 CD box set. Merzbow is the heart of the Japanese noise scene and has been so since its start in the early 80s. From the get go, a track called ‘Fend off your Miserable Grief’, this little EP is extreme. In recent years, Akita has picked up a laptop; before this he used mainly electronics and various pedals. Akita is joined by Russell Haswell, a British electronic musician perhaps better known for releasing on the digital noise label Mego. Haswell has also played at All Tomorrow’s parties (with Akita) and played with Aphex Twin and Autechre, which probably explains the Warp connection. The addition of Haswell makes for a more melodic noise wall than you might expect. This stuff is full of texture, grain, noise, static and general overdriven madness. That said, it is a much “easier” listen than much of the Merzbow catalogue. I am sure I can hear a bass lines at some points.
An almost sculptural storm is created on this EP. It is hard to describe why this stuff is so interesting, the academics are going mad for it at present, bringing in a touch of Lacan and post-Marxist who - ha, whilst missing I feel much of the point in their attempt. This isn’t about resistance, it is about the joy of noise and texture, about sucking in your breath and enjoying the burn. What the hell is this doing out on Warp!?
caleb~k
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