Bleak Bliss: November 2013

Kazunao Nagata - The World of Electronic Sound

The mysterious Kazunao Nagata runs the somewhat mainstream dance-music label Transonic and plays in the rather friendly drum'n'bass/techno/disco band Fantastic Explosion. But if that's all he did, his four solo albums would not be here at Bleak Bliss. For a short while in the late 1990's, Transonic had a small sub-label called Zero Gravity, which produced a handful of albums that are unlike any other music I can think of. All are adorned with impeccably-designed cover art that resembles a mid-1970's conception of what the future might look like, bold colors set on (mostly) white backgrounds, almost menacingly sterile. The music is maybe an outgrowth of ambient techno, but taken in a direction that no other travelers have followed.

Nagata himself only ever made four solo albums, all published on Zero Gravity and all titled The World of Electronic Sound. The first one is the most normal (relatively speaking, anyway), but the next three veer off into territory for which there are no adequate descriptive words. The sounds are as stark and brutally clinical as the graphic design, and yet... somehow... there's something else happening. I'm not sure what it is.

It's a shame Nagata didn't make any more albums like these... as far as I can tell, he only does the techno thing these days. But I suppose if you make four albums as fascinating and inscrutable as these, you've earned the right to sit back, take it easy and make disco for awhile.

Kazunao Nagata - The World of Electronic Sound

Kazunao Nagata - The World of Electronic Sound 2 (In Concert 1996 & 1997)

Here we go. Nagata stretches out with a document of two live extra-planetary explorations.

Kazunao Nagata - The World of Electronic Sound 2 (In Concert 1996 & 1997)

Kazunao Nagata - The World of Electronic Sound 3

Shorter tracks on this installment, more song-like than volumes 2 and 4 but no less thrilling.

Kazunao Nagata - The World of Electronic Sound 3

Kazunao Nagata - The World of Electronic Sound 4

The furthest out of all Nagata's solo albums (all of which are further out than most), The World of Electronic Sound 4 contains one massive, brutally cosmic track called "History of Showa".

Kazunao Nagata - The World of Electronic Sound 4

Seiji Nagai & α - Electronic Noise Improvisation 1999

Solo noise from a former Taj Mahal Traveller, who shifted to India when the group disbanded in the mid-1970's. As far as I can tell, this is the only album he's produced since then. α is a pseudonym for Minoru Yonemoto, whose output seems to be limited to a 3"CDr (unheard by me) and a split lathe-cut 8" record with Eso Steel.

Seiji Nagai & α - Electronic Noise Improvisation 1999

Nerve Net Noise - 160/240

So you think you're tough, do ya? You like harsh noise? Yeah? No problem for you, is it toughie? Well, get ready to weep. You cannot make it through this album. It's not that the music is even particularly harsh. It is not aggressive. The sleeve is entirely white, no imagery for helpless listeners to grab onto. The sound is merciless: two synthesizers bleeping dispassionately, one synth on each half-hour track and zero human interaction. Indeed, no humanity at all. The only other sound you'll hear is the soft sobbing coming out of your defeated face after five minutes.

Oh, but I'm mistaken. There will be another sound, though you won't be able to make it out very well. Listen closely, and you might be able to discern the distant echo of derisive chuckling. Hear it? Good. That would be me, laughing at you. You said you were tough. Look at you now. Reduced to blubbering by a little album of music. Pathetic.

Nerve Net Noise - 160/240

Sonic Boom - The Art of Sound

A 2xCD compilation that came inside the catalogue for an exhibition at Hayward Gallery, London, called Sonic Boom: The Art of Sound, curated by David Toop in 2000. The catalogue itself is a well-designed hard-bound book full of photos and essays. If sound art and/or art-leaning music interests you, the book is well worth seeking out. The CDs by themselves, though, are interesting on their own, with tracks by Christian Marclay, Ken Ikeda, Scanner, Christina Kubisch, Lee Ranaldo, Ryoji Ikeda, Disinformation, Phillip Jeck, Rafael Toral, Max Eastley, John Oswald, Brian Eno, Angela Bulloch, Thomas Koner, Ian Walton & Russell Mills, Paul Schutze, Pan Sonic, Project DARK, Paul Burwell, and more.

va - Electronic Music Festival

The granddaddy of all Zero Gravity releases, "Electronic Music Festival" succinctly demonstrates everything about the label that merits the slack-jawed admiration/disbelief with which it is commonly greeted. Label boss Kazunao Nagata starts it off with a solo slab of serious bloop, setting the tone with an atmosphere of... well, whatever you'd call it. I'm not sure, except that it only exists on Zero Gravity. Then we get similarly cosmic synth snarls from Utah Kawasaki (who has since made a name for himself in the Off-Site/Hibari improv orbit), Trio Rakant (in which protagonist Aikaiwa is joined by a gentlman who calls himself God Nagato... and who am I to argue?), and bass drone master Tamaru. This is followed by a gob-smacking white-hot blast of WTF by the mighty Nerve Net Noise. If that's not all, the album ends with a massive session which combines the talents of nearly everyone who appeared previously in one mega-team-up, culminating in a display of analog glory that loosens planets from orbit and sends them all hurtling into deep space.

va - Electronic Music Festival

Trio Rakant - Kokorosususu

As with all albums on Zero Gravity, "Kokorosusususu" is an hour of brain-expanding synth confusion. The artist behind this one-man "trio" is Akaiwa, who you also probably (don't) know as DJ Stone Free and Strange Garden.

Trio Rakant - Kokorosususu

Yoshimitsu Ichiraku - The Music of Surround Panner

The in-demand jazz/improv drummer (Icharaku is the I in I/S/O) puts down his sticks and picks up what sounds like a roomful of synthesizers for a scorching set of eardrum-tickling madness. On Zero Gravity, the only appropriate home for a head-spinner as far out as this.

Yoshimitsu Ichiraku - The Music of Surround Panner

va - Far East Experimental Sounds: Sounds of Fantasy

Wonderful 2xCD compilation of sub-sub-sub-underground noise/ambient weirdness from Far East Experimental Sounds, a label that was run by the late Takehito Nakezato. Features long tracks by Tagomago (half of the great Nerve Net Noise), drone bassist Tamaru, 8kg, Computer Soup, Bukatu, and Taka Sato.

disc 1
disc 2

Anemone Tube / Hunger‎ - Split

C40 featuring Jörg Hochapfel, Christoph Rothmeier and Karsten Hochapfel alongside Anemone Tube on Stefan's Transfixional Entertainment label from 1997.

Anemone Tube / Hunger‎

Anemone Tube / Tender Love‎ - Inflicted Domain / Blasting Secret Combinations

Apparently Tender Love‎ was the work of M. Headache. This is a C56 split tape on his Inner Space Records label from 1998.

Inflicted Domain / Blasting Secret Combinations

Yggdrasil / Anemone Tube‎ - Wald

C44 featuring Yggdrasil (aka Michael Krause) and Anemone Tube‎ on Transfixional Entertainment from 1998.

Wald

Tarkatak / Anemone Tube‎ - Split

This features Tarkatak (aka Lutz Pruditsch) reworking Anemone Tube‎ (aka Stefan Hanser) alongside original Anemone Tube‎ work.

Split CDr jointly released on Lutz's Trümmer Kassetten and Stefan's Transfixional Entertainment labels.

Tarkatak / Anemone Tube‎

Last Rape / Pollutive Static‎ - Split

Split CDr featuring Richard Ramirez and Sean E. Matzus' Last Rape project and Hal Hutchinson's Pollutive Static‎. Released on Love Earth Music in 2011.

Last Rape / Pollutive Static‎

Mania / Hal Hutchinson - Split

C30 featuring Keith Brewer's Mania. Released on Hal's deceased Der Bünker Records in 2011.

Mania / Hal Hutchinson

Earhate / Hal Hutchinson‎ - Split

Split CDr featuring Ryan O'Neill's Earhate project. Released on Smell The Stench.

Earhate / Hal Hutchinson‎

Zenith - All That Remains: The Surviving Records Of "VCR Static Death"

Zenith, (based on the electronics brand of the same name) is a Wisconsin based HNW project. The project has been on hold for about two years now and the final release is still up in the air.

All That Remains compiles the first forays into 'VCRHNW,' noise walls made by capturing static from a VCR (the Zenith 4110) on different tape recorders and fed through a TV to manipulate volume levels and create different types of wall noise. This was released by the great and sadly defunct PigDurt Productions in 2010 in an edition of ten. Two C60s and a C40 full of noise walls.

Zenith also recorded as FAP and My Lovely Figment. He was also responsible for the excellent Dictafawn microcassette label. Although the label no longer releases, the entire catlogue is available for free download on it's Bandcamp page.

Zenith went on to release a CDr on Slow Death Records in 2011 (available for free here) and, speaking of Dictafawn, a solo microcassette the same year.

Tape 1

Tape 2

Tape 3

Caligine, Li Jianhong & Zhu Xiaolong - Shiyun / Yuxuan

Caligne is the brainchild of Gabriele de Seta who is joined by a revolving collective of musicians who number approximately fifteen across his releases since around 2008.

This is a double 5" CDr set on Nothing Out There from this year. On this release, Caligne are joined by Chinese legends Li Jianhong & Zhu Xiaolong.

The first disc has Caligine alongside Li Jianhong (and you already know that I love Li Jianhong). It really is a beautiful piece of live recording...imagine Sunburned and NNCK with some gentle electronics...you're nearly there...and then the 20 minute final track expands and explodes into a different dimension...

The second disc has Caligne alongside Zhu Xiaolong. Zhu Xiaolong used to be the guitarist with Tongue. If you know his work from there then this will be a surprise. This live piece is Sir Richard Bishop sitting on a beach as the sun goes down. It's the vision of Derek Bailey with a slanted doff of the cap to Jean-Baptiste Reinhardt...the occasional voice in the background is Zhu Xiaolong's young son Yu Xuan by the way...so if you ever doubted that this was recorded live...

Nothing Out There is run by Constantin Dubois. He is one half of the magnificent Przewalski's Horses (alongside Aurélie Brouet). He also records as Draisine and you should check that out as well!

This masterpiece is still for sale and you can find it via the label site. Frankly you should just go and buy this now. Nothing Out There has the same creative aesthetic as the deeply missed aRCHIVE label which means that as much love goes into the packaging and the design as goes into the actual music.

Sometimes, blogging seems to be a competition to see how far you can piss into a strong wind. And then something takes your feet out from underneath you. This is one such thing. About three weeks ago, Gabriele just sent me this out of a blue clear sky. No ulterior motives on his part. No requests for promotion or anything like that. Just here it is, do you want to post it? I asked him to check it with Constantin before I considered posting it and he was equally happy with this going ahead.

I have been sitting on this for about three weeks. I would have posted it sooner but I just couldn't stop listening to it. I have to say that I am proud to be in a position to post such a wonderful thing!

[I forgot to mention that Gabriele also runs Monstres Par Excès.]

Shiyun

Yuxuan

Caligine - Minimalia, Vol. 1

3" CDr released on Monstres Par Excès in 2008.

Minimalia, Vol. 1

Caligine - Minimalia, Vol. 2

3" CDr released on Monstres Par Excès in 2009.

Minimalia, Vol. 2

Darren Tate - Remains

This album, published in a small self-released edition of 150 copies, collects some of Darren Tate's earliest music from 1985 and 1986, remastered in 2004.

Darren Tate - Remains

Darren Tate - 3/3/06

Just like it says on the package, this CDR was sold at a performance in Preston on 3 March 2006 at the Integration 5 event. Tate made 75 signed and numbered copies. You were not at that concert.

Darren Tate - 3/3/06

Darren Tate - Time Lag

More lovely drone by Darren Tate, this time from a CDR self-released by the artist in an edition of 50 copies in 2005.

Darren Tate - Time Lag

Darren Tate, Daisuke Suzuki, & Kathleen Vance - Trees Kissing Trees

Placid, arboreal smoochfest from 2005.

Darren Tate, Daisuke Suzuki, & Kathleen Vance - Trees Kissing Trees

Darren Tate - Strange Artifact

One big slice of warm drone pie, self-published on Tate's Fungal label in a run of 100 copies in 2004.

Darren Tate - Strange Artifact

G*Park - One Hour as Bernel and Hoffman

Originally recorded as part of the Resonance 104.4 FM "One Hour As..." radio series, then reissued as a limited CDR by Tochnit-Aleph.

G*Park - One Hour as Bernel and Hoffman

Greg Kelley - One Hour as Something That Didn't Turn Out The Way I Intended It To (I'm Not Anti-Music, Music's Anti-Me)

Another title recorded for Resonance 104.4 FM's "One Hour As..." program, this one is a black hole of negative energy. It was reissued as a CDR by Chocolate Monk in 2007.

Greg Kelley - One Hour as Something That Didn't Turn Out The Way I Intended It To (I'm Not Anti-Music, Music's Anti-Me)

... As...

In 2002, the London Musicians' Collective established Resonance104.4FM, "the world's first art radio station". For several years, it ran a program titled "One Hour As...", in which artists were asked to create an hour of audio intended for broadcast. A few of these have since been reissued as official releases, but most have not. Then in 2004, the program released this double-CDR compilation, simply titled "... as ...". Artists include Reiko A., Joe Colley, Yannick Dauby, Seth Nehil, Utah Kawasaki, Michael Schumacher, RLW, Loren Chasse, Zbigniew Karkowski, Bruce Russell, Eric La Casa, Kuwayama Kiyoharu, Matt Shoemaker, Rudolf Eb.er, and more.

... as ...

Only Seven Days Left...

Ever Died And Gone To Heaven?

Today, I have been studiously avoiding doing anything that I actually "need" to be doing. What a truly fantastic non-choice that turned out to be!!!

I almost literally stumbled across this!

Two days in London hearing the finest Japanese artists? No brainer.

Could it possibly get any better than this?

Well, good friends, it gets infinately better! There is a funding campaign set up to support the delights on offer. The gig goes ahead regardless...but just look what you can get if you act in the next 10 days!

For a measley $10 minimum, you get a set of unreleased downloads from these artists.

For a truly wonderful minimum of $30, you will eventually get (what looks like it will be) a 10 disc boxset of mastered recordings of all of the live joy that will happen over those two days!

I've bought both of the above as well as tickets for both days. I've even booked my hotel room already!

Even if you have no chance of being in London...to get this amount of never to be released Japanese joy for $40? It would be ridiculous not to!!!

Be warned: as I write now, there are only ten days left of this offer ... move yo ass!

Various‎ - Density 100 Part II

Double C52 compilation featuring four works by Yellow Cab (Michio Teshima, owner of Vanilla Records), Pain Jerk (Kohei Gomi) MSBR (Koji Tano) and Hyper Ventilation (Akifumi Nakajima and Dub Murashita who also recorded as Loop Circuit).

Released on Akifumi Nakajima's G.R.O.S.S. label on Christmas Day in 1994.

Tape 1

Tape 2

Various - Density 100

Double C52 compilation featuring four works by Thirdorgan (Akihiro Shimizu), Mortal Vision (Hiroshi Hasegawa aka Astro), Monde Bruits (Shohei Iwasaki) and Aube (Akifumi Nakajima).

Released on Akifumi Nakajima's G.R.O.S.S. label on Christmas Day in 1993.

Tape 1

Tape 2

Various‎ - Demonic Freak Scene

Very entertaining garagepsych compilation featuring the many talents of The Go-Devils, Bait Ones and Acid Eater!

CD released on Osaka based Time Bomb Records in 2006.

Demonic Freak Scene

Other People's Children & The Cherry Point - Split

Split tape of harsh noise from 2004, released by Collective Jyrk in a case covered in glitter that looks snazzy until the little glitter bits fall off onto everything and leave a glitter trail that sticks to other tapes and is rather annoying to clean up. This digital version contains only noise and no glitter. As is expected, the title of The Cherry Point's side is hilarious: "Blood Pours From My Fucking Skull". Sure it does.

OPC/TCP - Split

Can't/Kites - Split

Synth squelch madness from 2002, this tape features Can't (aka synth-building scientist Jessica Rylan) on one side, and Kites (aka influential comics artist Christopher Forgues/C.F., who today records as Mark Lord and Daily Life) on the other. It's an early recording for both of them. The tape is only the 3rd release on Forgues' Unskilled Labor imprint, and predates Rylan releasing music under her own name. It's great-looking, too. The purple-painted cassette comes with a metal butterfly inside (?), and the case is sealed with a gold starburst sticker. Punk sci-fi bloop for analog heads.

Can't/Kites - Split

Torturing Girl‎ - Torturing Girl

Firstly, this is what happens when Torturing Nurse meets Alo Girl!

Secondly, this is an LP from 2011 on the greatest noise label in the world! Obviously, it's Urashima!

Thirdly, this is only a rip and it sounds so much better on the actual vinyl...

Fourthly, it makes me wet myself in a good way!

Fifthly, sorry for the images that came with Fourthly...

Torturing Girl

Anemone Tube‎ - Forget Heaven / Angel Falls

Anemone Tube is the dark ambient noise work of Stefan Hanser. Things went quiet on the AT front for quite a while but it's all back on and you really should check the new split with Dissecting Table.

Double cdr released on Solipsism in 2000. Solipsism was a great offshoot of Patrick O'Neil's Self Abuse Records. This is a compilation of previously released work which you can figure out here (it saves my typing finger).

Forget Heaven / Angel Falls

Dead Machines‎ - The Night Terrors

These are three 3"cdrs released on Chondritic Sound. The first was in 2003 with the remainder coming out in 2006.

[About 3 years ago, Greh fell into "a little difficulty". I bought the Steel Trap boxset with the Darksmith, Hive Mind, Work/Death and Bloomer tapes. And, then nothing happened. I stayed in touch and Greh promised to sort things out. It took about 14 months but sure enough he is a man of his word! Chondritic Sound is back to its glorious best and you should visit soon!]

The Night Terrors

The Night Terrors - Vol. 2

The Night Terrors - Vol. 3

Kites - Vol. 4: Execution Style

2003 cassette by Kites (aka comics artist Christopher Forgues), in a handsome white-on-white silkscreened sleeve.

Kites - Vol. 4: Execution Style

The Dwark Band

Self-titled cassette by The Dwark Band (aka Aaron Dilloway) from 2004, originally released by Hanson Records in an edition of 50 copies.

In Girum Imus Nocte Et Consumimur Igni

Mammoth seven cdr set of fine European HNW artists released on Bosnia and Herzegovina's Zvukovina label in 2010 in an edition of 30.

The label is / was run by Andreas Brandal, Neven Misaljević and Ela Vuk. The sound arm of the label is currently in hibernation and they are focusing on graphic works. Hopefully there will be more noise coming soon.

These discs feature Namazu Dantai (Sascha Mandler), Ptomain (Steffen Cordts), Terminal Erection (Nicola Vinciguerra who you also know as Fecalove), Drevne Bolesti (who are Andreas Brandal and Neven Misaljević who you will also know as Smrznik), Placenta Lyposuction (Harold Gojani who also records as Taklamakan), Die Reitenden Leichen (Matthias Mützlitz) and TFT (Alessio Mininel).

There is a comprehensive review of the release here (which saves me a lot of time).

p.s. check Andreas Brandal's bandcamp page

01 Namazu Dantai - Ingi

02 Ptomain - Rumimusnoc

03 Terminal Erection - Te

04 Drevne Bolesti - Etcon

05 Placenta Lyposuction - Sumi

06 Die Reitenden Leichen - Murig

07 TFT - Ni

John Hudak - Think

Another early John Hudak cassette, this beauty came out on Sound of Pig in 1987.

John Hudak - Think

Merzbow & Das Konzentrat - Ars Electroica

Split c60 on Drahtfunk-Products from 1991. One side is by Das Konzentrat, a German group also known as Telepherique. The other side is by an obscure Japanese artist who I don't think ever recorded anything else. He just fell off the map after this tape. It's too bad, because his side really shows potential. I guess he didn't have anything else left to say.

Merzbow & Das Konzenstrat - Ars Electroica

John Hudak - Blackening

One of the very earliest cassettes by John Hudak, two side-long tape/synth industrial workouts from 1986.

John Hudak - Blackening

John Hudak - Wind Rain and Cloud to Human Beings

Two more sessions of deep tapeloop hypnosis from a cassette released by Sound of Pig in 1989.

John Hudak - Wind Rain and Cloud to Human Beings

John Hudak - Mover Head

Beautiful tape mulch by one of the hometaper kings of the US 80's/90's, the prolific John Hudak. Mover Head contains two side-long pieces, each consisting of just a few sounds that cycle neatly over and around each other for thirty minutes... no build-up, no wind-down, only deeply lysergic stasis. The second side, "Participants", is a high point in Hudak's vast catalog. It seems to be made from the sounds of children playing basketball in a gymnasium. There's a specific reverberation one hears in a school gym that smears away the sonic details of squeaking sneakers and shouts of play. Can you recall that sound from when you were a kid? Okay, good. Now focus on it intently, and stare directly into the sun for half an hour. Perfect.

Originally released in 1987 by Sound of Pig.

John Hudak - Mover Head

Swans‎ - Children Of God

This was released in 1987 as a double LP. This was during the time where I had to rely on inspirational fanatics to get this kind of American music released in Europe...imagine that these days...hearing rumour...having to buy expensive imported vinyl to even get the chance to hear it...

And the Europeans stepped up and allowed us to hear these kind of things...a complete revelation as we were given access...how times change!

Anyway...I bought this as soon as it came into my city (immediately) and I quickly had my ticket to see Swans on the Children Of God tour at the International in Manchester. I was aware of the earlier more "industrial" releases but this release and seeing it live? Changed my life! Believe me...seeing Swans delivering this at the time felt like being impaled by a celestial spike. I haven't changed my mind! If I ever got around to making a personally definitive list of the greatest music ever made (which I do frequently...I just can't agree with myself) then this would be right up there!

I assume that people know about this. I assume people know what I know (which is irrational). If you have ever heard this then I don't doubt that you own it already. If not, take some time out and immerse yourself!

There are things that hit you just at the right time and then change you forever...this is one of mine.

As far as I am concerned, this is one of the greatest pieces of art. EVER!

Swans are still very active and I have seen them quite a lot over the past few years. They are currently crowd sourcing for the delights that they are in the process of producing. The money is to provide some food and shelter so that they can concentrate on the glory that is Swans. You should check it out on Michael Gira's Young God Records. I've already committed and already have my physical copy of Not Here / Not Now (number 1974 in case you need to know).

Do It!

Children Of God

Bardo Pond‎ - Vol. 1

CDr released in 2000.

These self-released recordings largely feature the band pulling out some excellent jam sessions that were either sold on tour or via their own Hummingbird Mountain label. They were usually in editions of a hundred or so and are all long gone!

Bardo Pond are simply one of the great psych rock outfits who fortunately reward us with their longevity and keep releasing great work. They have just released the "Peace On Venus" LP on Fire Records which you really should buy straight away!

"I heard someone comment recently that the limits of music have now been defined, bracketed by John Cage's silence at one end and Merzbow's maximum noise at the other, leaving only the option of filling the spaces in between. Bardo Pond demonstrate how much scope there is to innovate within that continuum. If rock music is to have any relevance in the new millennium, it is bands like Bardo Pond that will make it so." Tony Dale

Vol. 1

Bardo Pond‎ - Vol. II

This is the only one of the "series" that was released as a CD although there were some handmade cdr copies made. In 2001.

Vol. II

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