Bleak Bliss

Lasse Marhaug & Government Alpha - Headache Chocolate

C60 from two legends on Yasutoshi Yoshida's Xerxes label from 1997.

Headache Chocolate

Marhaug & Courtis – Jordslev Hojaldre

C52 ish released on Quasi Pop Records in 2007.

Lasse Marhaug and Anla Courtis (formerly of Reynols).

Jordslev Hojaldre

MCMS – The Great Golden Hive Of The Invisible

Double lathe-cut LP released on the excellent and forward thinking label/distro Eclipse Records in 2002.

MCMS were Chris Moon who runs the Last Visible Dog label and Matt Silcock. Here they offer us some great guitar driven avant-psych drone freekfolk kinda thing.

The Great Golden Hive Of The Invisible

Maria Zerfall – Kopfkrieg 1985-1995

Double CD or LP retrospective on Membrum Debile Propaganda from 2000.

Disc 1

Disc 2

Stabat Mors & Maria Zerfall / Netzach – Inferno Und Dem Garten

LP and 7 inch single on abRECt in 1997.

Maria Zerfall is actually the industrial/experimental project of Christine Weyrether.

"The meaning of name MARIA ZERFALL: it is like a little philosophy. MARIA means innocence and ZERFALL is decay of all material things (physical)."

Inferno Und Dem Garten

Various - Festival Beyond Innocence: A Brief History In 67 Chapters

Four discs featuring live recordings from the Festival Beyond Innocence, Xebec Hall, Kobe between 1996 and 2000.

This was released on Japanese label FBI Disc (ohhh, the irony!) in 2002 and as far as I can tell is thoroughly out of print.

There's far too much to say about this one ... so go here to find out who's playing.

Disc 1

Disc 2

Disc 3

Disc 4

Mason Jones - International Incident

Live recordings released on Mason's own Charnel Music in 1998 covering music from tours to Japan between 1995 and 1997.

This features contributions from Kazuyuki Kishino, Atsushi Tsuyama, Hajime Koizumi, Makoto Kawabata, Jojo Hiroshige, Seiichi Yamamoto and Akifumi Nakajima.

Seriously!

If you need any more convincing (and if you do...what the hell are you doing here?), there are more words here.

International Incident

Josh Lay - Blood In The Dark I & II

Two C20 tapes released on Nurse Etiquette in 2007. The label packed it in last year after their 99th release. Great label that made a big impact!

I was going to drop Hater Of Life but Static (just) beat me to it...

Blood In The Dark I & II

Josh Lay - Abandoned By Christ

C24 on Long Long Chaney.

Abandoned By Christ

Optrum - Recorded

Optrum are Atsuhiro Ito and Yoichiro Shin. The former featured on a Hair Stylistics live thing I posted recently.

"Optrum is the fusion of Atsuhiro Ito's guitar-like playing of a modified fluorescent tube (the Optron) and Yoichiro Shin's years of experience as a highly technical drummer; they fittingly call their sound "optical noise core"."

This is brilliant! Hold on tight!

Recorded

Coffee - Artifact / Artifact Shadow

Double CD on The Lotus Sound from 1997. Core members are John Olson, Dave Cross and Tim Poland. The latter two are also members of the Arthur Doyle Electro-Acoustic Ensemble. Here they are joined by a host of others in full on Free Improv Jazz Ensemble mode. Kinda like being inside the head of a very drunk Tom Waits (well, probably not...but...).

Artifact

Artifact Shadow

Mason Jones & Makoto Kawabata - Within A Golden Moment

AMCD-010

"Avant-garde ambient noise, with San Francisco's Mason Jones on guitar drone and Makoto Kawabata on violin."

Within A Golden Moment

Mason is a legend...quite possibly AMT's gateway drug that got them across to America in the first place. If you are in any doubt as to the respect he is held in by AMT...check the number of "thanks to Mason Jones" comments in the small print of your AMT releases! Anyway...here's a little live thing with Mason and Kawabata:

Kawabata Makoto & Mason Jones & Magnetic Lucifer - Live at Kimo's, San Francisco, 29.10.2001

Floating Flower - 1st

AMCD-009

"First release in a new series of acid folk from Acid Mothers Temple. New shamanic trip folk stars on a quest for the ultimate looseness and acidness!"

1st

Zoffy - Zo Zo Zo Zo Zoffy!!!

AMCD-008

"Second album by the psychedelic trip trad duo of Atsushi Tsuyama (Omoide Hatoba) and Makoto Kawabata (Musica Transonic). Chosen as the best album of 1998 by Hoppy Kamiyama (God Mountain) in Indies Magazine. Bizarre work overflowing with B-grade humor."

Zo Zo Zo Zo Zoffy!!!

Kawabata Makoto - Mitsuha / Kawabata Makoto Guitar Solo 2

AMCD-007

"Volume two of Kawabata's solo guitar work. Enlightened acoustic improvisations that transcend the limitations of the guitar."

Mitsuha / Kawabata Makoto Guitar Solo 2

Father Moo & The Black Sheep - Father Moo & The Black Sheep

AMCD-006

"Cult trip document by Father Moo and his handmaidens. Demonic scriptures of dubious eroticism and cultism, performed by the heretical guru Father Moo and his female disciples. Minimal acoustic works using just female chanting and drones."

Father Moo & The Black Sheep

Tsurubami - Tenkyo No To

AMCD-005

"The return of the mysterious group that Makoto Kawabata led at the same time as his involvement with Toho Sara. The group were known for their unique practice of the Chinese concepts of yin/yang and the Five Elements in order to discover the shugen-on-a-sound that travel back to the universal source of all things. Is the enlightened rapture found in the depths of the ruins the ultimate psychedelia?"

Tenkyo No To