The Gerogerigegege - Tokyo Anal Dynamite (1990)

| Harsh Noise | Japanese Ultra Shit Band |

"Fuck compose, Fuck melody, Dedicated to no one, Thanks to no one, ART IS OVER".
-Juntaro Yamanouchi

Easily the most infamous and well known release from the gerogerigegege, this one really just can't be beat, no pun intended. A little bit more than half an hour long, this album ought to come with its own built-in safety belt. If the album cover (a line of naked punk looking cartoons all simultaneously vomiting and shitting in unison) doesn't prepare you for the album, then hopefully this review will. It is basically a live recording from 1987 that is indexed into 75 (!) separate tracks. Absolutely no track is more than 1 minute long. Juntaro is listed as playing NOISE BASS and another person is listed as playing both drums and vocals. The liner notes are fairly confusing even though there is not much written to begin with aside from who is playing and when it was recorded.

This cd is generally considered to be one of the most important and highly significant releases of the entire Japanese noise scene. Even though there were about 3000 copies pressed worldwide, it seems to be one of the more difficult gero releases to get a hold of. Every song follows the same formula: "___(insert Japanese curse word, phrase, etc.)__" then a count off into short spastic bursts of pure punk-driven dissonance. Every song title is generally screamed in japanese with the occasional American cover song thrown in. Although this has always been pointed out in other reviews of this same album, hearing Juntaro (or whoever) scream, "boys-a don't-a cry!" (the cure) or "I can't-a getta no satis-a-FAK-tion!" (rolling stones) actually IS completely worth whatever amount of money one is willing to spend on obtaining this obscure gem. At one point, Juntaro screams his own name and counts off only to end the song after 20 seconds to scream his name again BACKWARDS. It is completely hysterical. Near the end of the cd, there are more drawn out feedback drones and less screaming, due to obvious reasons that one could assume.

The production is very gruff, although one can make out the drums quite well and the feedback and/or bass add an another layer of sound. There is not much left to say other than the fact that this is THE quintessential gerogerigegege release.

Catalog: VCD3 (Vis A Vis Audio Arts)
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Brian Eno - Ambient 1: Music For Airports (1978)

| Ambient | Experimental Synth-Electronic |

Ambient pioneer, glam rocker, hit producer, multimedia artist, technological innovator, worldbeat proponent, and self-described non-musician -- over the course of his long, prolific, and immensely influential career, Brian Eno was all of these things and much, much more. Determining his creative pathways with the aid of a deck of instructional, tarot-like cards called Oblique Strategies, Eno championed theory over practice, serendipity over forethought, and texture over craft; in the process, he forever altered the ways in which music is approached, composed, performed, and perceived, and everything from punk to techno to new age bears his unmistakable influence.

Ambient 1: Music for Airports is a giant leap forward in music history. A genre defining, and perhaps one of the most important albums ever made, Music for Airports is the prime early record of ambient music. Consisting of "Four Long Paintings In Form Of Music", it carries a very easy and light atmosphere during all its duration. With Piano loops, that repeats itself emotionally during the whole song, short synths, that add helps add the magic of the album, and low-volume structures, this evolving pieces gently and charmingly attack the listener's subconsciousness and drowns him into its beautifulness. A perfect album, in very all aspects.

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The Cure - Disintegration (1989)

| Gothic Rock | Post-Punk | Alternative Rock |

"I think it's dark and it looks like rain..."

Disintegration is doubtlessly The Cure's Masterpiece (other albums). It's the culmination of all musical directions Robert Smith was pursuing over with The Cure. A darkly seductive, gloomy and emotional album, filled completely of hypnotic and mesmerizing epic songs. With not a single bad song in it, Disintegration stands as one of the most amazing albums ever produced. Recorded on a highly depressive atmosphere, where the band was suffering and almost breaking up, and the member's where having lots of issues with alcohol and drugs, Disintegration is a album that don't disguise its doomed feeling. Smith treats every moment with sadness, crying and tears, even the happy and passionate ones. Every song feels desolate and hopeless, but not in a silly or childish way. The suffering here feels real in every note, every word, and every moment the impression given is that Robert is actually breaking in tears behind the mic.

Every single song here is beyond perfection. Starting with the desolate Plainsong, a huge affair to the feelings and memories that the rain bestow to our hearts. The cymbal rush sounds like little waterdrops, slowly dripping and crashing like tears on the floor. "And the wind is blowing like it's the end of the world".
Pictures of You is one of the most emotional and romantic songs I've ever listened to. Despite its gloomy and sad atmosphere, it has a very upbeat structure, and the composition stands as beautiful as the lyrics. Always makes me cry. "There was nothing in the world/that I ever wanted more/than to feel you deep in my heart."
Closedown is a very haunted song, and it almost sounds like a suicidal one, though Robert Smith wisely uses abstracted and ambiguous lyrics in order to stride from foolishness or silly sad songs. "I'm running out of time/I'm out of step and/Closing down...".
Lovesong is one of the most amazing crystals in here. The shorter song, it calls Smiths deepest feelings. A real declaration of utter love. Submitting himself to the special person, who he puts upon a pedestal and claims to be the only happiness he ever found in life, he sings straightly and with the open chest about and only about love. True and completely love. But even this passionate poetry has a very melancholic feeling, and one can always feels the helpless desolation proclaimed here. "I will always love you,/I will always love you."
Last Dance is a song now about the long gone love. A relationship that falls in cracks and shatters into little pieces, slowly, while it's tried to mask the unfulfillment. "I'm so glad you came/I'm so glad you remembered/To see how we're ending/Our last dance together"
Lullaby is one of their gothic-er songs. A beautiful piece of sharp strings arrangement, with sinister whispered vocals and a macabre and terrifying story. "For it's much too late to get away or turn on the light"
Fascination Street holds a very angered feeling, intertwined with a somewhat sensual atmosphere and, of course, broken hearts.
Prayers for Rain has a very awesome main riff, and is one of the most desperate songs in here. Desolate and gone-lunatic lyrics, in where all hope and hope and sanity is simply destroyed by a suffocating romance. "You fracture me/Your hands on me/A touch so plain/So stale it kills"
The Same Deep Water As You is one of the most beautiful songs of the century. Anger takes place to passion, and though the whole atmosphere is sad and hard to breathe, filled with failings and cracked feelings everywhere, it still clings hard to love. And in spite of everything, "...we shall be together" is singed constantly.
Disintegration then takes the anger back, though this time, the table turns. Smith sings inspiredly as a heartbreaker with no regret. "I never said I would stay to the end" he shouts frenetically.
Homesick has a nice and far guitar, and is the most distant song in the album (in a good way). Although keeping the melancholy still, this song is maybe the lighter in the whole album. "Oh just one more/And I'll walk away/All the everything you win/Turns to nothing today".
Untitled has a very touching synth use, and brings back the self-depreciation and the hopelessness. Despite its upbeat atmosphere, Robert Smith's lyrics and singing keeps the lost love as self-destroying and grief as possible. "Never quite managed the words to explain to you/Never quite knew how to make them believable/And now the time has gone".

"I'll never lose this pain
Never dream of you again"

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Hijokaidan ( 非常階段 ) - Zouroku No Kibyou ( 蔵六の奇病 ) (1982)

| Harsh Noise | Psychedelic |

This is maybe one of Hijokaidan's most popular records (other albums here). It's pretty intense, though some songs aren't very much noisy as they should be (we're talking about the 'King of Noise', Hijokaidan, after all). It isn't very much consistent, it's much more a compilation of live tracks recorded around. Despite, the album has a very wicked and harsh atmosphere.

The opening track is my favorite here, though I don't think it's pretty much a 'track'. It consists of 1:20min of a guy vomiting. I love the ending, when people start clapping to his vomit ahaha. The second track is very noisy, but the third is just some weird psychedelic song. The other tracks sound like attempts to produce real songs, where they just give up at some point and fill those with a fucking loud noise. It's a nice record, showing Hijokaidan's psychedelic moves, but not as noisy as I think it should be.

Catalog: OUT-4 (Unbalance)
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Shizuka ( 静香 ) - Live Shizuka (1995)

| Psychedelic Rock | Noise Rock |

Another shinny gem from the japanese underground scene, this Live record is Shizuka's second CD (Discography). Though their early sound has much more approach to the psychedelic rock than to the experimental or noise rock, one can feel the enhancement from their roots on this album. The characteristic melancholy is still everywhere around, and though most of the songs follow the same pattern of 'melancholic instrumental - sad vocals - angry guitar solo bursting everything around', it's a very consistent record and every track sounds special in their way.

"Glass Ribbon Unraveled" is maybe the portrait of "Live Shizuka". The song grows slowly and moody from oceanic guitar strums and affectioned vocal into a very loud and explosive solo. "Heavenly Persona" version here is much more incredible than the album version, with an extended solo and a very nice bass line. "Planning for Loneliness" is exactly how the title suggest, maybe the most calm and emotional song in the whole album, and the longest one too. Though it doesn't grow as furious as other tracks, holding the melancholy and sadness during the whole song, it's maybe the most beautiful in "Live Shizuka".

Catalog: PNG-1 (Persona Non Grata)
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Hijokaidan ( 非常階段 ) - Modern (1989)

| Harsh Noise |

After weeks and weeks of search, I've finally got my hands in this gem. Modern is basically the same output of Romance, a huge 74min mind-fucker monster of noise, Hijokaidan at its best (other albums here).

This 'song' is one of the most loud things I've ever heard in life. You can feel all the rage and destruction even if you put the volume at the lowest. Screams everywhere, high-pitched buzz mixed with lots of blasting distortion, it's hard to believe that we have only a guitar and a bass on this (in fact, it's hard to believe that those 'things' are really a guitar and bass). Despite, I still like Romance more, maybe because of its volcanic electronics. Still, Modern feels a lot more raw and uncontrollable, and has lots more of spirit than Romance.

Catalog: ARCD-004 (Alchemy Records)
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Keiji Haino ( 灰野敬二 ) - Light And Darkness Melting Into One Vibration (2003)

| Avant-Garde | Experimental Classical Guitar |
| Free-Jazz |

With 70-minute, Hikari Yami Uchitokeaishi Konohibiki contains three long tracks of Keiji Haino going solo on the acoustic guitar with nary a melody or a vocal chord in sight (Haino's other albums). We’re talking straight-up free improvisation here, people! Featuring sections of almost meditative quiet that are rudely interrupted by dry, dissonant juts and jabs–plus all kinds of abstract, complex picking sprinkled all over the place–the playing on this album is obviously influenced by free improv pioneer Derek Bailey without sounding like an outright bite.

My favorite track is the 3rd. Ranging through 22min, it's passionate non-pattern strikes with both silence and noise. While resting and feeling the air at some instants, on others Keiji delivers a huge blast of string-breakers strums. This song is completely about the feeling, and improvisation takes higher degrees on the whole album.

Catalog: PSFD-8017 (P.S.F. Records)
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The Jesus And Mary Chain - Psychocandy (1985)

| Noise Rock | Post-Punk | Alternative Rock |
| Shoegaze |

Like the Velvet Underground, their most obvious influence, the chart success of the Jesus and Mary Chain was virtually nonexistent, but their artistic impact was incalculable; quite simply, the British group made the world safe for white noise, orchestrating a sound dense in squalling feedback which served as an inspiration to everyone from My Bloody Valentine to Dinosaur Jr. Though the supporting players drifted in and out of focus, the heart of the Mary Chain remained vocalists and guitarists William and Jim Reid, Scottish-born brothers heavily influenced not only by underground legends like the Velvets and the Stooges but also by the sonic grandeur and pop savvy of Phil Spector and Brian Wilson. In the Jesus and Mary Chain, which the Reids formed outside of Glasgow in 1984 with bassist Douglas Hart and drummer Murray Dalglish (quickly replaced by Bobby Gillespie), these two polarized aesthetics converged; equal parts bubblegum and formless guitar distortion, their sound both celebrated pop conventions and thoroughly subverted them.

Arguably Psychocandy is an album with one trick and one trick alone -- Beach Boys melodies meet Velvet Underground feedback and beats, all cranked up to ten and beyond, along with plenty of echo. However, what a trick it is. Following up on the promise of the earliest singles, the Jesus and Mary Chain with Psychocandy arguably created a movement without meaning to, one that itself caused echoes in everything from bliss-out shoegaze to snotty Britpop and back again. The best tracks were without question those singles, anti-pop yet pure pop at the same time: "Just Like Honey," starting off like the Ronettes heard in a canyon and weirdly beautiful with its bells, "You Trip Me Up" and its slinking sense of cool, and most especially "Never Understand." Storming down like a rumble of bricks wrapped in cotton candy and getting more and more frenetic at the end, when there's nothing but howls and screaming noise, it's one hell of a track. However, at least in terms of sheer sonic violence and mayhem, most of the other cuts were pretty hard to beat, as sprawling, amped-up messes like "The Living End" (which later inspired both a band and a movie title) and "In a Hole." "My Little Underground" is actually the secret gem on the album, with a great snarling guitar start, an almost easygoing melody and a great stuttering chorus -- not quite the Who but not quite anything else. What the Reids sing about -- entirely interchangeable combinations regarding girls, sex, drugs, speed, and boredom in more or less equal measure -- is nothing compared to the perfectly disaffected way those sentiments are delivered. Bobby Gillespie's "hit the drums and then hit them again" style makes Moe Tucker seem like Neil Peart, but arguably in terms of sheer economy he doesn't need to do any more.

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Keiji Haino ( 灰野敬二 ) - Reveal'd To None As Yet - An Expedience To Utterly Vanquish Consciousness While Still Alive (2006)

| Avant-Garde | Experimental Electronic | Noise |
| Psychedelic | Drone | Experimental Hurdy-Gurdy |

Recorded live in Japan at Super Deluxe on April 7, 2005 and mastered by fellow experimental guitarist James Plotkin, Reveal’d to None as Yet is a fancy pants two-disc set released by, appropriately enough, two different American psych / noise labels, aRCHIVE and Important. Now, that’s entertainment! I mean collaboration! (Haino's other albums)

Disc one is packed to the gills with one long track full of Keiji Haino brutalizing the theremin-like air synth that we first encountered on his similar Tangled up In the Universe, My Pain album, which was released earlier in 2005 on PSF. Once again, the listener is battered by a whole airplane hangar’s worth of craggy, whining, sputtering electronic mayhem. But, this time, Haino’s occasional mysterious vocal cords add an air of instant familiarity to the hectic proceedings. All kinds of reverberant bass drum samples boom away as muffled tornadoes, menacing swirling dervishes and headache-inducing scouring pads unfurl all over the place. And it’s all supported by the most grating drones this side of Cluster’s gaseous explosions.

On the second disc, Haino continues the hurdy gurdy drone fest atmosphere that first appeared on his PSF album The 21st Century Hard-y Guide-y Man back in 1995. Providing some really pleasant counterpoint to the chaos of disc one, the ebb and flow of the sound fabric here is, surprisingly, occasionally halted and replaced with knocks upon the instrument’s body and a few choice string plucks. This novel stop ‘n’ go action is the exception, though, as the shrill, raspy string fluctuations and pillow hoverings on cloud nine meshed with Haino’s gently cooing vocals continue unabated for most of the track’s duration.

Catalog: archive14+15, imprec074 (aRCHIVE, Important Records)
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The Smiths - Strangeways, Here We Come (1987)

| Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Indie Rock |

Recorded as the relationship between Morrissey and Johnny Marr was beginning to splinter, Strangeways, Here We Come is the most carefully considered and elaborately produced album in the group's catalog (other albums here). Though it aspires greatly to better "The Queen Is Dead", it falls just short of its goals. With producer Stephen Street, the Smiths created a subtly shaded and skilled album, one boasting a fuller production than before. Morrissey and Marr also labored hard over the songs, working to expand the Smiths' sound within their very real boundaries. For the most part, they succeed.

"I Started Something I Couldn't Finish," "Girlfriend in a Coma," "Stop Me if You Think You've Heard This One Before," and "I Won't Share You" are classics, while "A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours," "Death of a Disco Dancer," and "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" aren't far behind. However, the songs also have a tendency to be glib and forced, particularly on "Unhappy Birthday" and the anti-record company "Paint a Vulgar Picture," which has grown increasingly ironic in the wake of the Smiths' and Morrissey's love of repackaging the same material in new compilations. Still, "Strangeways" is a graceful way to bow out. While it doesn't match "The Queen Is Dead", it is far from embarrassing and offers a summation of the group's considerable strengths.

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