You know what I hate? When people say shit like, “my true self” or “we’ll touch base.” I also hate when I’m stuck next to law school students projecting at high volumes about the philosophical foundations of tort law. But you know what I love? Noise. Brutal, gut-wrenching noise to drown out the obnoxious chatter of the world. I love it like black metal kids love spiked gauntlets. I love it like indie filmmakers love anti-climatic story lines.
I love Merzbow. What’s better than Merzbow? Not much, but when you put Merzbow (Masami Akita) and Lasse Marhaug together, you get something like Megazord. And on March 13, Megazord will be unleashed on the unsuspecting public via Editions Mego. Merzbow and Marhaug’s collaboration, Mer Mar, was recorded at GOK Sound Studios in Tokyo in 2010 and is finally set to be released in luminous and highly flammable vinyl; pre-order here.
According to Editions Mego, the record was “made using a combination of scrap metal screeching, analogue synths, and enough effect pedals to give you overweight with most airline companies.” That’s nuts.
Noise trivia:
- This isn’t the first time Akita and Marhaug have worked together. In 2001, Merzbow and Jazzkammer (Marhaug’s project with John Hegre) released a live album.
- The first release on Marhaug’s label Jazzassin Records in 1995 was the “First Rock” split single.
- Masami Akita is a hardcore vegan and has pet chickens.
- Marhaug is responsible for Mer Mar’s beautiful album art.
• Merzbow: http://merzbow.net
• Lasse Marhaug: http://www.lassemarhaug.no
• Editions Mego: http://editionsmego.com