Merzbow is one of those artists I am in absolute awe of – to the extent that despite having an immense admiration and appreciation of his work, I own very little for the simple reason that his catalogue is simply too daunting. He is, of course, an unparalleled master of noise, and infinitely inventive in the ways he manufactures that noise. But is it possible to differentiate between ‘good’ and ‘not so good’ Merzbow recordings? Is there anything to be gained for the (aspiring) completist? Personally, I content myself with immersing myself in whatever squalling noise works of his which come my way, and ‘Life Performance’ is no exception.
For the completists and hardcore fans, this CD reissue of ‘Life Performance’ will be most welcome. Previously released only on cassette back in 1985 on Merzbow’s own label ZSF Produkt, and in France by Le Syndicat, it’s fair to say this is some rare material. The press release clarifies that ‘All tracks made for “Nil-Vagina Mail-Action February 85”. Recorded at Merz-bau Studio, and not ‘live’ as the title would suggest. All material taken from the original master tapes and remastered for 2016’.
With a running time in excess of an hour, this is vintage Merzbow, metaphorically and literally. Surging blasts of abrasive noise erupt in blistering, shredding swathes during the opening minutes of this album and it never stops. Squalling screeds of noise distortion like a nuclear explosion and a hurricane on the summit of Everest – simultaneously – combine to create a speaker-smashing, ear-splitting tension-inducing wall of insufferable sound beyond sound.
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Merzbow isn’t one of the leading exponents of a genre that goes by the name of ‘noise’ for nothing. But what ‘noise’ fails to convey are the infinite tones and textures the art (intentionally avoiding the term ‘music’ because of course that’s a whole other can of worms), and the analogue assault perpetrated here exploits every available tonal range on the spectrum to assail the listener’s senses.
This is a barrage that heightens the mood, instils and reflects tension. But at the same time, by allowing it to wash over you, it has the capacity to become a conduit, a channel for those feelings. Really. But that doesn’t mean I’m not clenching the fuck out of my jaw and gnawing at the insides of my cheeks like a maniac while listening to this.
Spectacularly uncompromising, it seems a fair representation of Merzbow’s work, and while some of his collaborations see the attack being a little more tempered, ‘Life Performance’ is utterly full-on and nasty in the way only Merzbow’s work can be.
Merzbow - Life Performance Online
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