10x6=60CD BOX / 60-2=58th DISC / https://www.albumoftheyear.org/user/chtc/album/701857-10x660cd-box/
A collection of rehearsals for live performances in Japan and abroad, using rhythm and bass patterns from Merzbird and Merzbuddha. 2 pieces of nothing interesting really, I bet the albums themselves are at least a bit better.
10x6=60CD BOX / 60-3=57th DISC / https://www.albumoftheyear.org/user/chtc/album/701857-10x660cd-box/
We get some chicken and duck noises on the first two tracks. The third one is an outtake of Deaf Composition from Turmeric and the fourth one is a live rehearsal using riffs from Bariken.
Plasma Omalu isn't a straight up assault, nice! Yono consists of a loop overlayed with modulated chicken noises, they're doing the real work on this track. Deaf Composition #3 is tinny, sometimes it ... read more
10x6=60CD BOX / 60-4=56th DISC / https://www.albumoftheyear.org/user/chtc/album/701857-10x660cd-box/
Outtakes and a long mix from Sphere. John Zorn requested a drum-based album and that's why the thing exists. Masami took out a snare drum out of the closet and recorded himself playing in a corner.
On the first three tracks it's the (sampled) drums that are dominating, the noise being in the background.
Fragment is pretty droney and it's the long mix of Sphere Pt. 3 where the ... read more
10x6=60CD BOX / 60-5=55th DISC / https://www.albumoftheyear.org/user/chtc/album/701857-10x660cd-box/
A reissue after so much unreleased material, what a surprise! As the plus sign in the title suggests there's a bonus track here. (Well I guess there were those tracks from splits before but whatever.)
All three tracks are different experiences: 1633 A is full of repetitive noise assaults. 1633 B has junk sounds going on at the beginning then turning into a more minimal repetitive noise. The ... read more
10x6=60CD BOX / 60-6=54th DISC / https://www.albumoftheyear.org/user/chtc/album/701857-10x660cd-box/
More loop heavy than it's predecessor and now it's two tracks, not one. Yeah, the first volume was much more interesting.
10x6=60CD BOX / 60-7=53rd DISC / https://www.albumoftheyear.org/user/chtc/album/701857-10x660cd-box/
Another massive single track, actually doing something throughout it's duration, there's a lesser focus on repetition.
Tenshinkaku is still better than this at the end of the day.
10x6=60CD BOX / 60-8=52nd DISC / https://www.albumoftheyear.org/user/chtc/album/701857-10x660cd-box/
Outtakes from SCSI Duck. When are we gonna get NVMe Duck?
Do I even have something to say that I didn't say already about some of the previous discs from the laptop era? No.
10x6=60CD BOX / 60-9=51st DISC / https://www.albumoftheyear.org/user/chtc/album/701857-10x660cd-box/
A studio rehearsal for Metamorphose 2003, an outdoor festival. It's related to the album Yoshinotsune but I haven't heard that one so I can't tell you how much. Also a remix of the track Ab Hunter.
It begins with a repeating thumping drum with some noise around it. The 57 minute long track slowly shifts and eventually becomes rhythmic, hell yeah! Not a special Merz release but I ... read more
10x6=60CD BOX / 60-10=50th DISC / https://www.albumoftheyear.org/user/chtc/album/701857-10x660cd-box/
Something like Mighty Ace as it's a single 50 minute track but without all the crazy changes that and Tenshinkaku had. You guys love stacked loops just looping and looping, right? I think that the liner notes from Slowdown are more interesting at this point, and much shorter.
10x6=60CD BOX / 60-11=49th DISC / https://www.albumoftheyear.org/user/chtc/album/701857-10x660cd-box/
We're going vegan with this one 🔥🔥
All of these were recorded in March 2001 on the same day, the third track was included on a split with Struggle For Pride. The first two are pretty subdued actually, that's a nice change I guess.
The release overall still isn't all that interesting, especially the last track with it's loops.
10x6=60CD BOX / 60-12=48th DISC / https://www.albumoftheyear.org/user/chtc/album/701857-10x660cd-box/
A track from a split with Statik and other stuff from the sessions. Loop based and it's ass holy shit now I know how laptop era haters feel.
10x6=60CD BOX / 60-13=47th DISC / https://www.albumoftheyear.org/user/chtc/album/701857-10x660cd-box/
A similar deal to Tenshinkaku, this time it's sequels to the second track from Early Computer Works.
It's a live mix of material recorded in November 1996 and whatever Merz is doing here with extreme filtering isn't all that interesting.
10x6=60CD BOX / 60-14=46th DISC / https://www.albumoftheyear.org/user/chtc/album/701857-10x660cd-box/
I'm finishing this box set before the year ends, you can't stop me!
I haven't heard the original but apparently there aren't many differences here except a less brutal production, a different first track, a few changes in the later ones and the last one being missing (instead it's the first one from the original album).
Instead of bass, you have treble. Even with ... read more
10x6=60CD BOX / 60-15=45th DISC / https://www.albumoftheyear.org/user/chtc/album/701857-10x660cd-box/
Never released, some parts of it made it in an edited single track form onto Early Computer Works which was included with limited editions of Scene. Tenshinkaku sounds like Masami's PC was glitching as sudden changes and crazy panning are all over this thing. Kinda reminds me of Springharp(-O) in that regard.
The last track is based on This Dying Toad Become Forthwith Like Coal for Colour ... read more
10x6=60CD BOX / 60-16=44th DISC / https://www.albumoftheyear.org/user/chtc/album/701857-10x660cd-box/
A single 50 minute track consisting of loops and the modulation of them, all done digitally. There is some interesting stuff going on but there are also moments where Merz doesn't do anything special with a loop.
10x6=60CD BOX / 60-17=43rd DISC / https://www.albumoftheyear.org/user/chtc/album/701857-10x660cd-box/
Goodbye analog equipment! Re-edited unreleased material from Collapse 12 Floors and a long mix for the track Wa 30.25 (it's the second track here).
Lots of looping here, there are similarities to previous albums yet it's digital Merz. Knowing how infamous the laptop era is, I expected something much worse. Yeah it isn't amazing or anything but it isn't an awful listen.
10x6=60CD BOX / 60-18=42nd DISC / https://www.albumoftheyear.org/user/chtc/album/701857-10x660cd-box/
Just like the previous one this is an outtake from Last of Analog Sessions, Springharp to be specific.
Compared to the other synth-heavy noise of this era, this sounds more collage-like, hell, even the first two tracks have the word collage in their names. Rapid changes in effect types and parameters, stereo panning, at one moment it's "calm" and the next you're getting ... read more
10x6=60CD BOX / 60-19=41st DISC / https://www.albumoftheyear.org/user/chtc/album/701857-10x660cd-box/
Outtakes from Medamaya which was part of Last of Analog Sessions. Need to check that out some time in the future for sure.
It's an evolution of that bassy noise (Tauromachine for example), Merz started using multi-effects pedals characterized by their digital and cheap harmonizer-like sounds. It's different from that album, and it's some good noise!
10x6=60CD BOX / 60-20=40th DISC / https://www.albumoftheyear.org/user/chtc/album/701857-10x660cd-box/
Even more Tauromachine outtakes! Only one of these appeared on the remaster (Tauro Extra 9792).
These aren't as interesting as the previous ones and drag on, I wouldn't be surprised if these were raw material for the album or something. I guess the last track is pretty cool and it's only 4 minutes long!
10x6=60CD BOX / 60-21=39th DISC / https://www.albumoftheyear.org/user/chtc/album/701857-10x660cd-box/
Tauromachine outtakes! Just like on the album itself, there's an emphasis on bass and an extreme use of filters. A few of these made it onto the 2023 remaster.
If you liked Tauro you'll like these too!
The mix of Cannibalism of Machine here is 14 minutes longer, Heads of Clouds #2 is on the remaster and is much shorter than the original track, Caudex Caudex is a few seconds shorter ... read more
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