Customer Reviews

Alec Empire Vs Merzbow

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I can tell you one thing: this CD is pure chaos.

It's everything. Warm, cold, horny, epic, painful, powerful, harsh, soft, musical, hateful, lovely, strange, alienating. It's everything but normal.

The CD has 19 tracks, although the CD can be considered as one big 'track'. It's a perfect balance between distorted vocals (not many tho, it's mainly about the music), noise and maniacal breakbeats. This is the ultimate soundtrack to a horror movie.

For a live record the quality is quite good. Stereo and all the blahblah, it's just good. We hear Masami Akita's (Merzbow) harsh noises being supported by evil Alec Empire, better known as THE MAN behind Atari Teenage Riot, who is behind the DJ kit and mic. Also some guest mic appearances by other ATR members.

All in all this CD is an experience you just gotta live through. Awesome record. Alec and DHR Records, thank you so much for releasing this gem!

Merzbow is well known for the people he has mesmerized with his records and perhaps even better know for those he irritates (myself firmly rooted in the former). His unique brand of caustic sound manipulation has always been intriguing; from the hypnotic abstracion of 'Pulse Demon' to the horrific bombast of 'Venereology', it always seemed that a more structured approach would destroy all that Merzbow stood for. Quite the contrary actually, Mr. Akita's not-so-recent collaboration with electro havoc mastermind Alec Empire may be among the most linear records that Merzbow has been a part of, but may also be among the most satisying listening experiences one could ever encounter. Sounding like the lost soundtrack to 'Tetsuo: The Iron Man', 'Live...' is a slick mix of the straight ahead electronic beats and hash static laden noise. The live aspect is appearent, though not with the quality of the recording (which is absolutely pristine by the way) but through the emotional output of the sounds. As it has been stressed, this album is really not one to take a piece at a time, it must be digested as a whole for the full effect to take place. 'Live CGBG's' is a record that allows the listener to grow if they can take it, listen to it, and make it to the otherside alive.

its a great album.but sometimes you can become unfamiliar when you first hear merzbow's stuff.all you can do is close the lights,turn your speaker's high and close your eyes.

ELECTRONIC FEEDBACK REIGNS SUPREME. INTENSE MECHANICAL FUMBLINGS. POST APOCALYPTIC TECHNO DRONE. JUST A FEW WAYS TO DESCRIBE THIS CD. IF YOU ARE APPROACHING THIS CD FROM A MAINSTREAM BACKGROUND I WOULD PAY MONEY TO SEE YOUR FACIAL EXPRESSIONS. IF YOU ARE APPROACHING THIS CD WITH A NOISE BACKGROUND THEN THIS IS QUITE A ACCESSIBLE IF NOT BONE CRUSHING RECORD.

ALEC EMPIRE IS A TECHNO GENIUS, HE IS TO TECHNO / DARK ELECTRONICA, WHAT AMON TOBIN IS TO BREAKBEAT JAZZ AND WHAT THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN ARE TO METALCORE. MERZBOW'S INCLUSION IS PIVOTAL AS HE PROVIDES THE SUICIDAL MIND ENGROSSING DRONAGE.

THE CD IS GREAT, BUT THIS IS NOT A POP CD. TRACKS AREN'T MEANT TO BE LISTENED INDIVIDUALLY. THE ALBUM SHOULD BE TAKEN AS A WHOLE. THIS IS MUSIC TO BE CONSUMED BY. IT HAS TO SAID THAT THE THIRD QUARTER OF THE CD IS UNCHALLENGING & A LITTLE BORING(HENCE THE 4 STARS), BUT IT PICKS UP FANTASTICALLY IN THE LAST QUARTER WITH AN ALMOST HORROR FILM SCORE STYLE TRACK.

THIS IS MUSIC TO GET STONED TO. THIS IS MUSIC TO DREAM TO. THIS IS MUSIC TO DESTROY PROMISCIOUS GIRLS TO. THIS IS MUSIC TO DIE TO.

ALSO RECOMMENDED IS ALEC EMPIRES 'GENERATION STARWARS' WHICH IS MORE TECHNICAL BUT LESS GIGANTIC & NOISEY. ALSO INCLUDED ARE SOME INTERESTING LINER NOTES WRITTEN BY MR EMPIRE.

ELECTRONIC FEEDBACK REIGNS SUPREME. INTENSE MECHANICAL FUMBLINGS. POST APOCALYPTIC TECHNO DRONE. JUST A FEW WAYS TO DESCRIBE THIS CD. IF YOU ARE APPROACHING THIS CD FROM A MAINSTREAM BACKGROUND I WOULD PAY MONEY TO SEE YOUR FACIAL EXPRESSIONS. IF YOU ARE APPROACHING THIS CD WITH A NOISE BACKGROUND THEN THIS IS QUITE A ACCESSIBLE IF NOT BONE CRUSHING RECORD.
ALEC EMPIRE IS A TECHNO GENIUS, HE IS TO TECHNO / DARK ELECTRONICA, WHAT AMON TOBIN IS TO BREAKBEAT JAZZ AND WHAT THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN ARE TO METALCORE. MERZBOW'S INCLUSION IS PIVOTAL AS HE PROVIDES THE SUICIDAL MIND ENGROSSING DRONAGE.

THE CD IS GREAT, BUT THIS IS NOT A POP CD. TRACKS AREN'T MEANT TO BE LISTENED INDIVIDUALLY. THE ALBUM SHOULD BE TAKEN AS A WHOLE. THIS IS MUSIC TO BE CONSUMED BY. IT HAS TO SAID THAT THE THIRD QUARTER OF THE CD IS UNCHALLENGING & A LITTLE BORING(HENCE THE 4 STARS), BUT IT PICKS UP FANTASTICALLY IN THE LAST QUARTER WITH AN ALMOST HORROR FILM SCORE STYLE TRACK.

THIS IS MUSIC TO GET STONED TO. THIS IS MUSIC TO DREAM TO. THIS IS MUSIC TO DESTROY PROMISCIOUS GIRLS TO. THIS IS MUSIC TO DIE TO.

ALSO RECOMMENDED IS ALEC EMPIRES 'GENERATION STARWARS' WHICH IS MORE TECHNICAL BUT LESS GIGANTIC & NOISEY. ALSO INCLUDED ARE SOME INTERESTING LINER NOTES WRITTEN BY MR EMPIRE