Customer Reviews

Pulse Demon

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Those who complain about Merzbow usually say that he is pretentious and that there is nothing particularly 'deep' about his music. I think there is actually some truth to the second statement. There is nothing to 'get' about Merzbow, you are either thrilled by the thought of being pummelled by walls of unbelieveably thick, textured electric/electronic noise, with minimal attention given to rhythm and melody, or you aren't. Maybe Merzbow isn't music. I really don't care.

This is one of the most satisfying Merzbow releases, and probably the best Merzbow album to start with besides 1930. But where 1930 uses space to some extent, giving the listener at least *some* room to breathe, Pulse Demon is a nonstop, completely unrelenting assault for its entire 70+ minutes, moving through a huge variety of textures and patterns, yet constantly filling up every aural space as it does. Played at the right volume it fills up a room like nothing else, completely enveloping the listener with sheets of sculpted feedback. Merbow has certainly done this on many of his albums, but has never been as successful as on Pulse Demon. Brutal as it is, this album, as nearly all of Merzbow's work, doesn't sounds angry or violent in the way of the extreme metal bands who he loves and has drawn some inspiration from, nor in the way the majority of other noise/power electronics mainstays do.

This album thrills me in a way few others, of all genres, can. You do not relate to it on an emotional level in the way nearly all other music asks you to; I can't explain how you relate to it, or if you do relate to it at all. Pulse Demon is a meditative, psychedelic journey, and, somehow, also possibly the most unrelenting sound assault ever put on a compact disc. If that sounds good to you, this is probably worth your time.

Most people will never hear a Merzbow piece in their life, and this is for the best. Merzbow is not for everyone; only the heartiest noise and experimental fans will be able to stand more than 30 seconds of the auditory assults recorded on this disc. The songs (though one wonders if the term song applies to compositions that eschew not only the constraints of musical structure, but also of rhythm, harmony, tonality, and discernable notes) contain no instruments, only noise generators, tape loops, and distortion. From this palette, Merzbow, aka Masami Akita, crafts tidal waves of white noise, piercing electronic shrieks, and depths-of-hell sub-bass pulses into compositions ranging from the hyperactive Woodpeckers No. 1 & 2 to the 24-minute droning epic Worms Plastic Earthbound.

While the most common initial reaction to Merzbow is to run in terror, those who stay will find a peace within the chaos. After multiple listens, I find that Merzbow is not violent at ! all, but strangely calming. Sound, not music, is the focus here, and without the aforementioned constraints, pure sound becomes as intellectual as any musical piece. The feedback is three-dimensional, evoking visual images and patterns instead of aural ones. I dare say it would be a perfect record to doze off to, had it not been mastered so loud that even at low volume, it cannot be made quiet. For the few who can handle it, Merzbow offers infinite rewards. The question is, are you brave enough to reap them?

Maybe someday fire will fall from the skies to purify this earth. Now for a moment, imagine walking on the surface of the sun. This reviewer has lost most of you? I hope so, because now I can address the remaining few who are capable of understanding this audio journey which may take you to the edge of reality.

Critics are left baffled as why anyone would want to listen to this. Yes, it is devoid of conventional structure, rhythm, notes, harmony, and the other properties which make up music. Back to the question of "why?". It is because this is an evolutionary leap beyond music. Pulse Demon and noise in general, is nothing like what is on your shelves. And no, we are not fans for childish reasons such as bragging rights, or to give the impression of being extreme. Everyone gravitates towards something because they see, hear, or feel a part of themselves within that object/idea/creation.

In regards to the first listen, harsh would be an understatement. Repeated listens and closer examinations will be rewarding to you. During a listen last year, I had my first moment of clarity when I got the the fifth track, Ultra Marine Blues. This reviewer's taste range from blissful Pop to extreme Metal and HC Punk - nothing before has been capable of making time stop.

Our culture, if you can even call it that, is based on consumption. Such a shame that the ramifications are rarely discussed. To do so would mean re-examing our entire way of life. To go back to my opening statements, this is the sonic equivalent of fire. Give this a listen to split your mind wide open or simply to purify yourself.

Pulse Demon is an album where the packaging, title, and audio all combine flawlessly. The one I purchased was in a cardboard tri-fold packaging with the CD neatly placed in the middle, held in place by two folding cardboard strips. A man could get lost just staring at the cover with its reflective silver and black rolling stripes. It provides the visual intensity to complement the audio inside.

Pulse Demon was recorded during the height of Merzbow's use of vintage electronic synthesizers such as the EMS Synthi A and VCS 3, along with metal, voice, etc. It drops you in with the excellent "Woodpecker No 1" which kicks off with an aggressive pulse generated rhythm with squall of noise punching through. Rapid pulses from the analog synths add to the frenetic pace through the rest of the track, and then appear in different (slightly less frenetic) form in "Woodpecker No 2". From there on, it's mostly intense noise and swoops until the sixth track, "Tokyo Times Ten," which starts off with low rumbles and occasional metallic pulses that punch through before building back up to big wall of noise. "Tokyo Times Ten" then drops into "Worms Plastic Earthbound," a nearly twenty five minute tour de force of still more noise that feels rather well composed. The album ends with "Yellow Hyper Balls" which sounds at times like a less frantic version of "Woodpecker No 1". A driving pulse based rhythm underscores Yellow Hyper, but not at the same pace that dominates the early tracks of the album.

Of the Merzbow I've heard from this period, Pulse Demon is among the best. You get a lot of Merzbow for your money (73 minutes worth). I only give it four stars instead of five because I feel that Pulse Demon is eclipsed by Merzbow's "1930" album, which is released on the Tzadik label. 1930 features better composition and the recording/mastering quality seems to be a little bit better than Pulse Demon. But Pulse Demon remains an excellent CD and is worth having in any Merzbow or harsh noise collection.

Im new to Merzbow, so excuse any shallowness in the commmentary. I mean i want to groove to this, and i bet i could contrary to some opinions, but the overwhelming noise forces you to just sit there and take it. When i first listened to this i thought it was too incosequential, but upon later listenings you realize that despite the anarchy of many of these sounds, there is a certain consistency and deliberateness to the changes, to the extent that theyre is an almost ubiquitous sense of rhythm or something. there are so many interesting pulses and sounds seeping out of this machine that it is never boring, to the extent that a half an hour listen is really no problem at all. despite the harsh mechanicalness of many of these sounds there is still something very human about this cd. there are portions, though only at times, when one can vivldly sense complex emotions in the relationship between sounds. As for the people who say this is nothing more than harsh noise, of course it is! thats the idea, but that does not diminish in anyway the complexity of these tracks which will, in my opinion, keep you more metally engaged than lots of conventional music. This being said not everyone will enjoy this CD. If you really want to hear something based on patterns repetion, or any conventional sense of order, then wait a bit for your mind to open a little more. my only suggestion for listening to this is that you ignore time, if you are thinking about how much longer is left you might turn it off out of impatience and miss something.

This was my very first Merzbow disc -- so I confess to being biased by nostalgia. But even if I am, this can not be credited as anything less than a powerhouse Merzbow release. The title, the digipak design, the 74-minutes of non-stop oceanic Akita-brand noise -- it all comes together delightfully. Although persistently intense, with very few (if any) let ups in the explosion of sound, I for some reason find Pulse Demon to be a particularly therapeutic Merzbow listen. It's just the immensity of the sonic energy being hurled into your head, I guess -- after one adjusts, there is a cleansing, almost soothing quality to this release. As good for meditation as it is for frightening neighbors, loved ones, and pets.

Unlike most other forms of music, there is a right and wrong way to digest and rate noise. Some might say noise is art, but this is Merzbow. Merzbow makes noise music. It is to be listened to for pleasure. Therefore, it would make sense that Merzbow's releases would be rated by how much pleasure the listener feels while listening to them. I have listened to over 100 Merzbow CD, so I should know the range of pleasure Merzbow music can evoke.
Out of 5, I would give Pulse Demon a 4. It takes the listener on a darker ride than the other album from the same live studio session of that era, Electric Salad (a 5 for endurance and cleverness). It reaches its peak well into the album so there's more of a build to it. It's a high-frequency sort of release. Mid-low ranges are seldom heard which gives it a sort of apocalyptic white wash feeling.
Track names? Who cares? They mean nothing and have little to do with the experience of the album. Album titles mean the most with Merzbow, and that's not saying a whole lot.
Packaging of the limited edition foil digipak would give this release a 5. I stared at that for about an hour once, someone told me. No, I wasn't high!

all this talk of merzbow not making real music, not using real instruments, not putting effort into his pieces, not being a real musician, is simply the talk of people that don't understand, and probably never will.
if you know merzbow, great, go on apreciating his great music, this album being no exception.
if you do not know merzbow, and you don't understand, go write reviews for kenny g albums, ok, 'shotgun method'?

I like to listen to this stuff when I paint. It really gets my mind in the state I need to create. Don't worry about the pain, it will feel good in time.

Pulse Demon is the album that best defines Merzbow and the concept of noise music: despite being maximum volume abrasive noise for the entire 73 minutes, it still manages to be expressive, still manages to sound thought out.

A more sonically and aurally oppressive listen than the pensive "1930", Pulse Demon is a colorful journey through the most violent and extreme places. This is a different sort of violence, though, more natural- imagine infinite gravity, temperature.

While the volume is constant, the nature, texture and rhythm (not really 'in time' though... and no loops) of the sound is very diverse. This album is easiest to digest for me if I think of each track as representative of a color, with "Yellow Hyper Balls" being obviously yellow, and things like "Woodpecker No.2" and "My Station Rock" seeming more black and violet/purple, respectively. Pulse Demon is actually quite varied.

The sounds also evoke different amounts of 'space', sizes of rooms and such. My favorite track, "Ultra Marine Blues" is like traveling through a tube and every once in a while getting a glimpse of the huge space in which it is suspended... possibly all underwater. It's that kind of imagery that makes people think of Pulse Demon as 'psychedelic', I think. It's unlikely to have any effect unless you take it seriously though.

The original packaging was really great, and matched the colorful sound of the music. Shame it's not in print anymore, although I managed to get an old copy for $20. Not bad considering there was reputedly only 3000 worldwide!

There are a few recognizable sounds on Pulse Demon (none on 1930) and some that are vaguely melodic. I think there's some death metal playing near the beginning of "Ultra Marine Blues", "Tokyo Times Ten" clearly has the sound of metal objects clanking together (run through a lot of distortion).

Recommended for those open to the possibilities of noise, fans of early industrial (SPK), and fans of Merzbow's harsher stuff.