Merzbow – StereoAkuma

Reverb laden, simple, metallic percussive rhythms are quickly overwhelmed by a wall of static, which is nonetheless not very harsh. The wall shimmers and morphs, and higher-pitched noises start to come out of it. After a while, brief noises like the brakes being slammed on a car appear occasionally. Then, the wall becomes more full, filled in on the bottom end, with higher pitched noises occasionally making themselves known. The wall is interrupted a few times with what sounds like the sound being immersed in water (perhaps a chorus effect?), and the sound teeters in this space, occasionally dipping in for a while. A mid-frequencied groan comes to being, placing itself within the monolithic wall of noise. Then what sounds like fast machine noises come into the mix. This space is occupied by the listener for some time, with occasional slight modifications to the sound. Something reminiscent of a trashed machine sputters incessantly, as subtle knocking is repeated in the background through effects, and then stops.

A more tonal noise comes to be, occasionally becoming slightly prominent in the mix. Mechanical noises like an elevated subway train are drowned out by a roar of static. Then, a siren-like tone starts it’s work, piercing and forcing its way through the mix, and then morphs into a loop which is almost musical as the noise is brought out of the mix. An LFO-laden, low tone comes to be, and then the mix is trashed by chaotic, distorted noises of a slightly percussive nature, but following no rhythm. Then a wall of noise like a loud, distorted waterfall comes to the forefront, and what is obviously a low-pass filter of some sort is played with like an instrument, creating a chaotic song of noise. Then a mid-frequencied wall comes to more prominence, and there is feedback being used to achieve noise. The low-pass is used to make noises like the spraying of water on a car windshield, and then a booming wall comes into being, supported by the various noises already present, and the different walls present are shifted about.

The sounds coalesce into a wall which does not move for a bit, and then becomes very bass-y for brief periods of time, as if it is being played with an EQ. Suddenly, a high frequency wall comes in and assaults the ears briefly, as the drone of the wall breaks down and then is reconstituted as something higher-frequency, with a long tone interrupting things. What sounds like primitive bass drums come in rhythmically, and walls of noise are shifted about, occasionally interrupted by the aforementioned tone. The walls eventually make way for a constant boom which undulates through the ears, shifting and changing in ways which are obvious but not easily describable. Then a resonant sound comes in briefly, probably part of a resonant low-pass, disappears, and then comes back in at a higher frequency, which keeps disappearing and reappearing at lower frequencies. Booming low frequencies threaten to take over, and then do not. And a very resonant low-pass is partially relegated to the background, but does its work nonetheless, as it intertwines with a siren-like tone.

Then, bassy noise takes over with a low-clacking noise, and an acoustic guitar comes in playing atonal melodies as a low tone plays over the mix and is pitched-shifted about. Then, an ambience comes in followed by chaotic noise that is very active and dynamic.

This gives way to higher-frequencied noises which are the harshest noises up to this point in the album, which is then brought down a notch into a mostly pedestrian noise wall with pulses of some sort also sharing the mix. Then, ring-modulated tones are pitch-shifted, creating harsh sounds that alternately come into being and relax, allowing a wind-like noise wall to take their place. Various static-like noises interrupt the flow of things, and again we are in the realm of shifting noise walls with occasional tones.

Resonant low-pass filters are played with on a wall of noise, and then are rhythmically interrupted, as the rhythm disappears into chaos. The ring modulated sound reappears briefly a few times, and the low pass filter plays over a low noise wall, and then ring modulation gives way to a booming low wall, and then it stops, with a couple walls interacting with each other half-way vigorously then brought into being. Low-pass or EQ manipulation create the dynamic sounds which typify the next part, vigorously attacking noise walls. The low-pass usage becomes less frequent and blasting sound is occasionally interrupted by tones, and then the album is over.

Author: dryeyes4096

I am a musician, spanning many genres with various projects, as well as a writer, poet, and photographer.