Search - Hemophiliac :: 50th Birthday Celebration 6

ZORN!!!

Christopher Calabrese | Watertown, CT, USA | 05/08/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ah...the hemophiliac birthday cd...it's a thing of beauty. Just this past New Year's Eve, I saw Zorn/Patton at the Knitting Factory in New York City, and it blew me away. Never again will I only stay for one set when I see Zorn live.



Zorn is teamed up with Ikue Mori (laptop electronics) and Mike Patton (vocals) - (yeah, the guy from Faith No More, Fantomas, and Mr. Bungle). Patton unleashes grunts, screams, moans, orgasmic sounds, coughs, screetches, etc., and he's using some sort of a processor. From Zorn, we get what I can best describe as being similar to his work on "The Classic Guide to Strategy". Mori uses sounds that she must have stolen from some alien race in another galaxy, because it doesn't sound like anything I've ever heard before. Put it all together, and you get Hemophiliac. The greatest thing about this disc, and this is true with live Zorn shows, is that it's a lot more structured than you would think. The musicians start and stop at what look like planned points...almost as if they're counting. All the musicians here know each other well from a history of playing together, and they are tight, as far as avant-garde music goes. I would say that if Captain Beefheart or Albert Ayler were to listen to this cd, they'd love it.



Whenever I think of the 'craziest music' I own, I immediately think of this. I definitely do not recommend this disc if you've never heard Zorn before, but then again, if you like experimental music, give it a try."

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Catfood03 | in front of my computer typing reviews | 09/24/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is the sixth in a series of live recordings the Tzadik label has released documenting the month-long celebration of music composer John Zorn's 50th birthday. Hemophiliac is an avant-garde supergroup of sorts featuring the trio of Zorn on saxophone (of Masada and Naked City fame), laptop/electronic-music composer Ikue Mori (formerly of the band DNA and who has released several solo recordings), and vocalist Mike Patton (of Tomahawk and Fantomas). Though I was familiar with the musical histories of each contributing member, I was not prepared for what was to hit my ears during the following 50 minutes of this CD...



Right from the start is a sonic assault from all three members, with Zorn's familiar horn blasts squealing loudest. Mori's unworldly sonic manipulations sounds like she's twisting metal like taffy at one moment or harnessing electronic droplets of water the next. Patton is unpredictable as a vocalist who whimpers, belches and hyperventilates his way throughout this very unusual performance.



The concert ebbs and flows with wild freak-outs and peaceful ambient moments throughout, with each of the 7 songs tending to focus on one extreme or the other. (The song titles are another matter entirely, with head-scratching codes like "\/\/\///\/\/\/\\/\///\\/\" and "@::@" .) The 5th song is my fave, perhaps the most "meditative" offering here. The roar of race cars zooming through early on this track are actually quite soothing, and Zorn solos beautifully at the song's conclusion. The final track is a hilarious riot, which sounds like a tropical paradise on Mars.



Hemophiliac's only other official release was a limited-run CD that has since sold out (it was also comprised of live recordings). It is uncertain at this point if this trio will collaborate on a studio recording or continue performing live.



If you are an adventurous music-buyer with an ear for the bizarre and experimental then I don't think you will go wrong with purchasing this CD."

Great noise improvisation

Mr. Richard K. Weems | Fair Lawn, NJ USA | 10/21/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have written in earlier reviews that I get tired of a lot of Zorn stuff, but I don't think that I've yet reviewed a recording that has left me with a 'ho-hum' reaction.



Unfortunately, I still haven't. Hemophiliac (a trio of Ikue Mori, Mike Patton and Zorn) grabbed me as an amazing improvisational crew when I first saw them at the Knitting Factory years ago. Zorn seems to be at his best when in a true collaboration and not simply directing others, which he does in his game pieces. Mike Patton, vocal maniac behind acts like Mr. Bungle, is second only to Yamatsuka Eye of Boredoms in the way he can create a range of sounds with only a microphone and his throat. Ikue Mori is amazingly dissonant and multi-layered in her diddling of electronics, and Zorn is inspired to blow with these two and create the astounding range of sounds that made his name in the first place.



This particular recording comes from the music festival to celebrate Zorn's fiftieth birthday back in 2003. But there is not other way to catpure Hemophiliac other than live--these three quite obviously inspire each other to new heights in these essentially unnamed tracks. I have never fully categorized music as 'ear-bleeding' until I saw this crew make the Knitting Factory crowd put their hands over their ears to survive one of their improvs, but this recording will give you quite a taste of the experience...and when Zorn is truly at his best.

"