Merzbow's prog-loving album
J. Holmes | yokohama, japan | 12/10/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Merzbow has a lot (i mean...A LOT) of releases available. so how does the newcomer who is curious about this monolithic japanese noise god's vast and overwhelming catalogue decide which Merzbow cd to punish him/herself with? well...if your looking for the kind of ear-splitting, soul-shifting, sonic depravity fouind on his other 1 million records, then this cd is probably not the place to start. however, if you are a casual listener of noise and enjoy listening to interesting adaptions to sound, then Aqua Necromancer is a fine place to begin. this comes pretty close to being accessable noise...at least when comparing this to previous Merzbow albums. maybe because this album's music is based on progressive rock bands that Merzbow loves. specifically, it seems like a tribute to prog rock drummers. there are lots of looped organs, drum fills, and plenty of squelchy squeaky feedback and washes of gorgeous noise that flip and drip and slide and squirm inbetween it all. it's a very engaging listen from start to finish and a fine addition to any Merzbow fans sagging shelf of cd's."
Merzbow and peopl
E. Roberts | Canton, MI United States | 06/01/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Well after having bought several Merzbow albums and having given each of them plenty of enjoyed listens I've come to the conclusion that Merzbow does not make noise but soundscapes. Or maybe soundscapes out of noise, whatever. The main point is that he doesn't make the same album over and over again. Each album I own of his has it's own personality and sound. This one seems to focus on prog rock sounds interacting with psychedlic waves of noise. It works surprisingly well.
Here's album:
Aqua Necromancer- whooshing noise sound fx in an organic fashion mixed with some catchy drum beats(from prog rock albums I hear). When I first heard this track, it was my favorite of his next to Ananga-Ranga from Venereology. But then I heard...
Contrapuntti Indian- Probably the nicest thing I ever heard. Loops of melodic guitar and wah solos weaving in and out of a wash of noise.
Soft Drums- lots of prog drum fill loops, a rather manic track with the usual slice of noise.
Contrapuntti Patto- same formula, this time with Keyboard and drum samples. Works great, lots of noise cutting in and out of the sound, well played though not one of my favorite tracks.
Farsa Del Buen Vivir- a looped drum beat that is immediately catchy. I think rap artists would find this a nice thing to sample, but then Akita starts in with what sounds like a noise solo. Very interesting... and under 4 minutes! Pretty accessible for Merzbow.
One of his better works. It gets a lot of regular replay with me, recommended. I'd suggest looking for a more decent price than what amazon has it listed for($44?). I got mine off ebay for under $10."
Track Listings (5) - Disc #1