Published
Mon, Nov 5, 2018, 19:26
- Proceeds from the 2012 live recording will go towards Tasmanian devil conservation.
Room40 is releasing a Merzbow live album to celebrate 40 years of the Japanese noise project.
MONOAkuma features a recording from a live performance at the Brisbane Institute Of Modern Art in 2012. Merzbow—real name Masami Akita—was presented by Room40 founder Lawrence English, who recalls a "a sense of utter euphoria that was shared by everyone present" in an essay about the release.
"Not many people tend to dwell on this affective capacity of Merzbow’s work, but there is no question," he adds. "This is about the body and the ears being overwhelmed. In those moments of being wholly consumed comes an incredible bodily sense of euphoria that is a truly unique and profound experience."
English also says that first hearing Merzbow in the mid-'90s, and later experiencing him live in Brisbane in the mid-2000s, were both "transformative experiences."
All proceeds from MONOAkuma will go towards preservation of the Tasmanian devil, an Australian marsupial species under threat from a pervasive and contagious facial cancer. (Akita is noted for his vocal support of animal rights and environmental issues.)
For more on the pioneering noise artist, read our 2015 interview with Merzbow here.
Watch a trailer for the album.
Tracklist
01. MONOAkuma
Room40 will release MONOAkuma on November 30th, 2018.
