For the first 15 minutes, i felt only disdain. some guy was pounding on drum set with no direction evident; another strummed a guitar, quite obviously out of tune, also with no direction evident. I felt bored and restless.
and then, without my noticing, something began to happen. a saxaphone howled this terrible, lonely sound that sank to the bottom of my chest like the dead weight of an autumn that came too fast. Merzbow put in his two cents. things got real heavy, real fast. I turned it up, until the sound filled the whole house. My cat was terrified; i found her hiding under the bed, eyes wide, skiddish and uncertain, unwilling to be petted. I was terrified as well. The noise expose was something primal; the power was undeniable.
In the end, I was very satisfied. It was probably quite a spectacle for those blessed enough to experience this live. I credit merzbow and the sax-man for making this experiment a success- im pretty sure all the members of sonic youth did was just about nothing. a few strums and a bump. Maybe some feedback delivery. Otherwise, accesories. Not for those more interested in the postpunk/protopop portions of the Sonic Youths output. Probably not even for most of those into the Sonic Youth. This is sonic, alright, but there isnt anything youthful about it.
Remember that painting by Goya? Saturn eating one of his children? This disc will turn your player into Saturn, and by extension, you will be the child. Should probably come with a health disclaimer that reads something like this...
Warning; may aggrevate schizophrenic symptoms in psychologically fit individuals. May exacerbate feelings of solopsism. May rattle the existential chains until they break, and you float off, up and out...
The SYR releases have been the mroe interesting ones of SonicYouth's output lately. Thsi at the same time as their mainstream stuff has become more "listenable". Anyway this is a great piece from them again improvising with amongst others Merzbow at the Roskilde festival. It is in the continuation of thier early stuff by adds other instruments which brigs quite a bit of positive change. At least with the SYR stuff the have allowed themselves not to be kept within the confines of their rather well-defined sound and genre.
this is where jimi hendrix's muse might have led him had he survived to the present day
Privacy PolicyTerms of UseContact Us