CoC : Merzbow - Rainbow Electronics 2 : Review

Merzbow - _Rainbow Electronics 2_
(Drag City, 1996)
by: Andrew Lewandowski (8 out of 10)

Recently, one of the many people uninitiated in the ways of Japanoise attempted to provoke an argument with me about whether or not all of Merzbow's albums sounded the same; of course, my initial response was that such a rash comment could only be coming from the mouth of one posessing an extreme amount of ignorance. Still, a sense of accord permeated beneath my unwavering veneer; many of the "wall o'noise" (for examples, see _Noise Embryo_, or the disappointing, yet easy to locate, _Venerology_) releases that Masami Akita, Merzbow's dictator and sole member, has composed for the past decade have started to sound quite generic and, at times, even stale. Has the godfather of noise started to run out of fresh ideas? After a few listens to _Rainbow Electronics 2_, I can proudly respond with an irrefutable nope. While still equaling many of his latter day releases in their unadulterated bombastic nature (especially during the last two tracks), in this sequel/remix of a rare five-year old CD of the same name - sans the "2" - Akita throws in more of an ambient influence this time around. Also, this release is neither manic nor monotonous when compared to previous compositions, as the soundscapes are constantly evolving, yet still remaining harsh throughout (especially during the album's final two tracks; as usual, Akita bestows chronological titles on each track) . What results is a surprisingly subdued whole; instead of tearing apart'n'mutilating your eardrums, _RE2_ appears to attack the listener's nerve cells, creating an experience which is simultaneously enthralling and unbearable.

(article published 18/11/1996)

ALBUMS
5/13/2005	X Hoose	8.5	Merzbow - Bariken
10/19/2001	G Sanchez	7	Merzbow - Collapse Twelve Floors
11/20/2000	G Sanchez	8	Merzbow - Door Open at 8 AM
1/16/1999	G Sanchez	6	Merzbow - Tauromachine