Mehata Sentimental Legend – Exhausted Woeks / Mercury (Album – Mind Plug Records)

Genre/Influences: Experimental, Industrial.
Format: Digital.
Background/Info: This project was set up in 2007 by Japanese artist Mehata Hiroshi. He has been involved with different projects, but seems from time to time moving back to Mehata Sentimental Legend, the newest work has been again released by Mind Plug Records –label set up by Marc Fischer aka Siamgda.
Content: “Exhausted Woeks / Mercury” invites the listener to join an experimental and often abstract sound universe. You get the feeling some passages are clearly improvised while other parts seem to be elaborated. From obscure atmospheres to very few ritual elements, the album is covering a wide range of influences. The experimental input remains however the guiding line through this work, which is marked by a last song/remix by Siamgda.
+ + + : I’m not saying that this album sounds in the purest Japanese noise tradition, but there for sure is a very strong appeal for total experimentalism. I like the tracks accomplished with an obscure touch. And I mainly refer to “Bitora” which also has something ritual-like for the injection of some voices. There are some other songs with voice effects boosting the mysterious sphere running through the work. I also like some of the industrial sound treatments.
– – – : This album sounds as the work of a sound scientist, but it however remains hardly accessible for a wider audience because of the experimental approach.
Conclusion: Mehata Sentimental Legend stands for total experimentalism or call it free-industrial music!
Best songs: “Mujin”, “Bitora”.
Rate: (6½).
Artist: www.facebook.com/MehataSentimentalLegendNoum
Label: www.facebook.com/mindplugrecords
About Mehata Sentimental Legend
Mehata Sentimental Legend is the project of Tokyo-based artist Hiroshi Mehata, set up in 2007. His work has repeatedly appeared on Mind Plug Records, the label run by Marc Fischer under the Siamgda alias.
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I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
