Merzbow / Genesis Breyer P-Orridge – A Perfect Pain (CD Album – Cold Spring)

Genre/Influences: Experimental, noise.
Background/Info: Originally released in 1999, “A Perfect Pain” has been now remastered and re-released. The work features two major artists from the industrial/noise fields. At one side there’s Genesis Breyer P-Orridge who’s one of the pioneers of industrial/experimental music. As member of Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV he became a world-wide recognized artist for his ‘art’. At the other side there’s Masami Akita, the Japanese ‘king’ of noise.
Content: The procedure both artists have used to make this work come through is quite simple. Genesis Breyer P-Orridge wrote the texts while Masami Akita added his familiar noise work. The fusion between both artist is really interesting as it creates a good-old, early experimental/industrial format. This is the kind of production that could have been released during the 80s. The texts of Orridge are worthy of examination; there’s something very critical, but also philosophical.
+ + + : When two ‘giant’ artists work together you only, but can obtain something special. And that’s what this album stands for. The lyrics were performed in a narrating style, but it also sounds a bit ghost-like while the ‘music’ reveals a subtle noise approach. I know it sounds a bit weird to speak about noise and subtlety, but there really is something ‘refined’ in the work of Merzbow. This is the kind of work I like for reminding me to early 80s productions.
– – – : While this work will be adored by lovers of extreme sounds it will be hardly accessible for the others.
Conclusion: Cold Spring once again recovered a great album from dust. It’s an opportunity to (re)discover this interesting and successful collaboration.
Best songs: “Flowering Pain Give Space”, “A Perfect Restraint”.
Rate: (8).
Artists: http://merzbow.net / www.facebook.com/OfficialMerzbow /
www.facebook.com/Genesis-BREYER-P-ORRIDGE-171735929627691
Label: www.coldspring.co.uk / www.facebook.com/coldspringhq
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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.

