Album Details

• Artist: Jamie Saft/merzbow
• Album: Merzdub
• Label: Caminante
• Year of Release: 2008
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: patchen on 2008-11-28

It isn't until the six track, "Dangermix," with its sheets of noise and thumping pulse, that this record feels like a Merzbow. That is a good thing, for here Masami Akita plays with his own catalogue, instead of assaulting others. In the hands of producer Jamie Saft, most of the tunes on "Merzdub" are solid, trippy dubs that are a rich addition to the Merbow catalog.

Monolithic as they still are, "Slowdown Furry Mix" and "Beware Dub" highlight the slower pacing, the trance-groove, that Akita's more traditional assaults lack. In fact, the record gives off such a mellow buzz that you can hear the noise tracks in a new light. There are more colors and tones evident in "Dangermix" and "Kentucky Fried Dub" than you might have heard if all nine tracks were noise. Saft has helped deepened the sound.

For those of you looking to dip into the waters of the massive output (in terms of number of releases and their sounds) of Merzbow, "Merzdub" might be a good place to start. This set has a great groove, some daring, and Akita's usual dark humor (witness the track "Skinning J-Lo"). Not as abrasive as some of his records, but no less powerful than his best.

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