This split album between Ohio’s Emeralds and Japan’s Pain Jerk was initially made to accompany their co-headline tour of the UK but thankfully it has made its way into the wider world. Both groups have done the decent thing in including top quality tracks when any old tosh would do. On paper, the idea of pairing these artists seems bizarre and with over half an hour of bliss from Emeralds and a truck load of sonic hell from Pain Jerk, the word “split” has never felt so apt.
Emeralds’ recent two above ground releases, Solar Bridge and What Happened, are two of the most rewarding releases I have had the pleasure of hearing. The two albums take what Emeralds have been doing on their many, many cassette and CD-R releases and refines them into something even more magical. Arguably, “Landlocked,” from this split CD goes even further. I have said before that Emeralds sound exactly like every obscure band from '70s Germany that you have read about but never heard and the Kosmische synth jam here lives up to that statement. Yet what sets Emeralds apart from their contemporaries is not only that they are much more indebted to the sounds of Cluster and Tangerine Dream than others in the noise tape scene but also that they are seem to fight constantly against stagnation. “Landlocked” is forever shifting in tone, mood and energy; at one moment Mark Maguire’s gentle guitar shimmers in the background as the two synths swirl and sing around him and the next he is in the forefront as the machines become details. The entire piece is superb for its restraint and its hypnotic beauty.
After almost 30 minutes of this dreamlike music, Pain Jerk’s explosive “Beserker” tears through the speakers like a stab wound. Vastly unpleasant in comparison to Emeralds, this is Japanoise at its finest. Taking cues from Incapacitants’ and C.C.C.C.’s harsher moments, Pain Jerk are one of those glorious noise bands that are euphoric in their pursuit of volume. Recorded live in 2000, this piece more than lives up to its title as it rends and slashes indiscriminately over its length. Decibels of screeching feedback mix with human howls and screams, humanising the noise and making it even more punishing. By the end of the piece, bliss in oblivion is almost in sight and I am not sure if I can still hear properly. Perhaps this release should have come with earplugs...
It is depressingly rare for a split release to have much in the way of replay value, usually only one contribution is of any good and even then they tend to sink below my radar in favour of full length releases (and I must admit a lot of split releases I have bought purely out of that insatiable collector’s mentality). However, this CD goes against the grain in being utterly brilliant with both Emeralds and Pain Jerk providing sterling work that is not only substantial in terms of length but also stands proud next to their best releases.
samples:
- Emeralds - Landlocked
- Pain Jerk - Beserker
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