Lasse Marhaug’s Pica Disk label is shaping up to be a powerful force in the world of noise. In the spirit of this year’s sprawling Incapacitants Box is Stupid collection, here the work of Yasutoshi Yoshida is compiled from rare tapes and CDRs, along with a nice smattering of previously unreleased tracks. It is a chance to hear the development of one of the modern titans of Japanese noise.
While perspectives may differ, I considered Government Alpha as being one of the first "traditional" Japanese noise artists that was influenced by existing bands of the genre. I always considered the likes of Merzbow, Hijokaidan, and the Incapacitants as the "classics," and GA, along with contemporaries like Pain Jerk, being directly influenced by the older artists, without being contributors to the genesis of the sound. In this regard, the different projects went off in their own directions, capturing the essence of "Japanoise" but taking their own specific approach. Yoshida’s work has always been one of hyper-kinetic energy, diametrically opposed to the frozen, massive clouds of noise the Incapacitants or Hijokaidan specialize in.
Each of the four discs of this set are thematically and chronologically separated. The first, Quickening, is perhaps the most diverse and obtuse of all included. Consisting mostly of unreleased early material and self-released tape tracks, here is the artist finding his voice. While there are somewhat one dimensional harsh noise tracks, like "Bruise" and "Thing Origin," there are more experimental moments, like the treated guitar and pitch wobbling "Funeral March" and the jagged house techno synth line that underlies the feedback and junk metal noise of "Mixed Parentage." "Artificial Fertilization" and "Crystalization" are heavily loop-based and come across like a more stripped down, mellow Pain Jerk. Other tracks sound more in league with musique concret and modern improvisation, like the long "Burial Ground" mixing abstract ringing metal textures and other incidental noises with passages of pure noise holocaust.
Sprout, the second disc, marks the period in which Government Alpha became more prolific and ended up gaining more notoriety in the scene. It is here that the sound takes on the dynamic noise quality that Yoshida is known for. Opening with the brutal "Liquefaction," which seems mastered louder than the tracks that follow, there is the immediate bombardment of overdriven low frequency static and shrill sine pulses and feedback. While many who are not acolytes of the genre proclaim that all noise is the same, this is the kind of material that renders their argument null. Even a casual listen reveals a multitude of different layers, tones, sounds, frequencies, textures, etc, that are intermingling throughout. While far more improvisational in their approach, the aforementioned track, and others on here such as "Abortion" and "Insomnia" structurally feel more in league with the best of free jazz, using electronics rather than horns and traditional instruments to generate the sound. A few oddities stick out among the chaos, like the more restrained cut-up piece, "Irregular Behavior," and the almost rhythmic framework under "Electrocardiogram." A few others, like "Siesta" feel a bit too rudimentary to be as enjoyable, but those moments are few and far between.
Disc three, Chaos, is a further refinement of Government Alpha’s harsh noise. Here a "style" begins to emerge, one that layers lower frequency static crunches with higher pitched feedback "solos" that come across as an enjoyable perversion of conventional music. "Quoit" and "Quickening" follow this formula, but mix more mechanical crunching noises, like a factory near meltdown, in the other structures. "Vaporizer Pt. 1" steps outward a bit more and adds slowly flanging tones and '70s sci-fi echoes to tinge the sound with just a bit of psychedelia. "Death and Afterimage" displays some semblance of a rhythm, mostly in the form of repeated panning crashes, that painfully shrill squeals appear over.
Diffusion, the final disc, lives up to its title, with the now established Government Alpha "sound" absorbing new and different elements, while still retaining its characteristic action. "Setting Sun" and "Sidewinder Part 2" continue the meld of low and high frequencies, but with a more prominent low end that gives a physical impact. "Thrombosis" demonstrates what sounds more like a basic synth sequence to drive the proceedings, putting an almost industrial sheen on otherwise raw noise. "Stormy Sunday Morning" is lead by what almost sounds like a horribly neglected and processed church organ solo throughout, and "Shine 1" features actual undeniable bass drum rhythms at points throughout. There is a greater diversity to the sound here, but the tracks never sound like anyone else.
Again, credit is due to Lasse Marhaug for his wonderful presentation of the material. Not only is the audio crystal clear and sharp as humanly imaginable, the discs come in a luxurious, foil printed clamshell box (like the Incapacitants box from earlier), while each individual disc is packaged in a glossy sleeve adorned with full color Dada-ist collages from Yoshida, which are also featured in the accompanying booklet, along with liner notes from both him and Tommy Carlsson, in addition to pictures of the original cassette and CDR covers. This is a beautifully presented collection which not only emphasizes Government Alpha’s contribution to the noise scene but also further establishes Pica Disk as one of the pre-eminent noise labels active right now. Lasse, you think it might be time to revisit some old school Pain Jerk?
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