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Merzbow and John Wiese, "Multiplication"
This is the first full length collaboration between noise’s oldworkhorse, Merzbow, and one of the more exciting artists in the field,John Wiese. The album is slow to take off but when it does, all enginesare blazing and both eardrums are burst. It is one of the betterreleases from Merzbow in recent months and another string to Wiese’sbow.Misanthropic Agenda
Multiplication starts out with typical Merzbow all out noise and static. Wiese and ‘bow aren’t breaking any new ground on “Bonanza,” it still is the aural equivalent of toilet paper soaked in caustic soda. Despite it being completely ear destroying, it still seemed like both artists were not giving it their all. The feeling I got was that both of them were holding back, testing the waters between them. The album continues for a couple tracks as a mildly interesting but ultimately predictable assault.
As the album progresses it gets more interesting. “Spell” provides lulls and drops in the noise before slapping you in the face, repeatedly. There are lots of fascinating sounds being used on this track, they are only there for a fleeting moment but they make a very welcome change to the usual feedback and white noise. There’s one part that sounds like the noise from the rails as a subway train stops but the train is spontaneously combusting as it does it.
The last two tracks are where things go from interesting to riveting. “Erotic Westernscape” starts from a roar of sound that made me feel the same way that Sunn O))) (who both artists have also collaborated with) manage to make me feel. A traditional Merzbow wall of noise takes over but there is a sound like a detuned guitar feedbacking drifting in and out of the mix. The noise softens and a more atmospheric droning breaks up the piece before the noise returns with a vengeance. The title track is the only track produced by Akita. It starts out with the sounds of gunfire and tape hiss before building up to shattering electronic noise. A wide palette of sounds covering the audible range makes “Multiplication” both captivating and highly unpleasant to listen to. At almost half an hour, it is a rewarding endurance test.
Multiplication starts off shaky but works its way up to something somewhat special. At first the album felt like neither artist wanted to push things too far in fear of stepping on the other’s toes. However towards the end Wiese and Akita both get into the flow and make some exquisite noise (especially in the more ambient sections of Multiplication). Should these two men continue to collaborate, a truly monumental slab of noise is inevitable.
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