So, there is long topic about boxes what should happen, and there has been many different discussions about boxes that appear incomplete and crappy due material being butchered into pieces to fit format or such.
So what exactly is the good box?
What boxes you actually own, and perhaps most of all: Return to.
Not something you quit half way through and filed in collection to "check out later".
And perhaps to make topic more diverse, one could divide this to two types of boxes:
(By single artist, not various artists)
1) Re-issue / anthology boxes / collecting material
2) long piece of work that is published on multiple discs (lets say more than double CD!)
I must say that vast majority of boxes what I have, belong to the "listen and storage away" category. When something massive is being consumed, it's very unlikely to return to box of 20 CD's to re-listen - compared to how quickly I would re-listen 7", LP or CD.
* * *
Incapacitants boxes
-"Pariah tapes" 5xCD and
-"Box Is Stupid" 10x CD remains very essential to me. All hit, no misses, faithful for original material.
I guess from boxes where works that wasn't just blatant re-issue of something, these stick out first:
-Hijokaidan "Neverending Story Of King Of Noise" 4xCD
-Merzbow "Metalvelodrome" 4xCD
Some factors of a decent box set are those:
- Succesive analogue/digital transfer & mastering from an original archetype without alienation and mutation of the recordings
- Box and booklet's artwork made in the context of a captural of the proportionate mood
My personal favourite boxes are those i own:
Broken Flag: A Retrospective 1982 - 1985 5CD
Incapacitants - Box Is Stupid 10CD
L.A.F.M.S 10CD
P16. D4 - Passagen 6CD + DVD
Maurizio Bianchi - Mectpyo 10CD
First thing I thought of when reading this title was The Incapacitants "Box Is Stupid" - put that in a space capsule and send it into the universe to let other life forms know what Harsh Noise from Earth sounds like. Also the "Pariah Tapes" five cd set from FA, with just as outstanding material. But anyway, the following are not just for treasuring but for returning to for repeated listens...
Sacher Pelz - "Mutation For A Continiuity". Not only for the essential re-released material, but the very satisfying packaging, chock full of inserts and "information". One of the few items were I don't mind having the extra bits, all being these nice cards reproducing old covers etc., along with some recent poetry from Bianchi.
Being an MB freak I'd also add "The A.C.V.I Tapes" triple cd set and "Teban Slide Art" triple cd set, both from Menstrual. Reasonably simple packaging in dvd style boxes with the usual minimalist design and artwork. Probably wouldn't do you much good if you weren't an MB fan but you either are or you're not.
Le Syndicat - "Thirty Years Of Excess" six cassette box set from Influencing Machine. Just necessary. Been longing for something like this for a while and was delighted when it happened last year. Extras fortunately limited to one simple yet attractive booklet.
Blod - "Red Light Companion" triple lp set. That pure, no-bullshit Harsh Noise all contained in a very handsome box with a few little extra bits of nonsense. The only issue I've had with Blod is that the Noise is divided into smaller pieces. I've always suspected he just cut up longer pieces into smaller ones, which is, of course, his right to do so, but the stops and starts aren't appealing to me. Fortunately, the quality and standard rise above that misgiving and I love having this item.
Etant Donnes - "Tapes, 1977-1983" from VOD. An impulse buy when I saw it in a shop that I have never regretted. Just outstanding, lasting work, always necessary to have when one needs to indulge.
Bizarre Uproar "Fifteen Years Of Filth And Violence", the four tape version (wasn't induced to pay more for an extra tape and a t-shirt). Can't really loose with BU, and I brought this at a height of my interest in this project. Rugged, quality material (although not necessarily his most memorable, however it's been a while since I've listened to this) with a lot of extra bits and bobs if you like that kind of thing.
And I've already banged on about Radigue's "Triology De La Mort" and "Adnos I-III", both triple cds (the former had a limited edition sculpture of a skull one could house their copy in, for an extra fee). Both examples of a continuous release over more than two albums. Both fucking perfect.
Edit - The Rita "Retrospective" release deserves an honorable mention even though it's not technically in a box. That's because artist and label took a different perspective on how to re-release a horde of older material that, so far, I haven't seen replicated. Probably not surprising, but a tad disappointing nonetheless.
Ramleh - Awake! is absolutely a must-have boxset! Essential!
I still hunt Incapacitants' boxes [yes, it's money problem] and Government Alpha box.
Quote from: Dr Alex on January 12, 2014, 02:17:22 PM
Ramleh - Awake! is absolutely a must-have boxset! Essential!
Government Alpha box.
Yes, Ramleh box is very well done.
While G.A. is basically "best of" kind of box... well, it IS. First disc perhaps introduction to earliest moments of finding his way, but then explode into some of the best harsh noise out there. I'm not opposed to "best of" kind of box in case when it works. For Government Alpha it works well.
Dead Body Love "Nechronology"
Eight tapes, seven of which contains previously released material. This is just so good! Essential artist! Eight tapes in a box, only insert is a xeroxed A4 paper.
Lasse Marhaug "Carmellia Sinensis"
This is the other category... new stuff. Four tapes with excellent harsh noise. Well designed cover and a 64 page booklet with drawings and photos. My favourite Marhaug release.
Quote from: Otomo_Hava on January 12, 2014, 01:50:03 PMBroken Flag: A Retrospective 1982 - 1985 5CD
Didn't this just use the massively truncated vinyl edits of certain releases, despite the considerably larger length capacity of a CD? A depressingly obvious example of how
not to do a boxset in my mind.
I'm fond of that recent-ish Small Cruel Party set, very well assembled, sequenced and reasonably priced without any absurd extras.
Yeah, Broken Flag box - apart from complete Male Rape Group piece - is short edits. One can blame original LP box. I assume they didn't want to expand CD box to be more complete. It's still great box, but very hard to make 5 LP's represent entire label.
Small Cruel Party set, is excellent. That was easily my most listened box of 2013. If not ALL TIMES. Some more comments found on playlist topic..
I listen all records which I own in alphabetical order and I adopt to music, not music to me, my mood or momentary wants.
Mt favourite boxes:
1. MERZBOX - the first big box which I bought. Still impressive and probably the best mono-anthology ever.
2. HIJOKAIDAN - The Noise ザ・ノイズ - 30th Anniversary - 1979-2009
3. LAIBACH - "Gesamtkunstwerk - Dokument 81-86"
4. KLUSTER - Klusterstrasse 69-72
5. BLACK LEATHER JESUS - "Crash & Honor 1990 - 2002: Perversing The Church And Its Ant - Like Minister"
6. C.C.C.C. - "Early Works"
7. CONTROLLED BLEEDING - "Gibbering Canker-Opera Slaves (Studies In Meditation And Evisceration)"
8. ESPLENDOR GEOMETRICO - "E.G. Box 1" ; "E.G. Box 2" and "E.G. Box 3"
9. Luc FERRARI - "L'Œuvre Électronique"
10. G*PARK - "1983 - 1988+"
11. LAFMS - "The Lowest Term Of Music"
12. MACIUNAS ENSEMBLE - "The Archives Part 1, 1968-1980"
Love boxes.
I prefer releases I can listen/touch/read, etc.
Boxes are both a way to collect hard-to-find material ar complex newer concepts.
I think about how happy I was when Marco printed the MATHAUSEN ORCHESTRA boxset, or when I put my hands on the SAVE OUR SLAVES version.. It is not a matter of simple fetishism or the zenith of being a fan of a project, but a way to spend more time surrounded by material that can be more thought-provoking, etc.
on the and the same goes with many more recent releases:
- GIANCARLO TONIUTTI
- RAMLEH
- BROKEN FLAG
- BIZARRE UPROAR
during the years I loved all LAIBACH boxes... etc.
A few more recent ones I've been enjoying a lot:
DOME - 1-4+5 5xLP (Editions Mego, 2011)
KEVIN DRUMM - NECRO ACOUSTIC 5xCD (Pica Disk, 2010)
SMALL CRUEL PARTY - AN ACCIDENT IN SUBSTANCE 3xCD (Harbinger Sound, 2012)
Quote from: ImpulsyStetoskopu on January 12, 2014, 06:14:26 PM
6. C.C.C.C. - "Early Works"
This too!
Japanese noise in 4xCD box format seems like good concept!
Merzbow has few of them. K2, CCCC, Hijokaidan, Government Alpha,... All works very well.
Merzbox I own since.. 2005? Something like that. And I think I'm now at disc #4 !
What I'd most like to see in box sets is: 1) complete, original artwork in some form, even if it is included on an additional CD in the set (which would be smartest in most instances because of the high cost of printing and then shipping). 2) unedited original tracks. If the tracks were originally truncated to fit on an LP, for instance, but there is a complete version of longer length in existence, include it. Other than for the sake of commerce, a reissue box is utterly useless if the release has been edited down or if the tracks have been truncated to fit an inappropriate format. 3) manufactured in a number that ensures it is available for at least a couple years. There's no point to a reissue box of 100 copies that nobody can find.
LAFMS 10CD (though, I wish they had used gauze envelopes to protect the discs)
Hermann Nitsch - Island 4CD (maybe shouldn't be included because it is more of a single event reissue)
*Parmegiani, Ferrari, Bayle box sets
Merzbow boxes, particularly the Merzphysics box
John Zorn - The Parachute Years 7CD
Grateful Dead - Complete Fillmore Recordings 11CD
Small Cruel Party - An Accident 3CD
Igor Wakhevitch - Donc 6CD
Blorp Esette 4CD
John Cage-Steffen Schleiermacher - Complete Piano 18CD
Quote from: Andrew McIntosh on January 12, 2014, 02:10:41 PM
Edit - The Rita "Retrospective" release deserves an honorable mention even though it's not technically in a box. That's because artist and label took a different perspective on how to re-release a horde of older material that, so far, I haven't seen replicated. Probably not surprising, but a tad disappointing nonetheless.
Definitely a disappointment that it didn't create a new reissuing tributary. Incredibly smart approach in a time if exorbitant manufacturing and shipping costs.
Quote from: Half Aborted on January 12, 2014, 04:40:36 PM
Quote from: Otomo_Hava on January 12, 2014, 01:50:03 PMBroken Flag: A Retrospective 1982 - 1985 5CD
Didn't this just use the massively truncated vinyl edits of certain releases, despite the considerably larger length capacity of a CD? A depressingly obvious example of how not to do a boxset in my mind.
Seconded!!
Quote from: ImpulsyStetoskopu on January 12, 2014, 06:14:26 PM6. C.C.C.C. - "Early Works"
Yes!! I forgot this jewel on 4 cds!
I completely forgot to mention Hijokaidan's The Noise 30CD box set.
It is a perfect example to see how the band evolved in a 30-year period.
Some additional boxes:
Lasse Marhaug - Tapes 1990 - 1999 4CD
C.C.C.C. - Early Works 4CD
Psychic Rally - Transmission 104.5 10CD
Merzbow / Kapotte Muziek - Works 1987 - 1993 3CD
Werewolf Jerusalem - Confessions of a sex maniac 4CD
Grunt - Documentation: Live Assaults Around Europe 2005 - 2008 3CD
Bizarre Uproar - Liha Evankeliumi 3CD (First Edition)
The New Blockaders - T.N.B Est Mort 2CD
forgot to mention:
THE RITA: THE NYLONS OF LAURA ANTONELLI
Been awhile since I listen to it but Great Death was a great box from BDN.
DOMINATOR 'Maximum Pleasures - The Dominator Collection'
http://www.discogs.com/Dominator-Maximum-Pleasures-The-Dominator-Collection/release/540340
contains 3 x CD (standard copies of their 3 albums), shirt, badge, numbered certificate thing. ltd 50.
it was only GBP 20.00 inc. postage brand new when it was released (2001).
as discussed before, not exactly my favourite band, far from it, but this was certainly a smart release i was happy to own.
Many of my favourite noise boxes are already mentioned (G*Park, Merzbox, Incapacitants, TNB, Parmegiani, Bayle etc.). Here are some other greats that come to my mind:
V/A "Electronic Panorama" 4LP - perhaps the ultimate EA V/A with founders, superstars and even some obscurities. And top notch presentation, hail Philips!
V/A "Revue OU" 4CD/6LP - same words (and some more) for sound poetry.
V/A "Source Records" 3CD - many historically groundbreaking (and some very noisy) recordings here.
Albert Ayler "Holy Ghost" 10CD - Ayler panorama with wide range of material, some incredible, some less so but pretty much all relevant. Really beautiful book and some other miscellanea.
Toru Takemitsu "Film Music by Toru Takemitsu" 7CD - can't read the liner notes but the music speaks more than enough. Some really sublime moments there. Was there a complete Takemitsu soundtrack set with a couple of dozen discs?
Tangerine Dream "The Bootleg Box Set Vol 1" 7CD - rather rough live recordings from last bearable years of the Tangs. Great airy heaviness in some of the recordings.
From more rock'n'roll side This Heat, Can "Lost Tapes" and BBC Grind Madness are all top stuff.
The discussed VoD stuff can be rather iffy. I have bothered to get just a few of them, John Duncan and Etant Donnes sets are awesome.
Edit: Pain Jerk "Cacophony of a Thousand Pleasures", perhaps the best noise single multi-release?
BIZARRE UPROAR - Liha-Evankeliumi 3CD (first pressing with the pseudo-leather case) has always been one of my favorites, just for presentation alone.
I'll also go for:
BLOD - Red Light Companion 3LP (the addition of a lovely parfumed pink letter is the cherry on top of the pile of shit. Great release.)
Incapacitants - Box Is Stupid (frankly i could not ask anything more than LOTS of Incapacitants)
C.C.C.C. - Early Works (Great material and really good booklet.)
and
Lasse Marhaug - Camelia Sinensis (really solid harsh noise, maybe my favorite from Lasse's work)
Vomir - Claustration (super epic noise + great shirt..)
I play my BROKEN FLAG lp box set often. Even though it's some truncated forms of original releases, it's a nice go-to.
I love the format of the INCAPACITANTS 'Box is Stupid' set.
The Redstream 'Perversion At All Costs' set is still a favorite as well.
Cannot wait for the ULTRA box set if it's still in the works.
Not sure if it was mentioned:
Controlled Bleeding: Gibbering Canker-Opera Slaves (Studies In Meditation And Evisceration) 5xCD
I also agree that the C.C.C.C. and Government Alpha boxes were well done.
I didn't know about the Small Cruel Party one, will put that on my wantlist along with the Le Syndicat tape box.
Some of the VOD boxes looked/look interesting but I never bought any of those because I wasn't buying vinyl again until a few months ago. Besides that they were/are quite expensive.
Most of the box sets I own are more along the lines of "rock" or jazz and such.
(http://s.pixogs.com/image/R-1305991-1208197789.jpeg)
Vomir - Claustration
(http://s.pixogs.com/image/R-868645-1194819645.jpeg)
Mauthausen Orchestra - Gravitational Arch Of Sex
historical box from slaughter prod.
Quote from: ANDROPHILIA on February 23, 2014, 01:21:40 AM
(http://s.pixogs.com/image/R-1305991-1208197789.jpeg)
Vomir - Claustration
(http://s.pixogs.com/image/R-868645-1194819645.jpeg)
Mauthausen Orchestra - Gravitational Arch Of Sex
historical box from slaughter prod.
Had spoken about doing this on CD (maybe as two volumes) before Zoppo's death, shame it won't happen now.
In addition to those already mentioned, I'm a big fan of Various - Improvised Music from Japan 10xCD boxset (http://www.discogs.com/Various-Improvised-Music-From-Japan/release/534701)
More experimental/varied than pure noise, lots of interesting and rather obscure artists in a lovely box. Pity its rather rare and expensive now, although there are mp3 rips about.
I can't believe no mention of the Kapotte Muziek 'Twenty Five' box out a few years ago. I love the simplicity of the packaging and the HOURS of material to discover. I wish there would have been j-cards for each of the tapes though.
Well that was just a bunch of cd-r's in a plastic sleeve no ? quite minimal yes :D i still have to go through that one though.
Think Skincrime might just be the holy grail of all boxsets.
Some of my favorites:
-Lille Roger---"Undead: 1984-87"
-Merzbow---"Merzbox"
-Merzbow---"Collection: 001-010"
-Axnaar/Bizarre Uproar/Xenophobic Ejaculation/Roases---"Filth, Rubber, Hatred and Abuse: United Kingdom 2016"
-Atrax Morgue---"From Degeneration to Degeneration"
GO: Save our slaves
Jonathan Briley - Complete works
Awesome collection of old stuff you could hardly find anywhere before. "Kulturgärning" as we say in Sweden.
Vlad Tepes – A Catharsis For Human Illness
Maybe not completely complete, but damn near. Still puts all modern raw black metal bands to shame. The intricate riffing, melodies etc that hides under all the distortion and lo-fi recordings are gifts that keep giving.
Honorable mention: The tape version of ZSS "Anti-personnel explosive device"; a metal box full of broken glass and rusty nails. Almost impossible to open without shedding blood.
The most memorable was certainly Flutwacht - Traumsplitter
LP in an oversized carboard box with quite a few bits of broken ceramic. The package was very heavy!
(https://i.discogs.com/O_-6WIHTcPBwKSLAfj5y5vjMwIrjCHKkHRKuzus3F-I/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:209/w:314/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTExMzUz/ODYtMTE5NDkwMzM5/NS5qcGVn.jpeg)