Art Direct & Antimonument

[Henrik III]

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the great Merzbow album AntiMonument.  There are others from that early period, but that one remains a favorite.

I recall someone saying that the LP and (bootleg) CD have a different mix. Can anyone say anything more specific about it?

[Zeno Marx]

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the great Merzbow album AntiMonument.  There are others from that early period, but that one remains a favorite.

I recall someone saying that the LP and (bootleg) CD have a different mix. Can anyone say anything more specific about it?

I sold my PDLP in 2001 or 2002.  The tracks were different, if not only because they were edited for length.  Everything I've ever read in reviews said they were different mixes.  My vinyl copy was a poor quality pressing.  It looked nice as far as colors, but the laminates were cracking with the vinyl becoming hazy and cloudy.  I've never heard the CD was a bootleg.  Can you give more information about that?

[FreakAnimalFinland]

I think it has been said in Merzbow site?
Same with many other releases of the label. All Pacific 231 releases are listed as bootlegs on the official site. Ankh CD, I guess also Necromantik soundtrack etc? I think when you look at the topic of "who should be interviewed", you see him mentioned about source of lots of bootleg CD's at the time.

[Strömkarlen]

All Art Directe titles are bootlegs and the covers were rip off or should I say heavily influenced of Anckarström.

[Zeno Marx]

All Art Directe titles are bootlegs and the covers were rip off or should I say heavily influenced of Anckarström.

Then I have to wonder where the material originated.  Meaning, did the Art Directe person take the PDLP material and manipulate it himself for the CD version?  Or did they just not give Merzbow any copies and relationship turned sour?  The CD comes with a decent booklet that appears to be original Merzbow art.

[Strömkarlen]

Jocke was in contact with a lot of people and from what I heard back then received masters from some. He then proceed to release the material but never sent any royalties or copies to the artist. Or for that matter checking with them if it was the correct material he pressed. I was told that some was demos but I don't know about that for sure or which ones. All lot of rumours was flying around when the whole thing collapsed.

[Zeno Marx]

Thank you for that information.  It's one of my favorite Merzbow albums.  It would have been disheartening to find out that it wasn't actually from the hands of Akita himself.  And that I sold the PDLP based on feeling I still had the CD version (different as it might be).

I hated the way those CDs were packaged.  Sorry for derailing the thread.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

I like package, other than discs should have innersleeves. I have still in my shop (not mailorder) some of these. And in some cases discs have moved during decades inside the cardboard sleeves so "new" disc looks like... we'll, far from new. Most of my own copies are scrathed too even if being all bought as new from various distros.

[Tommy Carlsson]

I never bought any of the releases on the label. Back then, it just seemed like the wrong thing to waste money on a maggot like Jocke who ran the label. So it was only very recently that I bought a copy of the Antimonument CD, from a friend who was selling off most of his Merzbow discs, and I took the opportunity to fill some holes in my collection. Now that the topic came up here, I took the CD from the shelf to check the booklet etc, and much to my surprise, this copy comes with a special Antimonument card (postcard size green/blue print), with a note from Masami on the back. So I guess that means Masami at least got some copies from the label.

[Strömkarlen]

I'll be damned! Then he most have been the only one. Even if Jocke was the biggest maggot of them all the whole crew at Interzone was pretty shady charachters. I always wonder why Jocke wasn't involved in anything more money making than records. He's main thing was always money.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

I was trying to google for information. I have recollection of it being on Merzbow site that it was bootleg. But now when I browsed it, could find discography going older than 2001. Browsed through Merzbook from MErzbox and there is no mentioning about authenticity of release. Just listed in discography like everything else. But this book made me realize how fucking great Merzbow's art used to be. Was book issued separately or just in box? It should be available also for those who ain't investing 500$ on whole package. Just one more reminder why Jap noise was such a great thing.

[Henrik III]

Was book issued separately or just in box? It should be available also for those who ain't investing 500$ on whole package.

Yep, it was (is?) available separately as a paperback edition with multimedia CD-ROM. I have a spare one, if anyone is interested to swap it to something else.