Huh, I was recently talking with one noise veteran, about being surprised how little demand has appeared to be Hijokaidan / Airway split LP. Of course it's slightly more higher priced AND it may not be THE best of Hijokaidan by any means... But it is relatively small edition vinyl record with two legends and is not bad at all.
I guess it's combination of couple reasons. Why you would need to collect everything - especially if there might be better albums missing in your collection from this band. But also, how many actually do listen and do appreciate Hijokaidan these days? To me it looks as if they are slowly but steadily approaching the category of bands, which everybody "knows", but very few new people appear to get interested. Releases might have not been sold by any noise distributors for years. They rarely do releases on international noise labels. (7" on Xn, 10" on Fourth Dimension, re-issue on VOD)
But how shame is that? Just now I'm listening the DISC#6 of "THE NOISE" box set, and it is 1984 live recording, c. 40 minutes piece is mostly the sound that basically became their trademark. In middle of set, drum pattern enters and song transforms to kind of psychedelic/kraut'ish feel, with the noise on top of that. It's the good feel of old Hijokaidan, where their style had not completely taken form yet. The box is great example where things vary greatly, yet still capture the essence of group.
In theoretical level, it is "nothing". There is guitar, high pitched screams, random improv racket and everything covered with high pitched hiss of distortion and electronic noise. I hear many people say "this could be done by anyone", and as said - theoretically yes. But there isn't really anyone doing it.
Just as your random EMB group doesn't qualify as power electronics, the usual free improvisation group just doesn't qualify as Hijokaidan. Their style of making the noise, their choices of what type of sound quality to have on releases. The level of loudness and disturbance is often beyond the regular noise. Simply because the sounds they use, are associated with loud. When you hear sound of synth - it's not necessarily loud. It can be played loud, yet it's still can sound relatively same loud and quiet. Hijokaidan isn't all synthetic, but when you hear screaming, when you hear stuff being thrown around, when you hear drums being mercilessly hammered, when you hear guitar crackling under pressure of feedback and physical torment, you FEEL it IS loud, regardless do you listen it loud on stereos. This is among the best qualities of noise. Being loud, disturbing and energetic even with low volumes.
There are few albums that could be said the be with "strong production values". For example Last Recording Album was exceptionally strong and closely captured, yet painfully damaging recording! Majority of recordings are however quite lo-fi, most often broken & nasty rather than heavy and brutal. Appearing as intent to capture what BAND is doing, not focusing on specific instrument or person, who may get buried in mass of sound trying to enter to room recording.
Personal favorite still remain:
Windom CD
When the CD starts, it feels like world is being torn apart, yet it's energy is most of all positive. It lacks the corpses and cocks, substitutes it with pure undefined positive destruction.
