Controlled Death / Maso Yamazaki word play

Started by MyrtleLake, February 08, 2019, 07:04:14 PM

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MyrtleLake

I only realized this with the second release as now it is bordering on obvious:

Controlled Death :: Controlled Bleeding

Symphony for the Black Murder :: Symphony for a Genocide, Maurizio Bianchi, 1981

Journey Through a Dead Body :: Journey Through a Body, Throbbing Gristle, 1982

Deathwish Tapes :: Deathwish, Christian Death, 1984

The review / marketing blurb for the initial release on Norman Records's (UK) site was on the right path but the wrong direction. "If Symphony For The Black Murder is meant to be a pun on 'Sympathy For The Devil', then it's an oblique one at best." Or not? Any differing of opinion on the above references? Admittedly, I went searching for the last referent. The Christian Death album is a wild guess.

impulse manslaughter

I missed all the references but love that first LP..

FreakAnimalFinland

I guess those album name or artwork references have some tradition in the Japanese noise. Hijokaidan did several "tributes", Gerogerigegege imitated some artworks, etc.

Controlled Death - it's good. Often I'm thinking that it's closest to certain period of Atrax Morgue. Maso doesn't do anything unusual of exciting with synth. It seems as if MS-20 patching isn't even used. Just sort of "generic" sounds you get from it. Vocals do not really remind what he does with Masonna at all - which could be actually good thing. Therefore project lives on its own. I like the rotten sound of direct to tape recordings. I like the simple form of the sound itself. Almost like draft... some sort of sketchbook of "death industrial"... yet being so short tracks and starting and stopping without any idea about "composition", leaves me wonder whether this is good way of making "songs" or simply... lazy?

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MyrtleLake

#3
Does anyone know if there are comprehensible lyrics? In Japanese, I would assume, if any?

Laziness is an interesting topic in our corner of the musical macrocosm. The term holds an implication of purposeful carelessness, dubious intention or ignorance of artistic discrimination. I don't hear nor am I persuaded by any of that here. There is an undeniable overtone of alienated apathy; however, it comes across as genuine and effective in my opinion. A death industrial equivalent to some of Skin Graft's more nihilist noise recordings.

I only have the first LP to work with. The box is ordered but hasn't arrived. Maybe it will mature my perspective of the project. If you've listened to the new release—which is of incomparable, massive length compared to the 30 min. "Symphony For..."—you place me at a disadvantage.

MyrtleLake

I've had time now to sit with the box set. A few thoughts...

* The two 12" records are more worked on than the other material. There seems to be more active involvement in the post-recorded sound than on Deathwish Tapes 1-3. The Tapes... are prominently labeled, "no overdub," on each of the three physical media. The LPs are not. There is not a dramatic difference in the primitiveness between them, yet the added post-production and composed assembly of the track structure is noticeable to my ears.

* The artwork is exquisite. And I do not believe these are historical images. They look to be modern photographs in a specific, archival style. Intentionally, meticulously staged. They add greatly to the overtone of the music.

* There is a question of media. Why a 12", a CD and two cassettes? On the CD, why no track markers; it is a single, hour long track. This makes the CD, Deathwish Tapes 1, onerous to complete. All other media is distributed in 15 minute increments: a side of a record, each side of a tape. This is very much preferred. Too much and I lose interest as the elements used are so constrained and similar. My attention is lost on an hour long marathon. I would not say the CD has lesser tracks, but it is my least favorite of the set.

* The real strength in this moniker / project is still Maso's voice. This, coming from someone that appreciates the originality and quality of Masonna but only owns the RRR / Pure release. There is no enthusiasm for acquiring others. Masonna doesn't grab me for whatever reason. For the LPs, the intermission pieces of only synth serve a worthy, compositional aspect to each side as a whole. Similarly for the tapes. On Deathwish Tapes 1, there are long sections of sequential synth-only tracks that become off-putting. Remove the voice entirely from a Controlled Death release and it loses me.

* Caveat to above: Sometimes I question what I am hearing. Are the superficially voiceless tracks really such? Some of the sounds could conceivably be Maso with his heavy vocal echo / effect blending into the MS-20 sounds until they are indistinguishable from each other. I have questioned this a lot and not reached a firm conclusion.

* As to the limitations of the project parameters, I have an analogy to offer. It informs how I perceive Maso's artistic direction:

At one time I was a meticulous, medium format film photographer. My finalized work was few and painstakingly captured. Immense time and thought went into their production. Eventually, this was feeling more of a constraint than a benefit to my art. Too much was seemingly lost in the details.

I discovered one day that an utterly cheap, plastic (and plastic lens) disposable film camera could be modified to be reused. There was no exposure control, a fixed focal distance and set depth of field. Everything was out of my control other than framing the image and pressing the shutter. I never exposed so many rolls of film in my life. It was liberating! The most odd, unexpected images resulted from the experiment. Everything then was about editing and cumulative selection of images.

This is how I understand Controlled Death. Masonna's usual sound is thrown on its head, elements constrained, and habits short circuited. Lengthy sessions of explorations with only voice and MS-20 synth were made without any formulating principle but subject: death. Afterwards, editing was essential. It is as much the project as the instruments. Editing arguably makes or fails the final result as well. This would account for the strange, unplanned stop / starts to the individual selections (which I rather like). The recordings are, without a doubt, a compiled and arranged selection. Not of songs. Snippets. "All tracks are untitled," states the cover of Symphony for the Black Murder. Makes sense given this line of reasoning. Finally, the end result is carefully presented with conscious, directed artwork indicating the seriousness of the recorded statement within.

Now all I need is an accurate, thorough translation of that insert essay!

Eris/Ostia

Could've posted this to playlist topic as well but here goes.

I've been listening to the Symphony for the Black Murder CD and like it quite a lot. I can see Maso in a dark room with minimal gear, dressed in all black with long black hair and skinny and cool contemplating how only death is real. Bonus track Black Murder Gig is a good addition as a live take of the album tracks or variations of them. Perfectly dirty sound quality there.

Another thing: doesn't the beginning of the first track sound a bit similar to Genocide Organ's Autodefensa, especially the live recorded version on the said CD bonus (and, as a side note, wasn't that same synth pattern/patch used earlier by Anenzephalia?)?

Moran

The placement of sounds in Serenita Per I Morti Viventi with Rudolf Eb․er feels considered unlike Controlled Death's other albums I've listened to, like Symphony for the Black Murder and Black Lucifer Rising, which feel aimlessly improvised (I guess the aimless feeling was desired). What releases are good if one liked Serenita Per I Morti Viventi?

Balor/SS1535

Quote from: Moran on September 11, 2024, 12:06:58 AMThe placement of sounds in Serenita Per I Morti Viventi with Rudolf Eb․er feels considered unlike Controlled Death's other albums I've listened to, like Symphony for the Black Murder and Black Lucifer Rising, which feel aimlessly improvised (I guess the aimless feeling was desired). What releases are good if one liked Serenita Per I Morti Viventi?

A lot of the more recent ones are composed, and they sound closer to some sort of soundtrack music or dungeon synth than the pure death industrial of the early albums.

Moran

Quote from: Balor/SS1535 on September 11, 2024, 04:58:52 AM
Quote from: Moran on September 11, 2024, 12:06:58 AMThe placement of sounds in Serenita Per I Morti Viventi with Rudolf Eb․er feels considered unlike Controlled Death's other albums I've listened to, like Symphony for the Black Murder and Black Lucifer Rising, which feel aimlessly improvised (I guess the aimless feeling was desired). What releases are good if one liked Serenita Per I Morti Viventi?

A lot of the more recent ones are composed, and they sound closer to some sort of soundtrack music or dungeon synth than the pure death industrial of the early albums.
I'll listen to more of the recent releases. Among the few of his albums I listened to today, Requiem for the Boundless Flesh was my favorite. It has a higher density of ideas and clearer structure than some of the early albums while keeping the loose, flowing feeling. Some parts sound like straightforward power electronics, and dungeon-synth-like parts aren't excessively frequent.

Balor/SS1535

Quote from: Moran on September 13, 2024, 12:51:52 AM
Quote from: Balor/SS1535 on September 11, 2024, 04:58:52 AM
Quote from: Moran on September 11, 2024, 12:06:58 AMThe placement of sounds in Serenita Per I Morti Viventi with Rudolf Eb․er feels considered unlike Controlled Death's other albums I've listened to, like Symphony for the Black Murder and Black Lucifer Rising, which feel aimlessly improvised (I guess the aimless feeling was desired). What releases are good if one liked Serenita Per I Morti Viventi?

A lot of the more recent ones are composed, and they sound closer to some sort of soundtrack music or dungeon synth than the pure death industrial of the early albums.
I'll listen to more of the recent releases. Among the few of his albums I listened to today, Requiem for the Boundless Flesh was my favorite. It has a higher density of ideas and clearer structure than some of the early albums while keeping the loose, flowing feeling. Some parts sound like straightforward power electronics, and dungeon-synth-like parts aren't excessively frequent.

You might like this one as well, if you didn't listen to it already: https://deathbedtapes.bandcamp.com/album/dirge-for-the-departed

Moran

Quote from: Balor/SS1535 on September 13, 2024, 02:06:42 AM
Quote from: Moran on September 13, 2024, 12:51:52 AM
Quote from: Balor/SS1535 on September 11, 2024, 04:58:52 AM
Quote from: Moran on September 11, 2024, 12:06:58 AMThe placement of sounds in Serenita Per I Morti Viventi with Rudolf Eb․er feels considered unlike Controlled Death's other albums I've listened to, like Symphony for the Black Murder and Black Lucifer Rising, which feel aimlessly improvised (I guess the aimless feeling was desired). What releases are good if one liked Serenita Per I Morti Viventi?

A lot of the more recent ones are composed, and they sound closer to some sort of soundtrack music or dungeon synth than the pure death industrial of the early albums.
I'll listen to more of the recent releases. Among the few of his albums I listened to today, Requiem for the Boundless Flesh was my favorite. It has a higher density of ideas and clearer structure than some of the early albums while keeping the loose, flowing feeling. Some parts sound like straightforward power electronics, and dungeon-synth-like parts aren't excessively frequent.

You might like this one as well, if you didn't listen to it already: https://deathbedtapes.bandcamp.com/album/dirge-for-the-departed

I have listened to this. A nice recommendation nonetheless.