Reviewed: 12/4/24 4/5
Summary: I don't get to say this much at all, but this feels haunting.
This album is the most unique I've heard from Merzbow's discography. He manages to pull off a soundscape of strange noises and subtle noise. The strange noises add to this haunting atmosphere. At certain points it genuinely felt anxiety inducing.
The album starts off with Hara-Kiri Video 'Lost Paradise' Theme, which is a short track there to help get into the rest of the album. The album starts to pick up with the second track, Seishi Seppuku Kei. The track begins with strange industrial noises, like it's being cut or banged on. Then the foreboding ambiance and strange noises blend to create an unnerving atmosphere.
Rope In Tears is similar, with there being a bigger emphasis on strange and unsettling noises blended with the ambiance. Aimei Nawa has a pulsing type of ambiance in the background as a single note bends in pitch constantly. Eventually the dull pounding of some type of drum beat is introduced, slowly but surely becoming more dissonant and distorted with every loop. This track seems to have the most interesting ideas going on for the longest amount of time. I would recommend this track to those who want to try this out.
'Lost Paradise' Fire Scene is absolutely mind boggling in the context of this album. I'm not sure what's being played, but I do know keys are being played. It sounds extremely off putting, especially if you are listening to the album all the way through. The fact that it's only 43 seconds off and cuts off suddenly adds to the off putting vibe. For however short it is it adds a good amount to the album.
The final and longest track, Bondage Performance at Homo Fixas, explores more interesting ideas, and at first is ambient with it, but then it turns into strange noises. It features a loop of a key being played, with other sounds either being thrown in or added subtly for the ambiance. It does get pretty out there for this album, so I'm not gonna spoil too much. If you like the idea of 26 minutes of ambiance and even stranger noises, go ahead.
This album truly feels like a descent into a damp and dark area, only getting more unnerving as you continue. This is actually my first introduction into dark ambient as a genre, but it feels like this is a pretty good album to start with.
It's a slow burner of an album that rewards you in uncanny ways. Just like with any ambient album, patience will be rewarded eventually.
Recommended Tracks: Seishi Seppuki Kei, Aimei Nawa, Bondage Performance at Homo Fixas.