Various Artists Ikebana: Merzbow’s Amlux: Rebuilt, Reused And Recycled
Frustration with re-writes, endless studio discussions about plot inscrutability, scathing art-versus-box office memos and glaringly […]
Frustration with re-writes, endless studio discussions about plot inscrutability, scathing art-versus-box office memos and glaringly unfavorable test screenings for his now-classic Red Badge of Courage allegedly caused director John Huston to throw up his hands and storm, “The people who will like this movie will like it because they recognize that it’s a great film. Nothing we do will please the people who aren’t disposed to it.” Substitute Japanese extreme-noise godfather Merzbow for Huston, and you have the ideology behind this collection of stellar remixes by DJ Spooky, Staalplaat Sound System, Negativland, Luke Vibert and others. The remixers come together for one grand battle where aural art wins out over monetary concerns. Merzbow, undisputed master of grinding, shifting noise-scapes, and his Ikebana musical partners-some new, some frequent collaborators-display an intrinsic awareness of the melody beneath the noise, the order behind the chaos, and the foundation beneath the abstract.