10 August 2014

Come On Feel the Noise

Re-uploaded by request  08/19/2024
 
 

This started out being about some Japanese angels in heavy syrup, then it took on a noisy life of its own & became much more. Away we go…




In 1989, Mineko Itakura ran into Mine Nakao at a house party in Osaka, Japan, where Hanadensha (Boredoms bass player Hira Hiyashi's new project) played a gig for Japanese independent label Alchemy Records. The two musicians shared a love for psychedelic rock, so the following year, with the help of Alchemy chairman Jojo Hiroshigea, the all-female rock trio ensemble Angel' in Heavy Syrup formed with Mine – guitar & vocals, Mineko – bass & vocals, & Yoko Mandrake - drums.

Basically Jojo & Alchemy Records were the leaders in the Japanese noise music scene, so Angel' in Heavy Syrup, with their gracefully meditative psychedelic progressive rock style was an odd duck. They released their debut album Angel' in Heavy Syrup in 1991. Since there was a good market for their sound in the US, the album was released on Subterranean Records the following year.

Yoko was replaced by Tomoko Takaku on drums (as well as percussion & flute) with a second guitarist Fusao Toda added to augment the band's loud fuzzy guitar-based sound before recording their second album Angel' in Heavy Syrup II in 1993. The new quartet was a smooth, united band, with a new tighter-yet-improvised, mind-expanding, heavy guitar sound elevated by Mineko's angelic vocals. Each successive album was better than the last, but just before Angel' in Heavy Syrup IV (with Naoko Otani – drums) was released in 1999, Tomoko quit the band. Without a steady drummer, the band went into indefinite hibernation.


Angel' in Heavy Syrup – Angel' in Heavy Syrup, Subterranean Records SUB 74-2, 1992.
all decryption codes in comments
Tracklist –
S.G.E. (Space Giant Eye)
きっと逢えるよ (I’m Sure to Meet You)
僕と観光バスに乗ってみませんか (Why Don’t You Take a Sight-seeing Bus with Me)
Underground Railroad
My Dream
Crazy Blues
 
 
 
 

Angel' in Heavy Syrup – II, Alchemy Records ARCD055, 1993.
Tracklist –
Introduction I – Naked Sky High
Crazy Blues
きっと逢えるよ (Kitto Aeru Yo)
Introduction II
I Got You Babe (Sonny & Cher cover)
 
 
 
 


Angel' in Heavy Syrup – III, Alchemy Records ARCD072, 1995.
Tracklist –
Breath of Life
花と夢 (Flower & Dream)
Thirsty Land
僕だけが... (Bokudake-ga)
Water Mind
 
 
 
 


Angel' in Heavy Syrup – IV, Monotremata Records MONOCD04, 1999.
Tracklist –
First Love
Space Conquest
A Series of Water Mind ~ Rubens & the Cathedral
Voyage
Fate
 
 



& two bonus live sets…

Tracklist –
Underground Railway
S.G.E.
I Got You, Babe
I'm Sure to Meet You!
Naked Sky High
Breath of Life, part 1
Breath of Life, part 2
Breath of Life, part 3
Flower & Dream/Thirst
Introduction I
Naked Sky High reprise
 
 
 
 


58 minute set, no separate tracks or tracklist (HELP!!!)

These from friendly visitor Mike...
0:00 Breath of Life
12:00 Flower and Dream
17:36 Thirsty Land
24:54 (unknown - this is either a cover I don't recognize or an original that was never released on an album)
30:10 Crazy Blues
40:54 Bokudake Ga
44:36 Introduction I/Naked Sky High
52:18 Water Mind
 
 
 
 

Here the story jumps to Takushi Yamazaki. Takushi is the manager of Jojo Hiroshige's Alchemy Records  music store.




Takushi 'Maso' Yamazaki has been a busy Japanoise boy. He has been in, at one time or another: Acid Eater; Acid Maso Temple; Andromelos; Bustmonster; Christine 23 Onna; Eb.ersonna; Flying Testicle; Gokurakuji; Kinkakuji; Masomania; & South Saturn Delta while playing with artists as far-flung as Runzelstirn & Gurgelstock, Aube, Merzbow, Jojo, Solmania, Boris, YBO2, K.K. Null, Blixa Bargeld, & The Stars.

Takushi became interested in the idea of noise music when he first heard the sounds of destruction on television as a child. His first exposure to real Japanese noise music was in 1984 by way of Hanatarash's debut LP.  Maso has stated that he was not overly impressed by the LP. Around that same time (also 1984) he discovered L.S.D., an album under the Nord moniker by Hiroshi Oikawa (Oikawa had been a member of Nord with Satoshi Katayama until 1983, when the duo split…both former members continued using the Nord name). Yamazaki's interest in noise grew rapidly from that point onward. He began searching out & ingesting all the noise releases he could find in the underground music stores in & around Osaka.

By 1987, Maso was ready for action. He stopped listening to other noise projects altogether & concentrated on his own unique take on Noise, drawing heavily from the psychedelic music scene of the 60s & 70s while sonically little resembling these influences (Maso had always had an intense interest in films by Alexandro Jodorowski [ like The Holy Mountain, Sante Sangre, & El Topo]  & claims he wished he had worked with American musician Captain Beefheart). He began his own project Masonna [マゾンナ] (sometimes written as the acronym M.A.S.O.N.N.A. which supposedly stands for Mademoiselle Anne Sanglante Ou Notre Nymphomanie Auréolé or "Miss Bloody Anne, or Our Aureoled Nymphomania". It has also been claimed that the name is a pun on pop singer Madonna, being a composite of maso - Japanese for masochist & onna - Japanese for woman alluding again to the fetishistic ‘bloody Anne’. Masonna is one of the best-known Japanese noise projects, right up there with Merzbow.

Masonna's discography is extensive. Maso released a number of limited-edition cassettes soon after starting Masonna. His first label release was the home recorded Masonna Vs. Bananarama on Vanilla records in 1989, followed shortly by the 31-minute two-song EP Shinsen Na Clitoris (Vanilla, 1990), the 31 track Mademoiselle Anne Sanglante Ou Notre Nymphomanie Aureole ( Alchemy 1993), the 33-minute single-song Super Compact Disc (Alchemy, 1995), & many, many more until he basically retired the Masonna name around 1999 (he did release the Midi Creative Shock Rock (another 31 track wonder) in 2002.


Tracklist –
Tracks 1 – 30 Untitled
Track 31 - Mademoiselle Anne Sanglante Ou Notre Nymphomanie Auréolé
 
 
 
 

Masonna – Super Compact Disc, Alchemy Records ARCD073, 1995.
Tracklist –
Super Compact Disc (one 33:31 minute track)
 
 
 
 


Masonna – Sonic Devil, Pinch A Loaf Productions PAL15, 1997.
Single sided 12" 45 (Side 1 clear vinyl – Side 2 drizzled paint design)
Side 1 –
8 Untitled songs
 
 
 
 


Tracklist –
14 Untitled Tracks
 
 
 
 


Yamazaki was forced to temporarily cease Masonna activities due to ill health & this allowed him to concentrate more fully on Space Machine.




 
Yamazaki's project Space Machine, that debuted with Cosmos from Diode Ladder Filter (Alchemy, 2001), was devoted to old-fashioned cosmic music for analog synthesizers. From around 1998 Maso had started to incorporate trippy, spacey electronic elements into Masonna performances. In order to better pursue these elements as a whole, he utilized Space Machine, his self-labeled "analog electronic cosmic sound project". For as long as he had been performing under the Masonna moniker, Yamazaki had been an ardent fan of early electronic music from the 50s & 60s. In order to research the impact that electronic sounds had upon the spiritual lineage audible in 60s US & Brit psychedelic music & also 70s Krautrock, Yamazaki began collecting analog synthesizers & vintage electronic equipment. He continuously experimented with these instruments in his home studio, & while groping towards an understanding of their scope & range, he discovered a new direction for his own music, a direction different from his noise work as Masonna.


Space Machine – Cosmos from Diode Ladder Filter, Alchemy Records ARCD132, 2001.
Tracklist –
11 Untitled tracks
 
 
 
 





 
However, by 1995 Maso had teamed up with guitarist Fusao Toda from Angel' in Heavy Syrup & began recording as Christine 23 Onna. The duo seemingly payed homage to 70s German electronic rock & 60s exploitation psych, a long way from Masonna's usual noise chaos, but still a really noisy sound for their chosen influences. They released three works (1996s Space Age Batchelor Pad Psychedelic Music, 2000s Shiny Crystal Planet [a heavy blast of modern electro-noise psych with a retro edge, featuring raw electronics & guitar with breakbeat drums, dense but surprisingly varied & textured] & 2001s Acid Eater).
 


Christine 23 Onna – Shiny Crystal Planet, Alchemy Records ARCD119, 2000.
Tracklist –
Drive to Crystal Planet
Cosmic Jungle
Christine Hop #1
Christine Hop #2
Insect Voice
Mondo Nude Mode
Groovy Spacy '70
Hypnosis
Under Cover of Darkness
Pulse on Pulse
Moon Over
New Dawn on Crystal Planet
 
 
 
 

Christine 23 Onna – Acid Eater, Midi Creative CXCA1106, 2002.
Tracklist –
Fantastico
Acid Now!
The Last Hunter
Acid Eater
Planet Unknown
Space Mondo Topless
Love Galactic
Top of Spot
Wild Private
Erotopia (The Climax)
 
 
 
 




 
By that time Maso & Toda had started getting support with their music from Miyaji Kensaku & Akiba Shinichiro. This gave Maso a chance to expand what had been an instrumental project by adding his vocals. Their style shifted more toward noise influenced 60s garage with brutal fuzz & organ. On April 1 2005, Christine 23 Onna officially became Acid Eater (named after C23O's last album). Acid Eater featured Takushi - vocals, synthesizers, & effects, Fusao - guitarist, Miyaji - organ & bass keyboards, & Akiba - drums.


Acid Eater - Virulent Fuzz Punk A.C.I.D., Time Bomb Records Bomb88, 2007.
Side A –
Eye
Nothing Can Bring Me Down
A.C.I.D.
Question of Temperature
Drive to C.P.
No Friend of Mine

Side B –
No! No! No!
LSD
Confessions of a Psycho Cat
Never Alone
Top of Spot
Free
 
 
 
 




Acid Eater – Dirty 7" EP, Hello from the Gutter HFTG006, 2008.
Side A –
Dirty
I Gotta Move (Kinks cover)
Side B –
Susie's Gone (Acid Hell mix)
 
 
 
 

Acid Eater – Black Fuzz on Wheels, Time Bomb Records BOMBCD96, 2010.
Tracklist –
Yes, Motion
Oh Baby’s No
Road to Ecstasy
Well
Feel the Beat (Crime cover)
Love Has No Time (Miracle Workers cover)
Get Down
Follow Me
Searching for Love (The Tidal Waves cover)
Dirty
 
 
 

Enjoy,

33 comments:

  1. Jesus! This clearly takes some digesting, but looks more than worth the chewing over. I may be some time...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Here are the new decryption codes for all items.

      Angel’ in Heavy Syrup I
      0_thh12dqWSx_cRp9gTcWXgCfUDIGSrhIgEbv6v9ypg
      Angel’ in Heavy Syrup II
      CwmuWxOMBVKR0GnrMIjeom9C8934_rDJ1wJ1G7y3DuM
      Angel’ in Heavy Syrup III
      1WD62_C5QmnAd9MFF_9LMk0zYt1U-By0m9m2dSF9Y5M
      Angel’ in Heavy Syrup IV
      VegTloY4yKr6t2LQOZsiWudUvuHomOWjBSoDjAkj398
      Live at an Unknown Location
      wHgLWivAGLE415mIVTMqGx_VTym4il1KqkaeuMRmDB4
      Live at Kilowatt
      _mLSRaewmiHyskFH-ivvL7XdwzD770bGHm9sKbtDZCg
      M.A.S.O.N.N.A.
      _n9zD_2PwWgZoBepaV65VUZOCaNELtRTpkRHKK7xCRo
      Super Compact Disc
      ur3x90nTUjTvSEbLOsWUTVfP5Vc60z61w41bW5fRHCI
      Sonic Devil
      Cj2i4Sia78CcOrDEaKdPX9BE75Jvvr9hf-9wDy0ufLw
      Frequency L.S.D.
      d4OngnnK60xBLWepIki29L49fIu7-pMi3lKYVJCfgVE
      Cosmos from Diode Ladder Filter
      BSjiu3OlZFjXLK2aNLERdsLf6QnWISail5-V4OpuJ7A
      Shiny Crystal Planet
      wF6Myl2dDMpi71QWTTf2ieptfBwgIdjtX_A_42H2XGc
      Acid Eater
      XDHkF4f2ePWwDeWQwVdA3-8CuXC6L7GpeFO9Ro0d_-U
      Virulent Fuzz Punk A.C.I.D.
      3KPjJEWdpTl8Avuplwup09ndFuuv-qM4cVMNwrEZZrc
      Dirty 7“
      nRg4QIDG4ypixBXioTVawm1FXUIs0ScNDm2m0KQKm6Q
      Black Fuz on Wheels
      ViNjxeGA2W582qdLC93WBUCxxjuZ_xLYzcIW2Y9mjgg

      Delete
  2. Holy Megapost, Batman!

    I... I'm gonna need some time to digest this....

    -Xtm

    ReplyDelete
  3. to ib & Xtm both,
    Guess I just needed to post a heavy dose of Acid & yer both calling up the Holy spirits & needing some time to digest it. If you start with Masonna & go forward, then when yer peaking on the Black Fuzz Acid that's going around top it off with that sweet Angel'in Heavy Syrup, you'll be having a mighty smooth trip. Thank you gentlemen for your kindly words.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for posting Angel In Heavy Syrup. I have the first two so it was a treat to get two more.The download for the Live (unknown) album wouldn't finish so I had to scrap it. Not sure if I will get to grips with Masonna and Acid Eater but I'll probably try Space Machine - just need more time !
    Thanks again - Michael

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the comment. You didn't say what the problem with Live (unknow) was, so i tried downloading it. Didn't really have any problem, but let me know if you need me to chop it into a couple smaller chunks or upload it to zippyshare or box or something. If you like AHS as much as I do, the Live (unknown) set is really really good. Masonna is definitely a different pleasure???(pain???). Acid Eater is actually quite accessible, the fuzzed out organ helps it along & it sounds better the louder you play it.

      Delete
  5. Thanks for the offer - I found on making a second attempt that it worked perfectly. Isn't it great that computers have their perverse moments just to remind us who's boss. Anyway, sounds great ! Thanks again - Michael

    ReplyDelete
  6. cant find these ladies anywhere else would appreciate some help with maybe an alternative way to share these albums

    i put in the code to decrypt on the page it links me to but then nothing happens when i click on the box after that

    thanks

    x 1212

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you go to my most current post MEGA MESS, you should be able to read through & find various solutions to any download problems. Let me know.

      Delete
  7. for the trick is it an I or an L that you add after you combine it with the link address and then the decryption code

    I used both but got the same result both times

    no go, just a page with broken buttons as i described before

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is neither I nor L, it is an exclamation mark (!).

      That should do the trick.

      Delete
  8. it did indeed do the trick, thanks for your help really appreciate it!

    let me know if theres anything youre searching for I could maybe help with

    x 1212

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thank you for these - Angel'in Heavy Syrup was an outstanding group and it's wonderful to have access to these live recordings. One problem, though - the audio is very garbled on songs 3 and 4 from "Live at an Unknown Location." I wonder if this is a problem with the recordings themselves, or if something happened during the encoding...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I contacted a friend of mine who had his own version of the Live at an Unknown Location set. He sent it to me & I compared them. Tracks 3 & 4 sounded the same (same glitches & fuzz).
      So I would guess that either both our copies came from the same flawed iteration or that the problem occurred with the original recording. If you find any better version, please share & I'll fix these.

      Delete
  10. Also, here is the track list for Angel’in Heavy Syrup - Live at Kilowatt, San Francisco, 1993:

    0:00 Breath of Life
    12:00 Flower and Dream
    17:36 Thirsty Land
    24:54 (unknown - this is either a cover I don't recognize or an original that was never released on an album)
    30:10 Crazy Blues
    40:54 Bokudake Ga
    44:36 Introduction I/Naked Sky High
    52:18 Water Mind

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thanks so much for this tracklisting & also your above comment. I'll check out the Live set to see what I can find. If it was an encoding error, I'll fix it & re-up. If it was in the live recording, then we're stuck with it.

      Delete
  11. I just uploaded this to YouTube. 10 minutes of concert footage. Hope you like it, as it's all I have found...

    https://youtu.be/j3GoG-MGzlQ

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for the live Angels.

      Delete
    2. By the way, what is your decryption code? I attempted to use an exclamation mark, but that didn't work. Thanks in advance...

      Delete
  12. In the comments (above) I list the decryption codes.
    Just copy & paste it when prompted on MEGA.
    The link to MEGA is under the album artwork.
    Just select & paste code.

    For example, for Black Fuzz on Wheels
    the decryption code is listed in the comments as Black Fuzz.
    The code is vSjP1jM01Ka04nYg_z1eY8h66MK1MTyT3rw9aBYDJDI
    Just copy & paste when you select the link for Black Fuzz on Wheels.
    Same goes for all the rest. If there is no decryption code listed, then MEGA will propbably not request one.

    If all this doesn't help, try reading MEGA MESS post from April 1, 2015 (& the reader comments).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Got it; thank you so much.

      Delete
  13. What about a code for mademoiselle anna sanglante ou notre nymphomanie aureole?

    ReplyDelete
  14. nevermind! i found the code!

    ReplyDelete
  15. If at all possible, I should very much like to download the two Angel'in Heavy Syrup live recordings!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Go right ahead. You can download anything you want. The decryption codes are in the first comment, the live ones are called Unknown & Kilowatt. Just cut code & paste when prompted by MEGA.

      Delete
  16. Thank you from Tokyo

    ReplyDelete
  17. More Space Machine, please!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I'll have to search about ASAP for more Space Machine. Believe I have only "3" & a couple singles. On my to do list.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Any chance you could reload the links for this post? Many Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This one could take a while. This post is from 2014 & I have lost several hard-drives since then. I will get all the files together that I am able to recover & the re-upload them. If you are patient, I will get this done as this is a much viewed post. I will leave word here when this is done. You'll just have to keep checking or set up reply notification. Thanks for letting me know about this.

      Delete
    2. Well, that didn't take as long as I had expected. I still had the original six Angel' in Heavy Syrup files & was able to get the rest from other friends. Some of the early Masonna stuff is VBR of varying bit-size.

      Delete
  20. Many thanks for the reupload! It is very much appreciated!

    ReplyDelete