Origami Replika: Kommerz
CD - Segerhuva, Sweden - 2006 - Seger3

Label desciption:

This CD sees Origami Replika (a now defunct part of the ever changing Origami cultural collective/phenomenon) made up by three of Norway's most diehard noiseheads -- Lasse Marhaug, Tore H. Bøe, and Mads Staff Jensen. Recorded in 1997, this effort is entirely based on sound sources from the back catalogue of Merzbow. With no back-bending, knee-scraping humility, and with a pure love for all source sounds, Origami Replika have shaped classic Merzbow sound into all-new compositions. These are innovative and highly potent re-workings of the harsh soundwaves, recommended to all those who still have a healthy addiction to the Merzbow sounds of yesterday. Thick and meaty, the blasts emanating from the speakers is filled with lusty, fetishized, organic heavy noise and experimental Dadaism, ready to be devoured by the faithful disciples.

Originally planned for release on another label, and now finally unleashed on Segerhuva, this is a CD that has been tried and tested over and over again. These recordings, created almost a decade ago, have been remastered by Lasse Marhaug, and it is safe to say that this CD has stood the test of TIME. After nine years, it sounds remarkable -- a solid chunk of the classic, living breathing Noise Object that some call religion.

Bottom line -- the NOISE FETISH is still very much alive and well. This time it comes from a somewhat unexpected source. Indulge!

Reviews:

ORIGAMI REPLIKA - KOMMERZ: MERZBOW IN THE HANDS OF ORIGAMI REPLIKA (CD by Segerhuva)
It's almost impossible to understand, but this work was recorded in 1997, but it took nine years to find a label. Origami Replika, a trio of Lasse Marhaug, Tore H Boe and Mads Staff Jensen, recorded in 1997 two works of them remixing other people's works. The first one, 'Kapotte Muziek In The Hands Of Origami Replika' was released shortly after it was finished, but for some reason 'Merzbow In The Hands Of Origami Replika' took so much more time. The cover lists all of the Merzbow works used, ranging from cassettes to vinyl and CDs and includes 'destroying nine Merzbow cassette cases'. Origami Replika uses turntables, minidiscs, microphones and sound effects to create a sonic density that is not unlike the good master himself, but also more quieter moments of noise assault, which of course is a rarer feature in the vast amount of Merzbow works. However, the majority of the pieces are way out sonic attacks, that easily survived time (remember that in 1997 such things as computers
where not commonly used). This reflects the older Merzbow, analogue phase, as well as an original attack on their material, by surely like minded noise artists. A great work, not to be missed by both fans of Merzbow and Marhaug. (FdW, vitalweekly)

Origami Replika - Kommerz (Segerhuva CD)

Had to exclude the titles of the Mechanoise Labs CDs because things were getting pretty hairy up in there, but I think the message is clear enough. One CD from the Segerhuva label, and two from Mechanoise Labs - a meeting of two European noise peddlers. Sweden's Segerhuva actually sent me a few discs but, in sticking to my vague attempt to review "mostly" new stuff, I had to exclude the two other great records - a reissue of Blood ov Thee Christ's amazing 1987 bomber "Master Control" and a great compilation of various noise artists called "Sweetness Will Overcome". So, apologies in that I'm unable to dedicate more space to these records, but know that I fully recommend both (and a newer release that they didn't send my way but still gets a thumbs up very much big time - Edwige's "The Inconsolable Widow Thanks All Those Who Consoled Her" LP). Meanwhile, I think Mechanoise Labs are from France, but I'm not 100% sure on that since info is pretty hard to come by, or I'm not looking in the right places. Either way, they've been in action since 1998, and have released records by folks like Aidan Baker, Stelladrine, Aluminium Noise, and more. These are a couple of their newest outings, though they've since put out a Concrete Belly 3" CD-R. Guess I'm falling behind. What else is new?
Starting off with the Segerhuva record, which comes courtesy a "now-defunct part of the ever changing cultural Origami collective/phenomenon", which is news to me but that's okay. Origami Replika brings together a trio of Norwegian noise ne'er-do-wells in Lasse Marhaug, Tore H. Boe, and Mads Staff Jensen. In 1997 they recorded this re-working of classic Merzbow material, and only last year did it finally manage to see the light of day. It lists all the original Merzbow records that were mutilated to form the source, and they're mostly all from the early 80's ("Metal Acoustic Music", "Sadomasochismo", "Vratya Southward") with a couple of then-recent CDs thrown in for good measure ("Akasha Gulva", "Oestered", "Loves" with Emil Beaulieau, "Rectal Anarchy" with Gore Beyond Necropsy), as well as the destruction of nine Merzbow cassette cases. Doesn't get much more immersive than that, does it? It would be easy remix Merzbow tapes and force them into sounding even more disorted, more harsh, more noisy, more fucked up than they already do, and where's the challenge in that? Luckily these three are too good to avoid such a pratfall. The 12 untitled tracks on "Kommerz" are, for the most part, thoroughly composed and downright mature, suggesting a tremendous amount of respect for the original recordings while simultaneously morphing them into something brand new and equally grand. Track three, for instance, is a mighty impressive statement of intent. Over the course of 12 minutes, Origami Replika reconstruct Merzbow's sound into a slow-building, dense electronic threat, before it sharply fizzles out...only to come back twice as fierce like the the final, unexpected drop on what was already an exhilerating rollercoaster ride. The trick is tweaked somewhat on track eight, where the sound grows progressively louder and angrier with each passing second until it hits an apex, plateaus, and vanishes again. Other tracks like one and four are so rhythmic-yet-noisy that they hit a stride between Masami Akita's initial Dadaist tape-mangling chaos and his 2000s-era "Merzbeat" et al. explorations into near-beat oriented noise tunes. And remember, this was done before the "Merz-" series even came about. It ain't all pedal to the metal though - I have no idea what was being sourced on tracks five and six but they're both, for the most part, lush space-vaccuum floats through the more pensive segments of the early Merzbow catalogue, while the last track is a similar hollowed siren-in-the-distance dream sequence that again inspires incredulity when considering the source. Overall, Origami Replika have done a fantastic job moulding Akita's work into whole new beasts - clearly retaining the original sonic properties of the source but assembled in such a way as to suggest new realms, dimensions, and hitherto-unimagined possibilities. Next time any mouthbreather tells you Merzbow's just a load of meaningless noise, show them this disc and ask em how three dudes manage to extract such magnificent new life from it. Good stuff indeed. (http://outerspacegamelan.blogspot.com/)