This Japanese-Hungarian trio of doom was good enough in 2016 to merit a return engagement. Guitarist Keiji Haino, electronics mastermind Merzbow, and the Hungarian drummer Balazs Pandi serve a second helping of blackened, experimental jazz with another Rare Noise Records release, Become the Discovered, Not the Discoverer.
Pandi surmised the music-making process this way: “All we do is listen and play. Wherever we go with the music, the moment takes us there.” That means no edits, no overdubs, nothing planned in advance. Just pure unadulterated impulsiveness. These sessions birthed two songs running about thirty-five minutes a piece and further divided into two parts.
The traits that stick out on “Become the discovered, not the discoverer” is how Merzbow’s screaming sounds blend in hand-in-glove with Haino’s metal guitar shards. Pandi is actually playing rock beats, but that is what going with the relentless, uncompromising flow means here. Part two breathes a bit freer, with some moments where the band winds up during down time as a prelude to blast away forcefully again. At this point, Pandi’s drumming often goes off the hook and takes little heed of time-keeping.
There’s a surprise in “I want to learn how to feel everything in each single breath” found in Haino playing bass (a first for him on record) and Merzbow picking up a guitar in a major shift of roles. While they might not be maestros at the instruments they chose to play on a whim, it hardly matters since everything is fueled by instinct. Their instinct to play harsh textures get the job done for what is temporarily your classic format rock trio. When the pace picks up and the Japanese counterparts return to their knitting, the usual metal drone is paired with frightening howls. During the latter section, Pandi masterfully modulates the tempo, providing much of the variation while Merzbow’s siren-like sound reverberates for an eternity.
Become the Discovered, Not the Discoverer is now available for sale by London-based Rare Noise Records.
