kagablog

you can download this disgusting pornographic film for free here

more info here: http://norient.com/video/soundtrack-for-a-japanese-apocalypse/

The japanese noise sculptor merzbow is one of the most respected figures in contemporary avant-garde music, but you wouldn’t know it from watching this pretentious and thoroughly unpleasant documentary. adhering to the frustrating tenets of “open form” docs, director aryan kaganof offers little in the way of biographical or contextual information about his subject. instead, beyond ultraviolence consists of merzbow free-associating about the comforts of noise while the filmmaker tries out a predictable assortment of lenses and filters, zooms and pans, and razzle-dazzle editing tricks–all of which obscure the footage and make the popularity of merzbow’s cds and performances all the more confounding. granted, some of the artist’s ruminations are intriguing. but when the film suddenly strays into a stomach-turning 20-minute presentation of his obsession with bondage porn and “suicide videos,” the lack of connective tissue becomes downright infuriating. surely kaganof intends to recreate the disconcerting, assaultive effect of his subject’s art. but the approach is bafflingly lazy (why all those long takes of tokyo streets shot from a moving vehicle?)–and bad journalism to boot.

this review first appeared here: http://www.cinematurkey.com/beyond-ultra-violence-uneasy-listening-by-merzbow-1998.html

the complete film is available from corrupted-delights

Director: Aryan Kaganof (Netherlands, 1998)
Studio: No dvd release available
Aspect Ratio: n/a
Region: n/a
Running Time: 72 minutes

Review posted on 06/03/2009 by Rapeman

Masami Akita aka Merzbow is one of the most prolific “noisicians” in the Harsh Noise genre, with over 300 releases since 1979 that range from 5 cassette sets packaged inside VHS boxes and limited edition CD-R’s to the 50 CD Merzbox and the ULTRA-limited edition of Noise Embryo that comes packaged inside a Mercedes. Merzbow takes his name (and indeed much of his inspiration) from Dada anti-artist Kurt Schwitters and his house-sized installation, Merzbau.

Aside from creating his symphonies of cacophony Masami Akita has also written books and articles on extreme culture and Sadomasochism, lends his services as a freelance writer to a variety of pornography magazines and has directed / acted as consultant on various Harakiri and Kinbaku fetish films. He also scored the film Deadman 2 for the director of this documentary, Ian Kerkhof (aka Aryan Kaganof).

Over the years I have managed to amass a fair amount of Merzbow’s output, but I have never really known much about the man himself, other than the fact that he digs bondage and animal rights. So when I discovered Ian Kerkhof , director of the brilliant Tokyo Elegy and Nice to Meet You, Please Don’t Rape Me!, had made a documentary on this Japanese enigma, I had to find and view it immediately.

The opening 20 minutes or so of the film is basically footage of Masami hanging out with some pigeons, walking the streets of Tokyo, puttering around with his electronics, etc. with some dated visual effects superimposed on top of it while a sample of his dissonance throbs on the soundtrack. Then he begins to speak about how he got into the noise scene in the late 70s/early 80s (via an article in underground German zine and tape trading), how as a youth he wanted to make music “so dreadful to listen to that it wouldn’t be considered music”, and his obsession with collecting various everyday sounds and incorporating them into his work.

“a highly informative look at the man behind the name combined with the appropriate visual fuckery for all you art fag noise lovers out there”

As the documentary progresses it is clear Mr. Kerkhof is attempting to translate the ideas of Masami and his heroes, the Dadaists to the film medium; the flow is relentlessly interrupted by cuts, splices, inserts, samples and seizure-inducing strobes making it somewhat of a task to endure (or, just fucking inane), which I’m sure is what he had in mind. Although for me the segments where these disruptions are kept to a minimum as Masami enlightens us on his inspirations and fixations were the most intriguing.

Throughout the films runtime The Merz waxes philosophical on such subjects as pre and post-WWII pornography, Japan’s uniform fetish, the national significance of Sepukku / Harakiri and the distinction between the two (there’s no decapitation in Harakiri and it’s generally practiced by women), Bataille’s concepts of eroticism, Gothic architecture and much more. We also are treated to some live performances where he rocks his bizarro noise machine-cum-guitar contraption and some excerpts from his Harakiri fetish film Lost Paradise, over which he explains that in certain archaic (Japanese) religious ceremonies, to testify their utter devotion, women offered up their entrails to the gods.

Around halfway through the duration Masami pronounces my favourite quote of his: “If music was sex, Merzbow would be pornography” – that pretty much sums up his work in a nutshell.

For any dedicated Merzbow fan, Beyond Ultra Violence is a must-have document to add to your Merz-collection. It offers a highly informative look at the man behind the name combined with the appropriate visual fuckery for all you art fag noise lovers out there. Dig it.

this review first published on dvdholocaust.com

24 mars 2007 – Quartier Latin

Vendredi soir, minuit. Une salle de projection anonyme est annoncée sur un conteneur à vidanges. Cinq dollars plus tard, on entre dans le Cinéma Abattoir pour une soirée de huit courts métrages subversifs présentée sous le titre Napalm Celluloïd.

La collaboration japonaise-africaine de “Merzbow Beyond Snuff” est une catastrophe sur pellicule. Un gros 20 minutes tortueux de n’importe quoi sur l’air continuel d’un “feedback” de guitares overdrivés et de “white noise” insupportable. À part le “harakiri” de la cavalière nippone [qui offre ses entrailles à Dieu], ce fut un moment pénible de ma vie.

“Pandrogeny Manifesto” est un dialogue affirmatif entre l’ex-leader de Psychic TV / Throbbing Gristle, Genesis P-Orridge, et sa partenaire Lady Jaye. Ainsi, la transex Genesis tente de faire le rapprochement entre la technique du “cut-up” de Brion Gysin et la modification sexuelle de son corps. Aussi intéressant qu’un traitement de canal.

this review first appeared on cowboyjohnny.com

19-07-07

this short clip from the documentary was placed unofficially on youtube by a fan

Merzbow Beyond Snuff

Aryan Kaganof, Japon / Afrique, 1997-2005, 22 minutes

« There’s no such thing as noise »

Ce document éclectique cherche à promouvoir le travail de Merzbow, un excellent musicien Noise qui s’intéresse aux suicides de jeunes japonaises. On peut y entendre une excellente démonstration de la virtuosité du bruiteur ainsi que des images d’une jeune fille qui se tranche l’abdomen avec un couteau, étend ses viscères sur le sol et patauge dans son sang. On y apprend aussi la différence entre hara-kiri et seppuku.

Dérangeant et étourdissant. Il faut assurément voir ce film à plusieurs reprises pour en comprendre parfaitement le propos mais les images choquantes qu’il contient risquent d’en décourager plus d’un. Merzbow Beyound Snuff constitue exactement le genre de film déstabilisant que j’espérais voir dans le cadre de cette soirée.

Pandrogeny Manifesto

Dionysos Andronis et Aldo Lee, Grèce / France, 2005, 11 minutes

« The body is the logo of the self »

Ce court métrage porte parfaitement bien son titre. Construit autour d’un dialogue entre Genesis P-Orridge et son amant/amante, il explique comment et pourquoi deux personnes s’efforcent, vêtements et chirurgies esthétiques aidant, de se ressembler le plus possible. Il y a l’homme, il y a la femme et puis il y a un troisième corps réunissant les attributs de l’un et de l’autre. L’objectif avoué du chanteur est de ressembler physiquement le plus possible à ce troisième corps idéalisé.

Je ne suis pas familier avec le groupe Throbbing Gristle dont Genesis P-Orridge est le chanteur. Après ce film, vous n’en connaîtrez pas vraiment davantage sur leur musique. L’argumentation du couple est suffisamment solide pour qu’on respecte leur choix mais pas suffisamment convaincante pour que je me rendes à la clinique dans les prochains jours.

these reviews first appeared here

Hi Aryan,

How to describe yesterday Cinema Abattoir screening…

The cinema was packed.

The ambiance was absolutely great. A lot of interesting people showed up, filmmakers, critics, musicians. 4 (local) director.

The films simply destroyed the public. Certain films even created really hardcore reactions. People were screaming at the end of each film, even once during the film (it happened in the second half of Theocordis by Serge de Cotret). Somebody in the audience got up and went down the cinema to get on his knees in front of the screen during the last film of the program, Western Sunburn by Karl Lemieux, a film where an old western is lyrically burning to the sound of the apocalypse. At the end of the film, the man yeld extremely loud before throwing himself over the bench, in the public. A real threat to experience!

It sincerely was one of my most beautiful Cinema Abattoir screening.

A great night. The directors were really happy… of the ambience, the huge public (at a certain point there was a line-up to get in), of the film they were screen with…

Thanks again for accepting that I screen your film at Cinema Abattoir.

Pierre-Luc

www.cinema-abattoir.com

genesis p. orridge in the pandrogeny manifesto

Bonjour Dionysos,

Comment décrire la projection d’hier…

La salle était remplie.

L’ambiance était géniale, beaucoup de personnes très intéressantes sont venues. Des cinéastes, critiques, musiciens, beaucoup d’artistes locaux. 4 réalisateurs (locaux).

Les films ont jeté le public par terre. Certain films ont même suscité de très fortes réactions. Des hurlement d’engouement se sont fait entendre à la fin de chaque film, même parfois durant le film (c’était le cas durant Theocordis de Serge de Cotret). Quelqu’un s’est levé et est venu s’agenouiller devant l’écran durant le dernier film, Western Sunburn de Karl Lemieux, un western ancien qui brûle lentement et tranquillement, créant des images réellement lyriques, et il a finalement poussé un cri à la fin du film, avant de se jeter par dessus les bancs… dans le public! Un vrai délire.

Il a sincèrement été une de mes plus belles scéances Cinéma Abattoir.

Toute une soirée. Les réalisateurs ont été très contents… de l’ambiance générale, du très nombreux public (à un certain point il y avait une file pour entrer), des films avec lesquels ils étaient projetés…

J’espère comme de fait pouvoir collaborer à nouveau avec vous. J’étais très content d’avoir mis votre vidéo et celui de Aryan Kaganof côte à côte… ce fût un réel plaisir aussi pour les spectateurs!

Encore merci d’avoir accepté d’être présenté à Cinéma Abattoir.

Pierre-Luc

www.cinema-abattoir.com