The Brutal World of "Noise Music"

Summary

The video script explores the world of noise music through the lens of Japanese artist MERS Bo's 1996 album 'Pulse Demon'. Described as an intense auditory experience, akin to an underwater jet on full blast, the album is both revered and polarizing within the noise music scene. The video delves into the history of noise music, the artist's background, and the unique appeal of 'Pulse Demon', highlighting its live recording style and influence from death metal and grindcore. The script also reflects on the personal impact of noise music, suggesting it as a form of auditory cleansing and a retreat from daily stress.

Takeaways

• 🎵 'Pulse Demon' is an album by Japanese noise artist MERS Bo, released in 1996, known for its intense and abrasive sound.
• 🌊 The album is often described as an underwater jet in a Jacuzzi turned up a thousand times, indicating its overwhelming nature.
• 🎧 The first-time listening experience to 'Pulse Demon' is likely to be confusing and possibly off-putting due to its harsh noise.
• 👂 Noise music can be challenging to appreciate, especially for those new to the genre, as it often lacks traditional musical elements.
• 📚 The script provides a brief history of noise music, tracing back to the 1910s with Luigi Russolo and the Futurist movement.
• 🎼 Masami Ikeda, known as MERS Bo, has a significant influence on the noise music scene, with a massive discography including hundreds of recordings.
• 🔥 'Pulse Demon' gained attention in the West due to its release on Relapse Records, a label known for death metal and grindcore.
• 🏆 The album is considered a classic by fans and has received high praise for its composition and impact on the noise genre.
• 🎹 'Pulse Demon' was recorded live in the studio without overdubs, showcasing MERS Bo's raw and powerful sound.
• 👂🏻 Listening to 'Pulse Demon' can be a palate cleanser for the ears, allowing for a more refined appreciation of other music afterwards.
• 🧘‍♂️ The script suggests that noise music, including 'Pulse Demon', can be therapeutic and a way to clear the mind of distractions.

Q & A

What is the album 'Pulse Demon' by MERS Bo known for in the noise music genre?

The album 'Pulse Demon' is known for being one of the most classic and essential releases in the noise music scene, characterized by its harsh, loud, and abrasive sound, and for being released by the Japanese noise artist MERS Bo who has obtained an almost legendary status among fans.

How is the experience of listening to 'Pulse Demon' described by the speaker?

The speaker describes the initial experience of listening to 'Pulse Demon' as overwhelming and confusing, with the music being loud, obnoxious, and harsh. However, after multiple listens, the speaker developed a new appreciation for the album and its impact on their music listening experience.

What is the historical significance of noise music, according to the script?

Noise music has a dense history tracing back to the 1910s with Luigi Russolo, an Italian futurist artist, who created noise-generating devices and a noise orchestra. The genre evolved significantly in the 1980s in Japan, which became a pivotal influence in the current noise music scene.

Who is Masami Aikido, and what is his significance in the noise music scene?

Masami Aikido, known as MERS Bo in the noise world, is a Japanese noise artist born in Tokyo in the 1950s. He has been a significant contributor to the noise music scene since the early 1980s, with a massive discography including hundreds of recordings, collaborations, and guest appearances.

What was unique about the recording process of 'Pulse Demon' compared to MERS Bo's other works?

Unlike other works where MERS Bo used overdubs and was often under the influence of alcohol, 'Pulse Demon' was recorded fully live in the studio with no overdubs and while MERS Bo was sober, resulting in a pure and vicious sound.

Why does the speaker believe 'Pulse Demon' is often the first thing that comes up when searching for MERS Bo?

The speaker believes 'Pulse Demon' stands out because it was released at a time when MERS Bo was being exposed to a Western audience, and it was released on a label known for death metal and grindcore, which helped it reach a wider audience.

What effect does the speaker find 'Pulse Demon' has on their listening to other music?

The speaker finds that after listening to 'Pulse Demon', they have a more refined appreciation for each individual sound or instrument in a song, as if the extreme noise has reset their ears and allowed them to notice details they might have missed before.

How does the speaker describe the experience of listening to noise music as a retreat?

The speaker describes noise music as a musical retreat that clears the head, demanding the listener's attention and forcing them to focus solely on the sounds presented, which can be therapeutic and help release the mind from real-world stresses.

What is the speaker's personal takeaway from the experience of listening to 'Pulse Demon'?

The speaker finds 'Pulse Demon' to be a palate cleanser for their music listening experience, allowing them to appreciate other music more after being exposed to the extreme sounds of noise music. They also find it to be a form of meditation that helps them clear their mind.

What does the speaker suggest about the future of their relationship with noise music?

The speaker suggests that they will continue to explore noise music, including 'Pulse Demon', as a form of therapeutic retreat, expecting to find more value and understanding with each revisit to the genre.

Outlines

00:00

🎵 Introduction to 'Pulse Demon' and Noise Music

The script introduces 'Pulse Demon,' an album by Japanese noise artist MERS Bo, released in 1996. It's described as intensely loud and harsh, akin to an underwater jet in a Jacuzzi at full blast. The album is considered a classic in the noise music genre, despite its initial shock to new listeners. The speaker shares their personal experience with noise music and how it has broadened their musical appreciation. The script also touches on the history of noise music, dating back to the 1910s with Italian futurist artist Luigi Russolo, and its evolution through the 1980s in Japan, highlighting MERS Bo's significant influence.

05:01

📚 MERS Bo's Prolific Career and 'Pulse Demon's Impact

This paragraph delves into Masami Ikeda's, known as MERS Bo, extensive discography, which includes hundreds of recordings, collaborations, and guest appearances. MERS Bo's work ethic and dedication to the noise music genre are emphasized. The script discusses the significance of 'Pulse Demon' in MERS Bo's career, particularly its release at a time when he was gaining exposure to Western audiences. The album's live recording style, devoid of overdubs, and its stark contrast to MERS Bo's previous work, which often involved heavy layering and alcohol influence, are highlighted. The speaker also shares their personal journey with 'Pulse Demon,' describing it as a palate cleanser for the ears that enhances their appreciation for other music.

10:02

🔊 The Therapeutic Aspect of Noise Music

The final paragraph explores the therapeutic potential of noise music, such as 'Pulse Demon,' as a means to clear the mind and focus solely on the sounds presented. The speaker finds that noise music's demanding nature forces them to concentrate on the music, thereby forgetting about their stresses and distractions. They liken the experience to a form of meditation and suggest that noise music can be a retreat from everyday worries. The script also discusses the album's composition, its replay value, and the speaker's intention to continue exploring noise music, fascinated by its complexity and the dedication of its fans.

Keywords

💡Pulse Demon

Pulse Demon is an album by the Japanese noise artist MERS Bo, released in 1996. It is considered a classic and essential release in the noise music scene. The album is characterized by its intense and harsh sound, which has been likened to an underwater jet in a Jacuzzi turned up to an extreme level. The script describes the album as having an almost legendary status among noise music fans and serves as a focal point for the video's exploration of noise music.

💡Noise Music

Noise music is a genre that focuses on the use of noise as a primary component. It often challenges traditional musical conventions and can be characterized by harsh, abrasive, and sometimes chaotic sounds. In the script, noise music is presented as a genre that requires an open mind to appreciate, with the video aiming to provide insight into its appeal and history.

💡MERS Bo

MERS Bo, also known as Masami Akita, is a Japanese noise artist who has achieved almost legendary status in the noise music scene. His work, including the album Pulse Demon, is known for its extreme and innovative use of sound. The script discusses his influence, history, and the impact of his work on the genre.

💡Harsh Noise

Harsh noise is a subgenre of noise music characterized by its aggressive and often ear-splitting sounds. The script uses the term to describe the listening experience of Pulse Demon, which is said to be loud, obnoxious, and violent, providing a stark contrast to more traditional music.

💡Overdubbing

Overdubbing is a recording technique where additional tracks are recorded over existing ones to create a layered sound. The script mentions that MERS Bo's album 'Veen' was recorded with heavy use of overdubbing, creating a dense and complex sound, in contrast to 'Pulse Demon,' which was recorded live with no overdubs.

💡Surrealism

Surrealism is an artistic movement that emphasizes the expression of the unconscious mind, often through bizarre or dreamlike images and scenarios. The script notes that MERS Bo developed an interest in surrealism, which influenced his approach to noise music production.

💡Discord

In the context of the script, Discord refers to a platform where fans of noise music gather to discuss and share their passion for the genre. The script mentions the noise music Discord as a helpful community for the speaker in understanding and exploring noise music.

💡Revolutionary

The term 'revolutionary' is used in the script to describe the impact of noise music and the album Pulse Demon on the listener's perception of music. It suggests that the genre and the album challenge traditional musical norms and offer a fresh and transformative listening experience.

💡Relaxation

Relaxation is typically associated with calming and soothing experiences. However, the script contrasts the usual notion of relaxation with the intense and demanding nature of noise music, suggesting that the genre can provide a unique form of mental release and clarity.

💡Therapeutic

Therapeutic in the script refers to the potential healing or soothing effects of noise music. The speaker finds that the intense focus required to listen to noise music like Pulse Demon can lead to a form of mental cleansing and stress relief, making it a therapeutic experience.

💡Lo-fi Hip-Hop

Lo-fi hip-hop is a genre of music known for its relaxed and often melancholic sound, often used as background music for relaxation or study. The script contrasts lo-fi hip-hop with noise music, suggesting that while lo-fi may reproduce feelings of sadness, noise music forces the listener to focus on the music itself, providing a different kind of relief.

Highlights

Pulse Demon is a classic and essential album in the noise music scene, released by Japanese noise artist MERS in 1996.

The album is described as sounding like an extremely powerful underwater jet in a Jacuzzi, providing a unique listening experience.

Noise music can be challenging for first-time listeners, often perceived as loud, obnoxious, and harsh.

The speaker's initial reaction to noise music was confusion and a sense of it being ridiculous.

The album's artwork is noted for being cool and contributing to the initial interest in the album.

Noise music has a complex history, dating back to the 1910s with Luigi Russolo, an Italian futurist artist.

Masami Ikeda, known as MERS, has had a significant influence on the noise music scene since the 1980s.

MERS has an extensive discography, including over 300 studio albums and numerous collaborations.

Pulse Demon was released at a time when MERS was gaining exposure to a Western audience.

The album is considered special due to its live recording without overdubs and MERS's sober state during production.

Pulse Demon has received mixed reviews, with some considering it overrated and others finding it a masterpiece.

The album cover of Pulse Demon is memorable and contributes to its notoriety.

The speaker found that noise music, including Pulse Demon, offers a unique way to cleanse the palate of sound.

Noise music can be a retreat, demanding attention and helping listeners to clear their minds.

Pulse Demon's ferocity and replay value offer a continuous discovery of new sounds with each listen.

The speaker's appreciation for music has evolved through engaging with noise music, including Pulse Demon.

Noise music, including MERS's work, has a dedicated fanbase and offers a unique form of therapy for some listeners.

Transcripts

today we are going to be talking about a

album called pulse demon which sounds

like this pulse demon is an album

released by Japanese noise artist MERS

Bo in the year 1996 it's an album as one

of my friends described it to be after

listening to it for the first time that

sounds like you're putting your ear

towards an underwater jet in a Jacuzzi

only that Jacuzzi jet is turned up by

like a thousand times

it is also an album that is considered

to be one of the most classic and

essential releases in the Noise music

scene from an artist who has obtained an

almost legendary status to fans but for

those who haven't heard of this album

before or even the existence of Noise

music in the first place I'll give you a

hint of probably how your first

experience will go when listening to an

album or project from this very very

interesting corner of music you'll

stumble across the noise album one day

online you'll probably see someone

talking about it or recommending it as

some really revolutionary piece or

something and the artwork will look

pretty cool so you'll you'll click it

you'll check it out and it'll load up

you'll get through about a minute or so

of it and then you'll just you know

you'll pause and just be like what is

this [ __ ] it's loud it's obnoxious it's

rough harsh violent everything all you

can tell yourself is this is definitely

ridiculous whoo and the god name

wouldn't listen to this now that was me

with the album we will be discussing

today Paul Steven I have first remember

seeing this album when I saw a picture

of its vinyl re-release a while back on

blood honey records and the look of that

thing was just beautiful so I decided

you know let me check the album out

before I just buy it for how

good-looking that vinyl looked and what

happened next like I said with what your

experience would most likely be like I

got through about 45 seconds of a

waiting for some sort of B to establish

or kick drum or just something you know

you're always expecting something

traditional subconsciously and it never

really shows up it's harsh it's

ear-splitting

it's literally straight up noise

understanding or finding value and noise

music can be extremely difficult for

many even still for myself at times as

I'm not ashamed to say at all that I am

very very new to this whole thing this

whole noise music thing and while

attempting to write a script for this

video I've honestly come to realize it

would just be a waste of time for me to

try and explain why and what makes noise

a credible music style or genre because

even with doing that you may head on

over to post demon after this video and

still say wow this is just a bunch of

[ __ ] so instead of that or giving you

some super you know long breakdown of

the genre I'm going to tell you what

pulse demon and noise music has

personally done for me because for the

from the surface level you're really

gonna say this is just a bunch of noise

but I'm gonna tell you how it is evolved

in my appreciation for music that much

more and what value I have gotten out of

by dipping my feet into the noise music

world and I think you will too

we're also going to be diving a little

bit into the history of the album the

artists behind the work and what makes

this noise you know album a classic to

its fans a solid choice for your first

listen when diving into this corner of

the music so get cozy because you and I

are going to be exploring the world of

noise music and pulse dealing also if

this is your first time here the channel

please click that subscribe button and

throw a like on this video helps the

channel a whole lot and I would love for

you to be here for my next video noise

music has a pretty dense history tracing

all the way back to the 1910s with Luigi

or Isola resole was an Italian futurist

artist who at the time wanted to create

more complex sounds and music we solo

had a belief that the Industrial

Revolution evolved a person's desire for

more non-traditional sounds reso lo

created a number of noise generating

devices called antonio mori and assemble

of a noise Orchestra to perform with

these new instruments of sorts and to

his expectations people did not react

well to these performances though raw no

Direction eceived by many were a

complete turnoff and no value was found

by listeners at the time it was a

failure

now let us fast-forward all the way to

Japan in the

1980s and while the time in between the

80s and Luigi were solo had some

building blocks that led to what Noise

music is today nothing is as pivotal or

you know just important to the current

scene as the influence of Japan noise in

the 1980s were since the early 80s Japan

has been recognized to provide a

significant output of characteristically

harsh bands with one of the most famous

artists being the one in focus today

Masami Ikeda or how the noise world sees

him MERS Boh born in Tokyo in the 1950s

Aikido was an avid listener of

psychedelic music progressive rock and

later free jazz in his youth all of

which have influenced his production in

noise after attending tamagawa

university to study fine art Nikita had

developed a love and interest for data

and surrealism he also discovered Kurt

Schwitters art project Merce Merce I

don't even know if I'm gonna to be

honest with you I don't know if I'm even

saying MERS boa right yeah I just double

checked

I just finished recording this whole

thing so it's actually merged bow so I'm

gonna be saying Merce bow for the rest

of this video because I I'm too lazy to

rerecord but it's Merce bad everybody

I'm sorry I [ __ ] out since 1980

Ikeda has put out hundreds and I mean

hundreds of recordings that was one of

the things that really blew my mind when

doing the research for this video like

this guy I put out so much [ __ ] it's

it's crazy he contributed to over 200

exclusive tracks for compilations he

collaborated with dozens and dozens of

musicians and has made a number of guest

appearances on recordings by another

artist his discography is massive

including three hundred and twenty one

studio albums eighty-one live albums and

many other types of releases I'm gonna

flash a little table on the screen here

you're really gonna see just how crazy

this is

Ikeda or MERS bow has truly dedicated

his life and

to the noise world and it is mesmerizing

knowing how much work has been put into

you know a musical product by one human

being alone one vision one aesthetic and

a lifetime of work and growth during a

European tour in the autumn of 1989

Aikido is only able to perform and

travel with simple and portable gear

leading to the harsh noise style MERS Bo

eventually became known for in the 1990s

in the mid 90s specifically MERS Bo

began to develop a heavy interest and

influence in death metal in grindcore

and in 96 is where pulse demon finds its

way into this story so with all of these

releases why is pulse demon usually the

first thing many think of when

discussing MERS but why is pulse demon

the first thing that pops up after

typing in MERS bo on YouTube I mean he

has all this other stuff so why this one

what's so special about pulse demon I

mean besides the fact that the album

cover is jarring ly memorable that

optical illusion will never leave your

mind now what makes this thing stand out

so much first and foremost demon pulse

came out at a time where MERS Bo was

finally being exposed to a Western

audience pulse demon released in 1996

and veena rheology Beanery ology the

emphasizing I think whatever and veena

rheology at least two years prior 94

these rumours Bo's first two records on

a label outside of Japan both albums

being released on relapse records a

record label known for death metal and

grindcore with the Internet at the time

not being as big as it is today

obviously everything prior to 94 was

pretty much absent to the Western

audience only eventually finding its way

to listeners in the upcoming years with

the boom of the internet and the

accessibility to music from overseas to

fit the labels fanbase upon his arrival

he modeled these recordings around a

sound more abrasive and pounding

compared to his work prior and something

you'll find a lot of in the Noise music

scene is that many people love this

thing talking about pulse demon many

people love this thing and many people

find it to be completely overrated and

absent of what originally made Merce

Bo's so great if you hop on over to rate

your music you will find a complete

spectrum of reviews for pulse demon the

good and the bad all making this thing

that much more fascinating

and me as someone who is just getting

into the world of noise music recently

veena rheology was recorded almost

completely while under the influence of

alcohol and the entire album is stacked

full of overdubs ever dubbing is a

technique where a passage has been

pre-recorded and then during the replay

another part is added on top of this and

when you do this and you keep doing and

keep doing it you can create that overly

executed esque sound of Noise music by

just compounding and crushing layers on

top of each other

pulsing and on the other hand was

recorded fully live in studio with no

overdubs at all and was recorded

completely while masami aikido is sober

pulse teaming is simply pure sound

viciously on adulthood static as

pitchfork puts it also giving it a very

nice 8.7 rating paired with a great

review that really hits the nail on the

head of what makes this album such a

special murmurs boat release

compositionally and that's one thing why

I'm not really gonna break down the

album literally musically I'm gonna kind

of just briefly talk about it and we're

so talk about my feelings towards it and

why it's given what why I found how I

found meaning from it I guess I can say

so head on over to that review that

article a link in the description below

if you want to read more about like what

makes this album so special

compositionally great read definitely

great read so personally now I've

listened to this album front to back I

would say about three or four times for

the making of this video and as I keep

saying as someone who's never really

found himself diving into the Noise

music world before I have definitely

developed a new appreciation for this

album and what it provides for me as a

music listener pulse demon these past

couple days has become like a saltine

cracker to me you know those those

really salty crackers they say you can't

physically eat like five or six in under

a minute

the cracker that's meant to cleanse your

palate allowing whatever you're tasting

next to be fully enjoyed without any

other previous taste in your mouth the

extreme bending of sound crazier than

anything you've ever heard before

pulse demon it kind of resets your ears

as a music listener there is a more

refined appreciation in listening to

each individual sound or instrument in a

song once you complete and appreciate

something like pulse demon tracks you

for dozens of times before after

listening to pulse demon you kind of see

them in a new light now you start really

noticing every little individual

instrument that much

or because you just I don't know you

just feel refreshed after listening to

something as crazy and wild and harsh as

pulse teaming and I'm assuming this

happens with many many other noise

albums so like let me know and others in

the comments below if you have any other

recommendations I just throw them down

there when I actually sat down and

listened to the album focusing in on

each individual and believe me if you

listen hard enough you'll begin to hear

more and more individual sounds but

whether they're there or not who knows

you really start to forget about the

world around you and that was something

that I found amazing about pulse teaming

you forget about the world around you

your stresses your distractions it's

just gone because you fully dedicate

your attention to the noises presented

to you they are so obnoxious and

in-your-face you don't even have an

opportunity to focus on yourself anymore

it's super hard to dismiss these sounds

they're extremely harsh abrasive moly

numbing especially when I'm lo-fi

hip-hop jazz radio for example is like

our go-to you know daily retreat for

relaxation try using pulse demon for

relaxation you'll be pretty surprised if

you give it a chance the interesting

thing is and I've seen many others agree

with me on this as well

noise music seems to do an incredible

job as becoming a musical retreat a way

to clear your head the music the sounds

that they just demand your attention

it's that friend that pushes you to go

to the gym regardless of what mood

you're in or what's on your mind

eat noise music does not give a [ __ ]

about how you feel there goes the ad

revenue for this video whatever it just

doesn't care about your feelings noise

music simply exists and insist that you

focus your attention on it and when you

begin to get lost in the sounds of

something like pulse demon the sheer

ferocity alone is enough to truly

release your mind from whatever is

bothering you in the real world compared

to something more universally agreed

upon to be relaxing like lo-fi high pop

which seems to simply just reproduce the

feelings of sadness and emotions with

its somber production style anyway where

other genres seem to be sympathetically

flaky and half-assed towards providing

relief by pushing it right back in your

face noise music actually forces you to

get your you know get your mind off of

whatever's bugging you because like in

that moment all you have or the noises

coming out of something like pulse demon

it's truly truly beautiful MERS bows

critically-acclaimed pulse demon contain

eat tracks with one track being almost

25 minutes long even though it is an

album pulse demon seemingly plays out as

almost one continuously long track at

the time in 96 this was Merce Bo's

loudest harshest and most powerful

production to date sounds pushed and

boundaries destroyed far more crazier

and wicked than anything he has released

prior every second of layering this

beast contains there is something new to

be found upon every listen and it's

replay value is absolutely astonishing

I've really come to learn in these past

couple of days of how much Noise music

exists how many releases have been put

out by hundreds of artists let alone

MERS boasts like hundreds of releases

but I know personally I will be fixated

on pulse demon for quite a while due to

the fact that I just I want to keep

diving in and seeing what else I can you

know shovel out of it in this experience

of noise like the composition itself

there's just so much noise music mm to

the sheer magnitude it the amount of it

is just a definite fun thought trying to

comprehend ultimately pulse demon and

all of this noise music for that case

seems to constantly demand my attention

and in a time of my life where I find

myself attempting to gravitate towards

music that'll simply replicate my

emotions and attempt to make sense of

the things that I may be going through

in my life noise music is a [ __ ] slap

in the face yeah it's a splash of the

coldest water ever splash screaming at

me not to focus on myself so much while

listening to music but instead

separating myself separate myself for my

desires my stress is what I think is

going wrong in my life my day-to-day

thoughts I I really have nothing less

nor more to say about this album or

Noise music in general I'm fascinated by

what it is and I'm even more fascinated

with its hardcore fans and how the music

has become so integrated in their lives

a huge shout out to the noise music

discord they helped me you know kind of

steered me in the direction of what to

listen to some other Murs bro releases

and just their thoughts on Noise music

in general and they are some of the

nicest people I think I've ever talked

to on the Internet class acts everybody

over at the noise music discord shout

out you guys are killer like learning

proper meditation I think Noise music

will be a long journey for me something

that I can return to from time to time

to cleanse myself with and become more

and more friendly with each visit back

it's all weirdly very therapeutic

and I think after a couple dedicated

lessons you will also find some

extraordinary remedies within the world

of these hyper static adventures happy

listening my friends thank you so much

for watching this video if you want to

contribute to the channel and help me

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that out click the link below and until

next video thank you so much I love you

so much and I hope you have a great rest

of your day I'll see you soon

much love your boy pageant