Boris and Merzbow Join Forces Again for 'Gensho'

BY Gregory AdamsPublished Sep 22, 2015

Elastic Japanese rock-twisters Boris and iconic noisescaper Merzbow have announced they'e teamed up yet again to deliver more aural insanity. Titled Gensho, which translates from Japanese to English as "phenomenon," their latest group effort lands in February through Relapse Records.

A press release notes that the upcoming two-LP set delivers 150 minutes, with Boris taking up one disc of the collection and Merzbow's sonics slotted on the other. That said, both discs are intended to be played simultaneously, "on physical speakers at varying volumes so that the listener can experience their own 'gensho/phenomenon' every time." You can also, obviously, listen to the records individually.

This latest collaboration came following a live Boiler Room performance between Boris and Merzbow in 2014. Full of "countless disparate textures," the recordings have Boris reconfiguring some of their older material, while Merzbow has offered up brand new soundscapes. Previews from Gensho have yet to be made available.

The Merzbow/Boris catalogue is already quite rich, with the artists having previously collaborated on 2002's Megatone, 2005's Sun Baked Snow Cave and 2011's Klatter. They've also issued live albums 04092001 and Rock Dream, as well as the Walrus/Groon EP.

The acts have booked another collaborative performance that takes place at Tokyo's Fever on November 27.
 

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