Richard Pinhas / Merzbow

Recorded in a Tokyo studio at the end of the Keio metro line, this two-CD set spans a wide range of sounds, from sibilant waves of filtered noise — like being trapped in a tent in a snowstorm — to overdriven, looped guitar lines on the way to nowhere (that's a good thing). Godfather of Japanese noise Merzbow knows better than most how to keep the non-structured sound train on track for extended improvs, and on Keio Line, he mines his three decades of experience to create constellations of sonic particles, modulated by undercurrents of pulsing thumps, strangulated shifts of texture and bliss-inducing drones. Guitarist Pinhas' contributions are less noisy but very much at home within the ebb-and-flow of sound clouds. Organ-ish chords menace with monster movie sombreness and build to impenetrable viscous consistency, to be escaped by gradually becoming static, vibrating masses of clicks, shivers and sweeps of harmonics. Need to trance out? Transfer to the Keio Line.