act 211 · contagious orgasm · ripple · cd
tracklist:
sign, the jellyfish which emits light - feat. thirdorgan, penetration, rusts, a sudden festival, smoke, plan, air spot, tragedy creature - feat. kenji siratori, neo for.
packaging: special transparent paper booklet w/ inlays + jewelcase
hiroshi hashimoto started releasing music twenty years ago as
contagious orgasm. right from the beginning listeners knew that there
was something very unique and special about c.o.'s sound - differing
from the typical japanese 'industrial scene'. the initial aural
transformation of track and release titles were soon replaced by
something quite different. themes became more abstract and
surrealistic; influences came from various collaborations and often
seriousness was undercut with a wink...
as on previous c.o. releases you can hear musical and stylistic sources
from many cultural areas; for instance on 'ripple' you can hear indian
chants, dub bass, electronic clicks/cuts, gongs, a piano, even straight
beats and minimal sequencer grooves. styles range from free form to
dance music to idm to noise and to ethnic sources. in hashimoto's works
these ingredients cease what they were before - they are now
transformed into coherent music (without being a eclectic cliché). an
example: often many artists use voice samples in their work, to explain
or to engross thoughts. hashimoto's usage of samples take the
'instruments of speech' out of their initial contexts - used in c.o.'s
metaverse they entirely lose their initial intent and function. if we
go further and think about 'rhythms', 'melodies' and 'textures' instead
of 'voices', we might have a key to c.o.'s self conception.
this album should be experienced with all senses wide open. enjoy this
anniversary and look forward to the next twenty years of a great
artist.
discography (excerpt) 06.2007:
ripple. cd. ant-zen act211. 2007
spill drop. cd. waystyx 09. 2005
from the irresponsible country sounds. cd-ep. pacrec / troniks. 2004
dessert addicts will return to this. 2cd. ant-zen act171. 2004
daft jarring effects. lp. multi national disaster records. 2004
flows out. cd. waystyx 04. 2003
the cause of the flow. cd. ant-zen act131. 2002
the flow of sound without parameter. cd. ground fault recordings gf016. 2001
illegal occupation of ears. cd. old europa cafe oecd026. 2000
when thin skin splits. cd-r. sssm-027. 2000
the music which draws something. cd. sssm-025. 2000
auto se-id 00. cd-r. blade records wmda005. 1999
loop floor. 7". speeding across my hemisphere v,s,007. 1999
live at chelsea wien 30.11.1997. 7". syntactic dapp51. 1999
in my heart. 10". ant-zen act80. 1998
impregnate mannequin. lp. harbinger 005. 1997
subconsciously scrutinize sampling music. 10". dreizehn 1307. 1997
the examination of auditory sense. cd. ant-zen act41. 1996
defective merchandise. tape. slaughter productions spt90. 1996
seeking sensation scale music. lp. praxis dr. baermann th-16. 1996
a crown ornament for the wise. tape. less than zero ltz 005. 1995
hydrophobia. 7". ant-zen jed03. 1994
voltage controlled filter. cd. tesco 013. 1993
thin skinned. tape. sssm-003. 1989
confession of mannequin. tape. sssm-002. 1988
impregnate. tape. sssm-001. 1987
contagious orgasm website:
www.myspace.com/contagiousorgasm06
www.geocities.jp/coolanatomy
reviews:
a review in russian language can be found on the machinist's website:
www.machinistmusic.net
vital weekly
three years ago i had the great honor of reviewing the first album on ant-zen recordings by legendary japanese sound artist contagious orgasm. since i had always connected hiroshi hashimoto ( a.k.a. contagious orgasm) with the noise scene, thanks to his contribution to various noise compilations, among others relapse/release entertainment's "japanese/american noise treaty", i was quite surprised to listen his "dessert addicts will return to this" (ant-zen, 2004). this latest album continues the strange landscapes of numerous musical styles. dealing with everything from drone-based as well as collaged noise, across clicks'n'cuts to almost danceable electro-inspired techno and eerie soundscapes of beautiful ambient, it is an impossible task to finish this album only within a few listens. it is a complex musical voyage, that atmospherically varies from icy minimalism reminiscent of pan(a)sonic to militant electro of kraftwerk until towards the end where the album turns more dreamy and dramatic with a mixture between experimental ambience and gentle acoustic post-rock reminiscent of tortoise. "ripple" is a continuation of the style of "dessert addicts will return to this", and the result is even more intense and clever than the aforementioned. turn off the light and let yourself fall into the psychedelic tones of contagious orgasm. excellent! (nm)
gothtronic
the electronic project contagious orgasm of the japanese jaroshi hashimoto has become a living legend by now, with a career of more than 20 years in electronic industrial avantgarde music. hashimoto released his music on many labels over the course of the years but he kept on coming back to ant-zen too. the new album ripple is also released on this prestigious german label. the music of contagious orgasm to something far distant from consumer focussed music with prepared structures in measured doses and is best described as sonic art. on ripple you'll hear beat oriented idm and noise with elements of ambient, distorted ethnic indian chants and much attention to found sounds and unusual samples. it all resulted in a very fun and adventurous electronic album that perhaps will not only appeal to fans of electronic avantgarde, idm and industrial noise but too connoisseurs of free jazz too. the album has spoken word of kenji siratori in the track 'tragedy creature'. worth mentioning is also the splendid cover artwork with replacable photograps which can be placed behind the transparant front cover. (teknoir)
fear drop
ripple, l'ondulation - il n'y aurait sans doute pas de plus beau nom pour ce nouvel album de contagious orgasm, qui s'est créé sous une belle carapace rutilante, aluminée, plutôt inédite dans la discographie de hiroshi hashimoto, où les appendices et leurs flexions laissent habituellement voir les flots d'humeurs compliquées qui les traversent. ici, c'est l'habit d'automate et les rotules d'acier qui articulent, paradoxalement, la composition qui depuis tant d'années figure le fluide vital et ses images. ses métaphores familières (ciel, eau, lacis...) ressurgissent, mais moins souvent, elles sont lissées et forcées de s' adapter à la forme mécanique. il en est pourtant une qui, loin de se soumettre, gouverne encore toute la musique du japonais, parce qu'elle lui est consubstantielle : le flot, le flux. qu'il soit organique, minéral, technologique ou cinématographique, il constitue la façon de vie musicale vue par hiroshi hashimoto mais ripple, l'ondulation, est un flux aligné sur une progression géométrique, et non la musique d'un monde peint sous le filtre surréaliste de la polychromie et de l'exagération des proportions. la dramatisation ici doit s'accommoder des sévères quinconces de déhanchements robotiques. pour placer ce disque, l'un des meilleurs et plus puissamment évocateurs de contagious orgasm, dans la perspective d'un autre, the flow of sound without parameter, qui partage les mêmes qualités au final mais en empruntant des chemins tout différents, ripple est the flow of sound with parameter. etant entendu que les réglages ont toujours été présents mais que cette fois leur structure est exposée. on sait l' amour d'hiroshi hashimoto pour les oeuvres fondatrices de l'esthétique musicale industrielle, particulièrement les plus oniriques d'entre elles (nées de nww, tg...) ; on entend sur ripple comme un hommage à d'autres naissances, comme celles de kraftwerk, relayées par cabaret voltaire ou ikeda : crépitements disciplinés, babillages technologiques, rotation de locomotive, élasticité de la basse chromée, écho rutilant : c'est tout un métallique instrumentarium virtuel qui est livré à la composition psychédélique d'hashimoto. et, à l'évidence, ses teintes sciemment empruntées décident ou influencent l'exécution, jusque dans les recoins où ils n'ont apparemment que peu de prise, des morceaux plus organiques ou acoustiques tel le funèbre et minimal penetration qui, dans ses libérations de tension par roulement de tambour, invoque les crispations d'einstuerzende neubauten. clochers lointains, voix et gémissements s'accordent à l'anguleuse esthétique du disque. savoir si ce beau dosage est appelé à se stabiliser dans contagious orgasm... après tout, c'est toujours au cœur de cette musique affaire de contamination, de contagion patiente... et d'assimilation.
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