MERZBOW “Guya”/CRIS X “Greed” feat. Keiko Higuchi and Sachiko
SPLIT LP 12” white vinyl limited edition 300 copies - 2011
Second official release from CX records, Italy. “Guya” new and unreleased track from the master of japanese noise Masami Akita, 18 minutes of noise bliss, a powerful sonic trip structured by feedbacks, digital and analog electronics. A devastating masterpiece.
3 new tracks recorded, composed and mixed in Berlin, Rome and Tokyo by Cris X/Cristiano Luciani in collaboration with underground japanese musicians, Keiko Higuchi (vocals, piano, lyrics) and Sachiko (vocals, electronics): a dark and visionary journey through espressionist ambient atmospheres, electronic and vocals experimentations.
White vinyl limited edition 300 copies.
“Massive split LP with two sides of primo-Japanese underground meat: Masami Akita aka Merzbow’s side is one of his most tactile and crudely-conceived outings in a while, looking back to Batztoutai With Memorial Gadgets-era in its combination of analog and digital soundsources, utilising sandpaper tones, sirens, feedback, disorientating jump-cuts and gunshot percussion for maximum mindfuck. A classic Merzbow side. The flip is even more spectacular, with Cris X aka Christiano Luciani joined by Japanese underground performers Keiko Higuchi on piano and vocals and Sachiko Fukuoka of Kousokuya/Vava Kitora et al on electronics, effects and vocals. Cris X plays a dark devotional form of holy drone using electronics, guitar, field recordings, cymbals, samples and effects and both Keiko and Sachiko inhabit the music like wraiths. Keiko comes across like Patty Waters circa “Moon Don’t Come Up Tonight” or Diamanda Galas circa “My World Is Empty Without You Babe” countering spare chords with an incantatory vocal that is truly chilling. The final piece is a duo between Sachiko and Luciani recorded and mixed at home by Rinji Fukuoka of Overhang Party where the spectral atmospherics of Sachiko’s dazzling solo work meet the devotional drones of Cris X in a way that’s as remarkable as planet-devouring classic by Tangerine Dream, Nijiumu and Toho Sara. Edition of only 300 copies on white vinyl. Highly recommended!”
Volcanic Tongue UK
"Well, if you want to inaugurate an experimental label in style, you could do worse than having Merzbow and MB on your first two releases. CX boss Cristiano Luciani is a member of improv/noise duo Lendormin (who bear the arguably dubious distinction of being one of the very few acts championed by Ben Wason), but his solo work as Cris X betrays strong Dark Ambient influences that align it with the horror tendency that seems to run through a lot of current italian leftfield music. Merzbow's "Guya" is brutal of course, but also sharply controlled, with its many strands more easily disentangled than has usually been the case; plus he lays off the drum kit, which has blighted some of his recent output. Meanwhile, Industrial survivor Maurizio Bianchi (MB) delivers a side of typically gripping bleakness that defies the very notion of sonic fidelity - it simply refuses to come into focus at whatever volume level".
Keith Moliné - The Wire Magazine #339, May 2012
“After the vinyl split release with MB/Maurizio Bianchi, Cristiano Luciani - of Lendormin fame -puts out another effort on his personal label CX records, this time in collaboration with MERZBOW, who contributes a white noise and distorted composition entitled Guya. This is yet another sonic statement (or multiple, as Beuys would say) of a well established aesthetics. Masami Akita, as the man himself, doesn't exist anymore: an anthropomorphic mass of feedbacks and ultrasounds has taken over his body, in a mutation process akin to Shinya Tsukamoto's Tetsuo. On the vinyl flipside, CRIS X' s solo work - guitar, field recordings, percussions and samplers - anticipates a duet with Keiko Higuchi, whose interpretation for piano and vocals reaches the highest peaks of lyrical expression in a dreamlike and somber blues (In Obscurity). Thereafter, darkness becomes absolute in the final composition (Black Lake) recorded with Sachiko, an electronic vortex swallowing everything on it way into the abyss”.
Massimiliano Busti - Blow Up magazine #157, June 2011
“One particular marketing tool from the 80s underground was to get your music to as many different compilation cassettes and be sure that everybody heard them. These days you can invite somebody well-known and offer him one side on a split LP, thus you have guarantee that all the die hard collectors of that well-known band will pick up on this record and hear your music as well. Christiano Luciani from Rome (and Berlin) works as CrisX, following a career as a drummer in post-punk bands. His first solo record was a split with Maurizio Bianchi and here is one with Merzbow (next on the list is one with KK Null). Cris X plays here electronics, cymbals, field recordings, guitars, samples, effects and tapes with the help of Keiko Higuchi (piano, vocals, lyrics) and Sachiko (electronics, effects, vocals) - each on respective track, and one being solo. This music has not a lot with that of Merzbow. Very introspective music, with abstract singing, almost like in a very mellow Keiji Haino manner, but doomy and atmospheric, with chilling electronics and finer abstract notions. Great side, of three utter dark, dare I say, somewhat abstract gothic music. As said, on the other side, Merzbow, who never wastes a day's work. When other sleep off their hangover, he records a track (January 1st 2011). Its not his best piece, I think. It takes a bit of time to get really going, and when its there, it turns out to be a fine, standard Merzbow piece. Loud, noisy, feedback like, a bit of EMS synthi A thrown in. Not bad, but it doesn't stand out particularly. The Cris X made more impression on me, but perhaps I heard too much Merzbow and have become a bit more critical?”
Frans de Waard - Vital Weekly number 810, week 50 2011 (http://www.vitalweekly.net/)
“Before I get into reviewing this split Lp, I think I have to mention that Cristiano/Cris X is a friend of mine. We've toured, played, recorded, harassed girls and ate pizza many times together. So take this review with a pitch of salt if you wish. And I'll try to be as objective as I can.
This Merzbow/Cris X split LP presents itself in very academic and clean style: white cover with simple gothic writing in black, printed internal sleeve with all infos, white lp with simple central labels. It's pretty much the same style as the previous Maurizio Bianchi/Cris X LP, so we can assume that it will be a constant house style for this new italian label. Merzbow's side, Guya is much better than expected. For once, there are no boring animal meat is murder thematics. At least no obvious ones. The often dull and empty looping so common in early 2000s Merzbow here is left in the background as complement, while metal junk bashing and piercing feedback reign supreme. I suspect Masami Akita is using his steel guitar instrument on this record, and it's a good thing. Analog and digital sounds melt together quite well, and the piece is plain, pleasurable harsh noise. We need more of this of course! Guya is still steps behind the harsh noise masterpieces of 90s Merzbow like Pulse Demon or Artificial Invagination, but this is definitely going in the right direction and one where the absolute king of the genre feels comfortable. Cris X's side is completely different in intent and realization. It's mostly dark ambient/experimental music, which is not exactly my cup of tea. The sounds are very refined, clear and there's lots of variation in volume and timbre, while the whole side of the LP remains very coherent. Haunting piano and japanese vocals by Keiko Higuchi steal the scene in the second track, with Cris X's synth work in the background, unfortunately almost ignored and overcome by her sounds. The last track sees the contribution of Sachiko (Vava Kitora, Kousokuya, Overhang Party) at electronics and vocals, and it's more of the same: dark, psychedelic, cinematic and bleak ambient. This italian/japanese cult underground melting pot is good, but it's nothing that will make you jump from your seat. Guya/Greed is a professional, quality academic work but maybe also because of this it fails to break into this rotten harsh noise heart. Recommended to japanese improvisation underground followers and obviously to fans of Merzbow, who is here in very good muscular shape”.
Nicola Vinciguerra - Music Machine 2011 (http://www.musiquemachine.com/)
Reviews
"A double cd [ "Quartet" + "Live"] terminating a season of artistic Lendormin, open collective Roman hinges formed by Cristiano Luciani (drums, electronics) and Marco Maurizi (electric guitar, electronic ).The studio recordings -the quartet- are perhaps one of the darkest legacies and calibrated at the same time the duo, who collect the infinite experience of two well known improvisers as Renato Ciunfrini (electric bass and flute) and Luca Miti (piano and organ), make develop a sound declaredly 'impro jazz' devotee of the British brand, while able to take off into bold forms of free music, leaving very little doubt about the grace of the combo when visiting room incision.
4 episodes are engraved with the study of Rome V38 - editing a post is edited by the same Luciani - and almost miraculous. It 'probably one of the last scanned marches toward the avant-garde rock and jazz to break, with glimpses of sonic fury that could indicate the best Ray Russell or - paradoxically - the repeated compliments of the Flying Luttenbachers genius Christian Vander and the Magma's.
The electricity dominates, with the lashing 'Body Myths scenarios' to draw from psychological crime in the background.
The other curiosity is aroused by the climate and the mounting of these songs, almost dense soundtrack for thriller movie. Elsewhere the news of the gory sound library in spasmodic groove that visibly improve the state of tension built from the disc. Only enveloping minimaliste openings of the fourth episode gives an unusual moment of reflection, paving the way to the ecstatic of the winds of Ciunfrini, ready planar to an Africa in post-modern. Obviously, the different nature of live recordings, even going back because of a time period between 2004 and 2007.
At Living Fonema Festival Lanuvio in 2005, the trio with Luciani / Maurizi / Ciunfrini points to a form of improvisation very aggressive, close to virtually noise rock. Look elsewhere on live set captured the duo at the Rialto Sant'Ambrogio in 2007, with the segments of the post bop baritone Marco Visconti Prasco and especially the yodeling of Ken Ueno, vocalist of asian origin, which provides a performance ill, supplement to the Lendormin's 'pictorial' jazz industrial approach. The electro-acoustic trio smell of rock 'concrete' (with Luca Miti - this time on prepared piano) while the guitar that looks plausibly Derek Bailey and the radio used by Luciani is inspired by concrete and acousmatic music. More specifically para-industrial complex taking live dbpit of 2004, the Foolik in Rome, another example of trend started trading from the very beginning by Lendormin".
Luca Collepiccolo - review published on Blow Up magazine (2009)
LENDORMIN QUARTET
CD-r Limited edition 150 copies (Setola di maiale)
(SOLD OUT)
MB/Maurizio Bianchi “HECZPLASER” / CRIS X “BLACK PULSE”
SPLIT LP limited edition, black vinyl 300 copies - CX RECORDS 2010
First vinyl LP release on CX Records, Italy.
Ultra bleak monotonous analogue synth mass from MB, everybody's dear noise grandad, and haunting subtle horror music from not-so-newcomer Cris X. The LP features new and exclusive tracks - a dark and deep experimental masterpiece. "Isolated in a fully aware immobility, the dramatic intensity of this unhealthy and plain sonorous document, provides peculiar experimental characteristics connected with animated views of a post-modern technology converging into a modulated transportation of collapsed particles" (M.B.). Pure Italian black quality! Ltd x 300 copies in a glossy sleeve with 2 inserts.
Worldwide Distribution:
RRR Records (USA) Cold Spring (UK) Second layer (UK) Tesco (Germany) Tochnit Aleph (Germany) Art into Life (Japan) Metamkine (France)
Sound Ohm (Italy) Neds Records (Japan) Radiation Records (Italy) Hellnation (Italy) Silentes (Italy) Turgid Animal (italy/UK)
Reviews
"Well, if you want to inaugurate an experimental label in style, you could do worse than having Merzbow and MB on your first two releases. CX boss Cristiano Luciani is a member of improv/noise duo Lendormin (who bear the arguably dubious distinction of being one of the very few acts championed by Ben Wason), but his solo work as Cris X betrays strong Dark Ambient influences that align it with the horror tendency that seems to run through a lot of current italian leftfield music. Merzbow's "Guya" is brutal of course, but also sharply controlled, with its many strands more easily disentangled than has usually been the case; plus he lays off the drum kit, which has blighted some of his recent output. Meanwhile, Industrial survivor Maurizio Bianchi (MB) delivers a side of typically gripping bleakness that defies the very notion of sonic fidelity - it simply refuses to come into focus at whatever volume level".
Keith Moliné - The Wire Magazine #339, May 2012
“Gia’ noto per la sua attivita’ ormai decennale come Lendormin, Cristiano Luciani inaugura il moniker solista Cris X, cosi come la propria label CX Records, con uno split condiviso, 300 copie in vinile, con Maurizio Bianchi. Maurizio in “Heczplaser” ci offre alcuni dei suoi ultimi esperimenti prima del noto ritiro -leggo in copertina dedicati a se stesso nella primigenia veste di Sacher Peltz -soundscape ambient industrial di bella e magmatica gravita’ in Lusvore e Nacvein, la seconda di piu’ marcata e terrifica impronta, con piu partecipativo, pur compresso, pathos che affiora da Settice Xoace e nebulose sospensioni emotive che si impadroniscono di Heczplaser. La benedicente presenza del maestro invoglia e incoraggia all’arduo confronto Luciani che risponde egregiamente in particolare nei due episodi di maggior durata, Night che dopo un intro combattuta tra turbolenze percussive e scudiscianti metalli piomba in secolari segrete dove si consumarono inenarrabili torture, e Twilight, che superate schermaglie concrete viene attraversata da un’aggroviglita filastrocca con voce infantile e affonda in ipnotizzanti delay”.
Paolo Bertoni - Blow Up magazine # June 2010
“Secondo e, a quanto pare, definitivo ritiro dalle scene di M.B.. Per salutare gli appassionati delle sue de-composizioni si è scelta la formula dello split album su vinile, simbolico passaggio di testimone con la nuova leva Cris X (alias Cristiano Luciani), artista romano talentuoso e oscuro quanto basta per proseguire il cammino già tracciato.Il lato M.B. concede al solito una manciata di brani inzuppati nell'ansia di un mondo disumanizzato, utilizzando le coordinate di rarefazione e dissonanza con gusto e mestiere.Dal canto suo Cris X fa sfoggio di uno stile più elaborato, frutto di una ricerca sulle possibilità della deflagrazione post-industrial dal volto contemporaneo, pur sprofondando qua e là nell'evocazione di atmosfere oniriche e dunque immemori di alcuna collocazione temporale (si ascoltino i due movimenti di Night). Se Twilight propone un collage di fobie 'concrete' è la conclusiva (o magari, meglio, la 'terminale') Toby Dammit che, evocando lo spettro di Edgar Allan Poe, si carica di quelle suggestioni culturali capaci di rendere apprezzabili anche poetiche tanto estenuanti.E' questo il primo passo della neonata etichetta CX Records, che si prefigura interessante realtà dedita a quegli incubi post-ambient che in molti stanno dimostrando di apprezzare”.
"Second, and apparently final retirement from the musician MB/Maurizio Bianchi. To greet the fans of its de-composition was chosen to create a split album on vinyl, the symbolic passing with the new lever Cris X (aka Cristiano Luciani), talented, and obscure, Roman artist who are following the path already mapped out.
M.B.’s side grants usually a handful of songs drenched in anxiety of a dehumanized world, using the coordinates of rarefaction and dissonance with style and craft.
For its part, Cris X makes a display of a more elaborate style, the result of research into the possibility of post-industrial explosion of the contemporary meanings, while sinking here and there in the evocation of dreamlike and therefore oblivious to any timing (just listen to the two movements of the Night). If Twilight offers a collage of 'concrete' phobias, is the final track (or perhaps better, the 'terminal') called Toby Dammit, evoking the ghost of Edgar Allan Poe, is charged with the cultural influences that can make appreciable this dramatic and exhausting poetics.
This is the “first step” of the new label CX Records, and this promises interesting institution dedicated to those nightmares of the “post-ambient music” in which people are proving interest”.
Filippo Bordignon - review published on Sentire Ascoltare magazine 2010
http://www.sentireascoltare.com/recensione/6962/maurizio-bianchi-cris-x-heczplaser-black-pulse.html
Various Artists Sonic Arts Network
Frankfurter Ahnung 7” book + CD - Curated by Ben Watson
(SOLD OUT)
“Another Sonic Arts 7" book + CD, released back to 2005, which programmes a highly eclectic selection of pieces ranging from the sublime to the mystifying. The good parts are really good, and I think there are enough of them. Linked by snatches of audio verité, this CD plays like an intriguing radio programme. [...] The print book - a confection of gruesome poetry, talk-down arrogance and rococo wordheaps - will be a matter of taste, but it seems to me that it fails to show the reader any respect. Still, the CD is reason enough to buy this broad collection".
Chris Cutler, ReR Megacorp
1. 1:16 "Baggie Dogs"
2. 1:52 Marc Guillermont "Make A Blues Noise Here"
3. 1:38 Lol Coxhill "The Desk"
4. 0:29 "A Right Cutter"
5. 2:41 Derek Bailey "1/28 Sliverfish Macronix"
6. 3:30 Jaworzyn/Wilkinson/Fell "Art 3"
7. 0:12 "No Ne Tanto"
8. 4:16 Ian Stonehouse & Sebastian Lexer "Instant Events #1"
9. 0:31 "Are You An Anarchist, Gamma?"
10. 2:54 Diary "The Old Git Song"
11.8:40 Marie-Angélique Bueler [Ensamble Rosario cond. Marisol Gentile] "Dust Parade"
12. 0:39 "I Didn't Know It Segued That Way"
13. 3:20 Derek Bailey "Watch Out"
14. 0:18 "M. Le Président Sur La Guerre"
15. 2:14 Sean Bonney "This Speech Made By Mr. Blair, Glasgow, Feb 15th 2003 ..."
16. 2:16 Out To Lunch "Mouth Poem"
17. 0:14 "But If You Got Rid Of All The Space ..."
18.9:35 The Prime Time Sublime Community Orchestra "A Day At The Mall"
19. 2:08 Lendormin "Phlegmosaurus"
20. 7:13 Evil Dick & the Banned Members "Hair Spider Stuck To Sock"
21. 0:31 "That's Because He's Not Human"
22. 5:39 Brendon Burton "It Depends How I Feel On The Day"
23. 0:14 "Pril & Iris"
24. 7:47 T.H.F. Drenching "Ian Howard"
25. 0:48 "Esemplasticists?"
26. 2:40 Winifred Atwell "Blue Sunset"
27. 0:16 "Lopped"
28. 2:54 Kenny Process Team "Girls"
29. 0:10 "Baggie Dogs (Reprise)"
LENDORMIN “LIVE 2004-2007”
CD-r Limited edition 150 copies (Setola di maiale)
(SOLD OUT)
"Night Dawn Day" is a work that sketches visions, flashes devices and black shadows. Bears the signature of Lendormin, Roma duo comprising Cristiano Luciani (percussion, drums, objects, electronics) and Marco Maurizi (guitar) who have taken inspiration from the trilogy by George Romero’s Zombie trilogy to assemble and disassemble, quartered and galvanize three creatures sonore arising from contact with so many accomplices that wander in the underground scene: DBPIT, Larsen Lombriki, Luca Miti. In the Night sounds generated near the horn of DBPIT seem to say a De Profundis pay and estranging are consequently, cracks and damage that the idea of something that moves in the body of sound, not to develop it but for a lamb gather inside the contours. In Dawn, with Larsen Lombriki, what initially seems pure joy to be free as the self-erosion of a sound that axle with violence abstract geometries ruthless, and repeats the thrill of getting lost in a swirling back on themselves. Next to the prepared piano Luca Miti Day is shaping up in a scenario ‘Sibillini’, a possible leak in which the sound is all stretched to its limit and gait towards asymptotic mentally stubborn. Overflowing of ideas, strong vision of a polished composition that manages to tame a matter we are insidious, "Night Dawn Day" seems to regenerate every listen.
The idea to include the interview in a section devoted to exchanges between sound and image has little to do with Romero itself as a series of visions, light or dark edges absolute: in "Night Dawn Day" create the sounds that I can better grasp if we think in terms of plastic and touch, not analyzing from a purely musical”.
Daniela Cascella - review published on Blow Up magazine (2007)
LENDORMIN Night Dawn Day
(Music for George Romero)
(CD-r dvd box Limited edition 300 copies)
(SOLD OUT)
© 2011 Cristiano Luciani. All Rights Reserved.