Kouen Kyoudai
| Kouen Kyoudai | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Studio album by | |
| Released | 18 March 2016 |
| Studios |
|
| Genre | Avant-garde[1] |
| Length | 37:12 |
| Label | Editions Mego |
Kouen Kyoudai (公園兄弟) is a collaborative studio album by Japanese musicians Masami Akita (also known as Merzbow) and Eiko Ishibashi. It was released on 18 March 2016 through Editions Mego.
Background
Masami Akita, also known as Merzbow, is a Japanese musician from Tokyo.[2] Eiko Ishibashi is a Japanese musician from Chiba Prefecture.[3] Kouen Kyoudai is their collaborative album.[4] It consists of two tracks: "Slide" and "Junglegym".[5] The recording took place at Tokyo studios Gok Sound and Super Deluxe.[5] The album was recorded and mixed by Jim O'Rourke.[6] It was released on 18 March 2016 through Editions Mego.[7]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [8] |
| Pitchfork | 5.1/10[9] |
| Spectrum Culture | 3/5[10] |
Thom Jurek of AllMusic stated, "While it appears freely improvised, it's actually quite carefully constructed."[8] He added, "For fans of imaginative noise and communicative improvisation, Kouen Kyoudai is a gem."[8] Meanwhile, Kevin Lozano of Pitchfork wrote, "As the album wears on unchanged through almost 40 minutes, it sounds more like an amorphous chunk of noises than an exploration of contemporary avant-garde."[9]
Accolades
| Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rolling Stone | 20 Best Avant Albums of 2016 | 19 |
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Slide" | 18:35 |
| 2. | "Junglegym" | 18:37 |
| Total length: | 37:12 | |
Personnel
Credits adapted from liner notes.[12]
- Masami Akita – noise electronics, computer, drums
- Eiko Ishibashi – piano, drums, synthesizer
- Jim O'Rourke – recording, mixing
- Shunichiro Okada – photography
- Jacos Cates – design
References
- 1 2 Weingarten, Christopher R. (28 December 2016). "20 Best Avant Albums of 2016". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 23 September 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
- ↑ Couture, François. "Merzbow". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
- ↑ Jurek, Thom. "Eiko Ishibashi". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
- ↑ Eede, Christian (6 January 2016). "LISTEN: New Merzbow". The Quietus. Archived from the original on 23 September 2025. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
- 1 2 Adams, Gregory (6 January 2016). "Merzbow and Eiko Ishibashi Team Up with Jim O'Rourke for 'Kouen Kyoudai'". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on 30 November 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
- ↑ Jurek, Thom. "Masami Akita". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
- ↑ McDermott, Matt (5 January 2016). "Merzbow announces album for Editions Mego". Resident Advisor. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 Jurek, Thom. "Kouen Kyoudai - Masami Akita, Eiko Ishibashi". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
- 1 2 Lozano, Kevin (25 March 2016). "Masami Akita / Eiko Ishibashi: Kouen Kyoudai". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 18 July 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
- ↑ Bromfield, Daniel (10 May 2016). "Masami Akita/Eiko Ishibashi: Kouen Kyoudai". Spectrum Culture. Archived from the original on 16 June 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
- ↑ "Kouen Kyoudai 公園兄弟 - Masami Akita & Eiko Ishibashi". Editions Mego. Archived from the original on 16 March 2026. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
- ↑ "Kouen Kyoudai 公園兄弟 | Masami Akita & Eiko Ishibashi". Bandcamp. Archived from the original on 4 April 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
External links
- Kouen Kyoudai at Discogs (list of releases)