Richard Ramirez (musician)
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Richard Ramirez is an American noise music artist from Houston, Texas, recording and performing both as a solo artist and as part of several groups and Houston Noise Bands, including Black Leather Jesus, Priest in Shit, and the "static noise" solo project Werewolf Jerusalem. He is often noted for being one of the earlier American noise artists to produce work in the Japanese "harsh noise" style.
Ramirez, though extremely prolific, draws a distinction between his relatively few professionally printed CDs and LPs and the many CD-Rs and tapes he produces for smaller record labels. He has done collaborations and split releases with many figures in the noise field, including Merzbow, Emil Beaulieau, Skin Crime, and MSBR.
Ramirez's work tends to consist of long, slowly changing or static tracks of heavily distorted low- to mid-range noise, with a gradual move over the last several years toward more drone-influenced sounds in addition to his harsh noise work. Parallel to this evolution has been a shift in thematic concerns, with album covers, titles, and general themes changing from more typical noise music concerns such as violence and war (largely borrowed from Industrial culture) to a focus on homosexual themes and gay porn artwork, reflecting Ramirez's own homosexuality (unusual in the traditionally macho American noise scene). In addition to his musical work, Ramirez also runs the noise and experimental music label Deadline Recordings.
