13 Japanese Birds
13 Japanese Birds is a 15 album series by the Japanese noise musician Merzbow. It was inspired by Olivier Messiaen's Catalogue d'oiseaux (Catalog of birds), but has no direct musical relationship.[1]
The original series consisted of 13 albums recorded one-a-month and released from January 2009 – January 2010. Masami Akita frequently revisited older recordings and it was part of his recent return to live drums.[1] Jenny Akita's cover art depicts illustrated birds on top of photographs. Each CD is limited to 1,000 copies.
This version was also available by subscription; as just the CDs, or with a custom-made bamboo box. Also available only with purchase of the box was an acrylic-on-bamboo painting by Akita himself.[2]
In March 2010, Important released Ecobag/13 Birds in a Bag +1, this set included the original 13 CDs, a bonus CDR of additional material from the sessions, and a piece of original xerox art made by Akita in the mid-90s. All packaged in a tote bag, and limited to 200 copies.[3]
In 2009, Important announced that an LP called Jigokuhen would be released to celebrate the completion of the series.[4] Originally scheduled for the first anniversary of the completion of the original series (January 2011), but it was delayed until March. The album is the 15th and final volume of the Japanese Birds series, but released by itself.[5]
Suzume: 13 Japanese Birds Pt. 1
Professional ratings |
Review scores |
Source |
Rating |
Musique Machine |
[6] |
This table needs to be expanded using prose. See the guideline for more information. |
The title refers to the Sparrow (雀, suzume?).
"Tori Uta" was previously released on Zoundtrack by Ukawanimation!.
Track listing
1. |
"Red Bird of Summer Part 1" |
19:42 |
2. |
"Fandangos in Space" |
5:41 |
3. |
"Tori Uta" |
6:24 |
4. |
"Red Bird of Summer Part 2" |
17:06 |
Total length:
|
48:53 |
Fukurou: 13 Japanese Birds Pt. 2
Fukurou |
Studio album by Merzbow |
Released |
February 24, 2009 (2009-02-24) |
Recorded |
December 2008 |
Merzbow chronology |
Suzume
(2009) |
Fukurou
(2009) |
Yurikamome
(2009) |
|
Professional ratings |
Review scores |
Source |
Rating |
Allmusic |
[8] |
Musique Machine |
[9] |
This table needs to be expanded using prose. See the guideline for more information. |
The title refers to the Owl (梟, fukurō?).
Track listing
1. |
"Gorosukehoukou" |
22:18 |
2. |
"Variation No. 1" |
9:51 |
3. |
"Variation No. 2" |
9:49 |
4. |
"Noritsukehousei" |
16:49 |
Total length:
|
58:47 |
Yurikamome: 13 Japanese Birds Pt. 3
Yurikamome |
Studio album by Merzbow |
Released |
March 24, 2009 (2009-03-24) |
Recorded |
January 2009 |
Merzbow chronology |
Fukurou
(2009) |
Yurikamome
(2009) |
Karasu
(2009) |
|
Professional ratings |
Review scores |
Source |
Rating |
Allmusic |
[11] |
Musique Machine |
[12] |
This table needs to be expanded using prose. See the guideline for more information. |
The title refers to the Black-headed Gull (百合鴎, yurikamome?), literally "Lily seagull".
Track listing
1. |
"Black Headed Gull" |
31:42 |
2. |
"February 2002" |
13:33 |
3. |
"The Angel of the Odd" |
8:05 |
Total length:
|
53:20 |
Karasu: 13 Japanese Birds Pt. 4
Professional ratings |
Review scores |
Source |
Rating |
Musique Machine |
[14] |
This table needs to be expanded using prose. See the guideline for more information. |
The title refers to the Crow (鴉, karasu?).
Track listing
1. |
"Argus" |
19:40 |
2. |
"Stone the Crows" |
27:35 |
3. |
"Morgue" |
16:56 |
Total length:
|
64:11 |
Uzura: 13 Japanese Birds Pt. 5
Professional ratings |
Review scores |
Source |
Rating |
Allmusic |
[16] |
This table needs to be expanded using prose. See the guideline for more information. |
The title refers to the Japanese Quail (鶉, uzura?).
The song titles refer to a March 2009 cull after the bird flu virus was found.[17]
Track listing
1. |
"Requiem for the 259,000 Quails Culled at a Farm in Toyohashi Part 1" |
15:54 |
2. |
"Requiem for the 259,000 Quails Culled at a Farm in Toyohashi Part 2" |
27:37 |
3. |
"Requiem for the 259,000 Quails Culled at a Farm in Toyohashi Part 3" |
12:35 |
Total length:
|
56:06 |
Kamo: 13 Japanese Birds Pt. 6
The title refers to the Duck (鴨, kamo?). The cover depicts the Tufted Duck.
The first track is a protest against the wild-bird cull instituted by Tokyo Governor Shintarō Ishihara.[1] Akasaka is a district in Minato, Tokyo.
Track listing
1. |
"Bird Killer Governor Ishihara Deserves to Die" |
16:44 |
2. |
"Wilderness in Akasaka" |
19:39 |
3. |
"Heresy" |
15:57 |
Total length:
|
52:20 |
Kujakubato: 13 Japanese Birds Pt. 7
Professional ratings |
Review scores |
Source |
Rating |
Allmusic |
[20] |
This table needs to be expanded using prose. See the guideline for more information. |
The title refers to the Fantail pigeon (孔雀鳩, kujakubato?), literally "Peacock pigeon".
The album was delayed until the first week of August. The bird design on the cover was previously used on Fantail.
Track listing
1. |
"Wind of Pain" |
7:50 |
2. |
"Pigeon Walk Part 1" |
10:15 |
3. |
"Pigeon Walk Part 2" |
7:58 |
4. |
"Dove Festival" |
14:07 |
5. |
"Bird Droppings on Your Head" |
5:52 |
Total length:
|
46:02 |
Kokuchou: 13 Japanese Birds Pt. 8
Kokuchou |
Studio album by Merzbow |
Released |
August 21, 2009 (2009-08-21) |
Recorded |
June 2009 |
Merzbow chronology |
Kujakubato
(2009) |
Kokuchou
(2009) |
Hiyodori
(2009) |
|
Professional ratings |
Review scores |
Source |
Rating |
Allmusic |
[22] |
This table needs to be expanded using prose. See the guideline for more information. |
The title refers to the Black Swan (黒鳥, kokuchō?).
"Ushiwaka 2" is a reworking of a track from Yoshinotsune.
Track listing
1. |
"Mesmerism" |
5:33 |
2. |
"Black Swan" |
24:03 |
3. |
"Colored Rain" |
13:22 |
4. |
"Ushiwaka 2" |
7:25 |
Total length:
|
50:23 |
Hiyodori: 13 Japanese Birds Pt. 9
Hiyodori |
Studio album by Merzbow |
Released |
September 30, 2009 (2009-09-30) |
Recorded |
July 2009 |
Merzbow chronology |
Kokuchou
(2009) |
Hiyodori
(2009) |
Niwatori
(2009) |
|
Professional ratings |
Review scores |
Source |
Rating |
Allmusic |
[24] |
This table needs to be expanded using prose. See the guideline for more information. |
The title refers to the Brown-eared Bulbul (鵯, hiyodori?).
Track listing
1. |
"Hiyodori" |
30:20 |
2. |
"Across the Earth" |
16:18 |
3. |
"Purple Triangle" |
17:45 |
Total length:
|
64:23 |
Niwatori: 13 Japanese Birds Pt. 10
The title refers to the Chicken (鶏, niwatori?).
The album was delayed until the first week of November due to printing errors.
Track listing
1. |
"Niwatori Obsession 1" |
29:32 |
2. |
"Niwatori Obsession 2" |
18:19 |
3. |
"Niwatori Obsession 3" |
14:48 |
Total length:
|
62:39 |
Shirasagi: 13 Japanese Birds Pt. 11
The title refers to the Egret (白鷺, shirasagi?). The cover depicts the Asahi Beer Hall.
Track listing
1. |
"Transformed into Food" |
16:28 |
2. |
"Once the Human Meat Is Done, Cut It Up and Mix with the Vegetable Curry" |
11:10 |
3. |
"Dismemberment of Nature" |
14:37 |
4. |
"Chained" |
16:11 |
Total length:
|
58:25 |
Tsubame: 13 Japanese Birds Pt. 12
Tsubame |
Studio album by Merzbow |
Released |
December 2009 (2009-12) |
Recorded |
October 2009 |
Merzbow chronology |
Shirasagi
(2009) |
Tsubame
(2009) |
Chabo
(2010) |
|
Professional ratings |
Review scores |
Source |
Rating |
Allmusic |
[28] |
This table needs to be expanded using prose. See the guideline for more information. |
The title refers to the Barn Swallow (燕, tsubame?).
Track listing
1. |
"Destroy the Cages" |
17:24 |
2. |
"Burn Down Research Facilities" |
21:38 |
3. |
"Escape from Captors" |
16:00 |
Total length:
|
55:02 |
Chabo: 13 Japanese Birds Pt. 13
Professional ratings |
Review scores |
Source |
Rating |
Allmusic |
[30] |
This table needs to be expanded using prose. See the guideline for more information. |
The title refers to the Japanese Bantam (矮鶏, chabo?).
Track listing
天鵞絨の鳥
This is the bonus CDR that was included exclusively with the Ecobag, only 200 copies were made. Its also considered to be the 14th album of the series. Subscribers of the original series were able to download it from the label for free.
The album title transliterates to "Tengajū no tori" and means "Bird velvet", while the track titles translate to "1st song" and "2nd song".
Track listing
1. |
"第一曲" |
16:33 |
2. |
"第二曲" |
20:33 |
Total length:
|
37:06 |
Jigokuhen
Jigokuhen is an album released to commemorate the first anniversary of the completion of the original series (January 2011), but it was delayed until March. The album is the 15th and final volume of the Japanese Birds series, but released by itself.[5]
Personnel
- Masami Akita – performer, bamboo paintings, xerox art
- Jenny Akita – artwork, photography
Fukurou lists additional instrument credits:
References
- ^ a b c Batty, Roger. "Interview: The Birds of Noise". Musique Machine. http://musiquemachine.com/articles/articles_template.php?id=150. Retrieved March 17, 2010.
- ^ "Bamboo Box release page". Important Records. Archived from the original on 2009-03-03. http://web.archive.org/web/20090303122651/http://www.importantrecords.com/bird_box/bird_box_details.html.
- ^ "Ecobag release page". Important Records. http://importantrecords.com/imprec/imprec294.
- ^ Jigokuhen announcement on Twitter
- ^ a b "Jigokuhen release page". Important Records. http://importantrecords.com/imprec/imprec321. Retrieved June 30, 2011.
- ^ Batty, Roger. "Review: Suzume". Musique Machine. http://musiquemachine.com/reviews/reviews_template.php?id=2223. Retrieved November 4, 2009.
- ^ "Merzbow - Suzume: 13 Japanese Birds Pt. 1 (CD, Album) at Discogs". discogs.com. 2011 [last update]. http://www.discogs.com/Merzbow-Suzume-13-Japanese-Birds-Pt-1/release/1636897. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ Couture, François. "Review: Fukurou". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1488397. Retrieved November 4, 2009.
- ^ Batty, Roger. "Review: Fukurou". Musique Machine. http://musiquemachine.com/reviews/reviews_template.php?id=2250. Retrieved November 4, 2009.
- ^ "Merzbow - Fukurou: 13 Japanese Birds Pt. 2 (CD, Album) at Discogs". discogs.com. http://www.discogs.com/Merzbow-Fukuro-13-Japanese-Birds-Pt-2/release/1664415. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ Jurek, Thom. "Review: Yurikamome". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1490848. Retrieved November 4, 2009.
- ^ Batty, Roger. "Review: Yurikamome". Musique Machine. http://musiquemachine.com/reviews/reviews_template.php?id=2290. Retrieved January 15, 2010.
- ^ "Merzbow - Yurikamome: 13 Japanese Birds Pt. 3 (CD, Album) at Discogs". discogs.com. http://www.discogs.com/Merzbow-Yurikamome-13-Japanese-Birds-Pt-3/release/1671505. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ Batty, Roger. "Review: Karasu". Musique Machine. http://musiquemachine.com/reviews/reviews_template.php?id=2406. Retrieved March 22, 2010.
- ^ "Merzbow - Karasu: 13 Japanese Birds Pt. 4 (CD, Album) at Discogs". discogs.com. http://www.discogs.com/Merzbow-Karasu-13-Japanese-Birds-Pt-4/release/1741296. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ Jurek, Thom. "Review: Uzura". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1543438. Retrieved February 14, 2010.
- ^ "Bird flu prompts quail cull in Aichi". The Japan Times. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20090302a5.html. Retrieved November 10, 2009.
- ^ "Merzbow - Uzura: 13 Japanese Birds Pt. 5 (CD, Album) at Discogs". discogs.com. http://www.discogs.com/Merzbow-Uzura-13-Japanese-Birds-Pt-5/release/1789619. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ "Merzbow - Kamo: 13 Japanese Birds Pt. 6 (CD, Album) at Discogs". discogs.com. http://www.discogs.com/Merzbow-Kamo-13-Japanese-Birds-Pt-6/release/1671527. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ Jurek, Thom. "Review: Kujakubato". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1601186. Retrieved November 4, 2009.
- ^ "Merzbow - Kujakubato: 13 Japanese Birds Pt. 7 (CD, Album) at Discogs". discogs.com. http://www.discogs.com/Merzbow-Kujakubato-13-Japanese-Birds-Pt-7/release/1849018. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ Jurek, Thom. "Review: Kokuchou". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1615268. Retrieved February 14, 2010.
- ^ "Merzbow - Kokuchou: 13 Japanese Birds Pt. 8 (CD, Album) at Discogs". discogs.com. http://www.discogs.com/Merzbow-Kokuchou-13-Japanese-Birds-Pt-8/release/1902530. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ Jurek, Thom. "Review: Hiyodori". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1634222. Retrieved February 14, 2010.
- ^ "Merzbow - Hiyodori: 13 Japanese Birds Pt. 9 (CD, Album) at Discogs". discogs.com. http://www.discogs.com/Merzbow-Hiyodori-13-Japanese-Birds-Pt-9/release/1671544. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ "Merzbow - Niwatori: 13 Japanese Birds Pt. 10 (CD, Album) at Discogs". discogs.com. http://www.discogs.com/Merzbow-Niwatori-13-Japanese-Birds-Pt-10/release/1671540. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ "Merzbow - Shirasagi: 13 Japanese Birds Pt. 11 (CD, Album) at Discogs". discogs.com. http://www.discogs.com/Merzbow-Shirasagi-13-Japanese-Birds-Pt-11/release/1671554?ev=rr. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ Jurek, Thom. "Review: Tsubame". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1738836. Retrieved March 26, 2010.
- ^ "Merzbow - Tsubame: 13 Japanese Birds Pt. 12 (CD, Album) at Discogs". discogs.com. http://www.discogs.com/Merzbow-Tsubame-13-Japanese-Birds-Pt-12/release/1671555?ev=rr. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ Jurek, Thom. "Review: Chabo". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1697542. Retrieved March 15, 2010.
- ^ "Merzbow - Chabo: 13 Japanese Birds Pt. 13 (CD, Album) at Discogs". discogs.com. http://www.discogs.com/Merzbow-Chabo-13-Japanese-Birds-Pt-13/release/1671559?ev=rr. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
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Ecobag/13 Birds in a Bag +1 (2010) · Merzbient (2010)
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