Maranata - Royal Hex

Cassette only - 175 copies
Illustration – SavX

Track listing:

A: Loud Hair
B: Royal Hex

Guitar/ Electronics - Jon Wesseltoft
Saxophone/ Electronics - Dag Stiberg
Drums - Sayaka Himeno

Maranata is the Norwegian free-noise duo of Jon Wesseltoft and Dag Stiberg. Working as a duo since 2005, they also often perform alongside collaborators, with prior performances including the likes of Maja S.K Ratkje, C. Spencer Yeh and Manheim (ex-Mayhem). This particular set was recorded live at the Superdeluxe club in Tokyo in April 2010, with Sayaka Himeno from Nisennenmondai guesting on drums.

Reviews:

Aquarius (USA):

One of two new tapes on this week's list from UK tape label The Tapeworm, this one might be the heaviest / noisiest thing we've heard on that imprint yet, a live freeform freakout from Norwegian free-noise duo Maranata, a sax/guitar/electronics combo here joined by a couple extra hands, belonging to the drummer from Japan's Nisennenmondai, so you're in for a dense barrage of free jazz / free noise chaos. Sounding like vintage Japanese psych, fused to Zorn's double quartet Spy Vs. Spy, or Borbetomagus jamming with Lightning Bolt, this is furious droned out heaviness, wild tangles of guitar, crazed chaotic drums, and the sax, which sounds less like a sax, and more like a burst of sci-fi laser blurts, the sound grinding, and blown out, the group slipping easily from loose improv, to frenzied blasting, to creeping, almost doomlike plod, this is heady, wild, psychedelic stuff. Borderline white noise at times, but displaying loads of texture and nuance, this is some intense freaked out shit! Extreme free music obsessives will dig big time. And folks thinking about dipping their toes into the world of free jazz/rock weirdness/wildness, this would definitely not be a bad place to start. Exhausting and exhilarating.

Further information/reviews
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