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Megaphone Review(translated from Switch, Japan)
This is nonsense flowing funny music from monster talent Jason Willet, his attractive way of collapsing. I'm going to introduce J.Willet. He is multi-musician who had also joined Half Japanese. He's working on an extremely interesting label called Megaphone in Baltimore. Megaphone released around 10 albums til now. The similarity in all of these albums is that they are avant-garde music which we can all laugh. That is not a critical or ironical laugh, for example like Shimmy-Disc. Those sounds are continuously make stupid and craziness and nonsense flowing laughter. Molecules is N.Y. no wave scene survivor. R.A.'s band sounds like the Ruins, O.hatoba and Naked City. Another unit is Vacuum Tree Head- strange progressive music. Happy New Year- seem free jazz. Honkies, from Holland, horn jazz-core band. Jon Rose is known as strange imaginative meta-violinist. All of them have a twisted sound. Megaphone is a gamble that you can't lose. If you want to know about Megaphone- The Honkies broke up and their last album is Who Eats? Jon Rose is violin M. for S.
By the way, Willet started a new series called Megaphone Limited. Releasing 500 ltd. so much his own unit. As you see covers are very much hand made feeling. He plays guitar,bass,drums,keyboard,trumpet. his collaborators also plays multi-instruments. That's why those bands are duo: Dramatics-Martha Colburn Can Openers-Bob Wagner Jaunties-Benb Gallagher X-Ray Eyes-Caroline K. Even band structure such as the Pleasant Livers and the Attitude Robots- all members play and exchange different instruments in a way that is complicated and noisy as hell. For me, my favorite is the punkish Jaunties who released three 7 inch box before and X-Ray Eyes who makes thrilling music with sax and pet. All six albums were released almost ]at the same time and they will make an album with the Ruins, so many are coming. This creative action is very monster shocking like Jad Fair and also very attractive collapsing sound. They will keep going forever.
X-Ray Eyes (translated from music magazine, Japan)
This is one of the albums from the crazy series of Megaphone- unique label by J.W., member of Half-Japanese- like Recommended Records. So far there are 7 albums released- all 500 Ltd.- called Meg.Ltd. Free sound collage with changing approach, instrumentation, guests. X-Ray Eyes is avant-jazz group. The Honkies C.Kraabel and Jason's new project. Caroline didn't put the Honkies' music* in the category of free jazz. In this record she expresses her inspiration vividly. I don't know what kine of relationship Jason has with her, but it sound like two individuals rather than one supporting another. Their sounds are balanced between fighting and cooperating. I have a difficult time explaining what this music is. It could be said that it is rock and free jazz, but of course it's not quite that. The sounds could be the mixture but the sound has more freedom than something we can imagine from the word. There is no certain beat, but all of the sound creates one big typhoon. It's an avant-garde world that you feel close with. What attracts me is that 60's freedom feeling throughout the entire album.
* free sax playing and voice
X-Ray Eyes:(translated from Spooky, Japan)
Duo with Jason Willet& Ex-Honkies C.K who plays sax. The mixture of sax and trumpet is good. The songs are always twisted. You will be shocked by it's unusualness. This is my favorite Meg.Ltd. release. For Recommended Records fans.
The Jaunties (translated from Spooky, Japan)
Megaphone Ltd.001 is Jaunties by the duo who shock-debuted their 3-record box set. Jason's buddy Benb Gallagher is still 16. The box set is like diarreah avant-garde where as asthma is scum punk. Ultra Cool.
The Attitude Robots: (translated from Spooky, Japan)
Trio with the Jaunties Benb.G and Jason and A.B. on B.,G. and D. Their playing sounds like basically tearing between GORI smashing punk and low-fi but as we go through the cd it beautifully collapses. Can be grungy.
Dramatics: (translated from Spooky, Japan)
This is Megaphone's chief J.W (ex:Half Japanese) and his new cd's. Duo with M.C. plays drums and other instruments.- sounds like early Half Japanese played like experimental junk pop. Their special spice is to go crazy but with complexity. The homemade jacket is mixed media with a turtle.
The Pleasant Livers: (translated from Spooky, Japan)
meg. ltd 002 - Group of 5 includes J.W. This group of people is usual but what they do is of course weird. This sound is freaky and funky with sax. Their special talent is that they're funky but don't groove. Broken Contortions?
The Can Openers(translated from Arch Angel magazine, Japan 1995)
The Can Openers is the 3rd album from Megaphone Limited Records, a label founded by Jason Willett, former bassist of "Half Japanese". Like "Half Japanese's first album, The Can Openers has a similarly unique character. It’s a "freaky" and broken low-fi sound laced with black humor. Technically, the playing seems unskilled, the songs too short, and jammed with too many instruments, but all of it is so terribly pleasant. Jad Fair, the vocalist of "Half Japanese" once proposed a theory he called "The Science of Guitar". He claims that, "when you play a thick string you can make a deep sound and if you play a thin string, you can make a high sound. If you want to play fast you can move your fingers fast and if you want to play slow you need to move your fingers slowly. When you know all these, anybody can play a guitar." I think this theory is a very progressive and avant garde one, a denial of musical technique.
By Utaori Ishibashi.
The Can Openers (translated from Arch Angel magazine, Japan 1995)
Punk, New Wave, and Rock In Opposition bands such as "Henry Cow" were the hot and energetic sound of the eighties; a time when many people felt that Rock and Roll music should be anti-establishment music. Bands such as "King Crimson" and "This Heat" were developing esthetics that ran against conventional musical interests. Eventually, these bands had a startling influence and significantly changed the face of music. What band is going to appear for the end of the twentieth century? "Can Openers" is the one. Whether this band comes with a political statement or not, "Can Openers" completely stands out from any other. Beware, you may be initially repulsed by their music, but it is required listening for enjoying and understanding what has come before.
By Masashi Azuma.
The Can Openers (translated from Arch Angel magazine, Japan 1995)
I found a strange can. And these people are assuming an air of importance about this can. "What is in it?", somebody asked me. Would you like to see? What I saw were huge adult toys and distorted animals screaming. I saw many laboratories, all mysteriously destroyed. I heard a hysteric sound like Eulih Tsan’s devilish violin. Then, while looking at sand storms on a TV monitor, I finally began to see what was inside their can. It was the sound of explosions blasting out of a subconscious mind. A world isolated from the outer realm. The feelings of pain and joy. They are anti-utilitarians who only seek pure music, not technique. My advice is to not think too much. Just find the courage and take a look inside of the can.
By Tomoko Matsumot
The Can Openers (translated from Arch Angel magazine, Japan 1995)
Lately, I was waiting for a new and stimulating band. Suddenly, these ugly sounds jumped into my ears, but in a comfortable way. I felt like I hadn’t heard sounds this rough in quite a while. I was happy and at the same time nostalgic. Their music could have been recorded in the "Recommended" sampler more than ten years ago. I’m not saying that their sound is an old one. What I mean is that great music is always powerful and appealing no matter what period it’s from. I don’t see that music must progress as time goes by. Each period has a different background. Recommended’s sampler was filled with anti-rock non-commercial music which criticized the corruption of capitalism. After the collapse of tensions between Capitalism and Communism, these criticisms no longer have as much impact. We face the end of this century filled with anxiety and confusion. "The Can Openers" have the power to demolish all of these dilemmas. Their sound is so free and chaotic and so thrillingly pleasant. They play recklessly and create a music that avoids any specific meaning. Here is the band that promises much for the future.
By Makoto Takegawa
The Can Openers (translated from Spooky, Japan)
I'm crazy about their slapped-together name. This band is a duo of Jason Willet and Bob Wagner., but as we know they use lots of instruments. More technical than Dramatics but their gig is still not caring. very harsh sound.