Review: Thirdorgan/Government Alpha “Split” 7”

Two of Japan's most notable noise artists team up for this split with one track each. Thirdorgan takes side A with "Counterattack of Shine-Shine-Dan", which consists of flurries of high-end noise swaying through the foreground and cutting in and out over some lower rumbles. It's got a treble bite to it, but none of the textures are too over the top as far as harshness at all, even when things get a bit more solid and persistent towards the final moments. Government Alpha's "Dr. Freudstein" follows and is similar in its abrasive yet not too over the top assault. It, too, is heavy on the piercing high-end qualities, but definitely has more moments that reach a full-blown level of distortion. The added midrange and treble frequencies keep it acerbic without getting really crunchy. The record is pressed on hyper bright marbled pink vinyl and comes in a black and white sleeve with a tiny full color insert. All of the artwork consists of collaged imagery that appears to have been taken from obscure Japanese horror movies, so expect lots of screaming women, violence, villains, robots, monsters, etc. In my opinion Government Alpha has the stronger of the 7" tracks, and this is a great vinyl excursion for the label. But wait, there's more! Also included is a bonus live CD (Not a CD-R!), "Pigmon Last Stand", tucked inside the 7" sleeve, which is an amazing freebie if you ask me! Both tracks were recorded live on October 24, 2003 at Bears, totaling damn near 45 minutes of harsh noise. Government Alpha's 16-minute "Tea With Redking" is up first, opening with some nice acerbic melodies before finally taking the plunge into a caustic assault of ripping distortion a couple of minutes in. Things stay pretty chaotic but with minimal layering, shifting back and forth from piercing high-end wails to thicker midrange/low-end pulses. It's a little on the thin side as far as the sound goes there's a major emphasis on treble and such, but I think that's more the live setting than anything, as there are a few heavy bass presences. Thirdorgan follows with 27 minutes of "Sakuradrops de Yogamania", opening with some samples of Japanese pop music (female singing and thumping melodic beats) under faint distortion, gradually fading over into a harsher midrange distortion charging back and forth and taking control. Of course things get harsher from that point on, but there's a bit more warmth in the center as opposed to Government Alpha's piece, and perhaps a more persistent delivery as well - there's not so much overtly chaotic movement. It's somewhat minimal, but there are more layers present, as well as a number of panning effects, which definitely makes for a more involved listen (even before the musical samples start coming back into play later). A good amount of repetition is used, as well as shifts in dynamics both tonally and with overall atmosphere, so I think this composition, as long as it is, represents the better of the two. The CD comes in a plain white slipcase with a xeroxed insert on red paper that includes straight text information about the tracks, keeping it simple. Who could ask for more, though? The entire damn CD is free with the 7"! A great move from a highly respectable label. Kudos.