[sonicl]

Some words to go with the pictures that o o o posted (also taken from volcanic tongue):


1994 Live Final Era:

 

Unbelievable package from the Japanese label that have taken on the job of making available definitive versions of all sorts of juicy Rallizes-related rarities. This is one of two of the first ever Rallizes DVDs (Region 2 coding apparently, so Japan/Europe only otherwise you need a multi-region player) and presents a real DVD (not a DVD-R) with two separate audience-recorded films (w/zooms) of a gig that took place at Seibu Kodo, Kyoto during the Rallizes final live incarnation, featuring Takashi Mizutani alongside Yokai Takahashi, Yukimichi Noma and Katsushiko Ishii. Track listing is classic, including dazzling versions of "Enter The Mirror" and "The Last One" and Mizutani looks new wave as fuck, sporting sharp sculpted bangs and a tiny leather jacket and coming across as even more beanpole wasted than he looks on the companion 1982 DVD. Title page gives you the option of which version you wanna watch, with one closer to the pit action, another zooming in from the back. Full colour sleeve. Still hard to believe that this even exists. Japan-only release, highly recommended.


Metal Machine Music '82:

 

Unbelievable package from the Japanese label that have taken on the job of making available definitive versions of all sorts of juicy Rallizes-related rarities. This is one of two of the first ever Rallizes DVDs (Region 2 coding apparently, so Japan/Europe only otherwise you need a multi-region player) and presents a real DVD (not a DVD-R) with a professional single-camera (with zooms on Mizutani) film of a wild live show from the Rallizes trio in 1982 at Keio Gijuku University. Classic set-list takes in all of the major works and ends with a synapse-splitting version of "The Last One". Rallizes are on full-blown Exploding Plastic Inevitable style here, complete with a disorientating light show that at points casts them as three silhouettes and the sonics are the kinda post-"I Heard Her Call My Name"/"Guess I'm Falling In Love" style motorik amphetamine that birthed the term avant-garage. It almost feels wrong to see Rallizes in this kinda unveiled state, but when Mizutani laconically works his wrist around some of the most mind-bending and purely-stated acid guitar leads none of it matters a fug. The kinda direct access to the source that still feels ridiculously unlikely. Just glad that someone was keen enough to preserve this kinda jaw-dropping documentation of Rallizes subterranean reign. Comes with a full-colour sleeve that includes a replica of the gig flier and screen shots. Comes fully indexed so you can jump straight to individual tracks or watch it the whole way through. Japan-only release, highly recommended.