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2LP
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UMA 181LP
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Emerging from the vibrant tapestry of Japan's experimental music scene in the late '80s, Incapacitants had beginnings as Toshiji Mikawa's solo project in 1981. The original epicenter of their creative endeavors was Osaka, where Mikawa collaborated with luminaries such as Yamatsuka Eye, JOJO and others. However, the trajectory of Incapacitants evolved with a move to Tokyo, where Fumio Kosakai joined forces with Mikawa, solidifying the current duo that continues to shape the landscape of experimental music. The dynamic twain have spent decades challenging preconceived notions of sound, weaving a complex tapestry of auditory exploration. Their avant-garde approach and relentless commitment to pushing boundaries have solidified Incapacitants as a cornerstone in the global noise music phenomenon. Their ability to seamlessly blend raw energy with the sheer beauty of their noise is a testament to their unique artistry. Originally released in 1999 on CD by legendary Alchemy Records, Default Standard is a testament to Incapacitants' relentless pursuit of pure noise. Carefully remastered under the skillful guidance of the highly respected engineer, producer as well as sound artist Lasse Marhaug, this reissue invites listeners to rediscover the sonic intricacies that define Incapacitants' artistry. The five tracks on Default Standard immerse listeners in a sonic landscape marked by tumultuous chaos. The album showcases an extensive incorporation of feedback, distortions, and electronic manipulations, creating an avant-garde and experimental auditory experience is at the core of Incapacitants' artistic approach. Each piece is a testament to the band's commitment to pushing the limits of conventional musical structures. Incapacitants often employs dissonant tones, unconventional time signatures, and unpredictable arrangements, inviting listeners to engage with the music on a level that goes beyond traditional notions of melody and harmony. Available in only 199 copies. Beyond the auditory experience, delve into a big poster and inserts featuring unpublished photos by Yuichi Jibiki, offering a glimpse into the era of the original CD release. And then explore a four-page A3 folded insert with previously unpublished photos with extensive notes from both Lasse Marhaug and Toshiji Mikawa, alongside a 1999 interview translated into English, from Japanese music magazine EATER.
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LP
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UMA 173LP
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First time vinyl reissue, originally released in 1989. Repo, the enthralling album by the Japanese experimental project Incapacitants, is a sonic masterpiece that pushes the boundaries of noise music to exhilarating heights. Originally released on vinyl in just 300 copies by Japan's legendary Alchemy Records, this record showcases the immense creativity and technical prowess of the man behind Incapacitants, Toshiji Mikawa, here still alone (Repo is the last album as a one-man project, as Fumio Kosakai, about two years after this release, became a permanent member). With its relentless cacophony and innovative soundscapes, Repo is a testament to the enduring power of noise as an art form. From the very first seconds, Repo grabs your attention with an onslaught of piercing high frequencies and distorted textures. Mikawa's ability to manipulate sound is immediately apparent as they create a disorienting and immersive atmosphere. The side A evolves, incorporating layers of chaotic noise, visceral feedback, and unexpected sonic surprises, leaving the listener captivated and intrigued. The other side explore the concept of rhythm within noise music, defying conventions and embracing experimentation. The pulsating beats and distorted tones create a captivating sense of momentum, while unexpected disruptions and bursts of dissonance add an element of unpredictability. The juxtaposition of rhythmic elements and abrasive noise creates a dynamic listening experience that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. Repo is an extraordinary album that drives the limits of noise music, showcasing Toshiji Mikawa mastery of sound manipulation and their unwavering dedication to experimentation. With its relentless energy and daring sonic exploration, Repo is a testament to the enduring power of noise as an art form, and a must-listen for anyone seeking an audacious and boundary-pushing musical experience. A highly sought-after milestone in noise music -- an absolute must for any Japanoise fan. Fully remastered by Lasse Marhaug. Includes four-page A3 folded insert with previously unpublished photos, notes from 2001 by JOJO Hiroshige (with an addendum by T. Mikawa), and new comprehensive notes made for this reissue by Lasse Marhaug. Edition of 300.
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2LP
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UMA 163LP
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Reissue, originally released in 1991. Incapacitants are the best noise band to ever come out of Japan; the group was formed in 1981 in Osaka, as the solo project of Toshiji Mikawa, a member of the amazing noise group Hijokaidan. Mikawa later moved to Tokyo, where he joined with Fumio Kosakai (also an occasional member of Hijokaidan, as well as a former member of C.C.C.C.) to make Incapacitants a duo and they released its first album Feedback of N.M.S. on Alchemy Records CD in 1991. Sometimes it's the result of luck. In others it's due to years of rigorous work or through unlikely combinations of individual creative practices. In the case of Feedback of N.M.S., the first release to feature the collaborative duo of Mikawa and Kosakai, all three are in play. Comprising three tracks of visionary expression -- incorporating elements of junk metal, modular synthesis, hand-made noisy objects, and real-time instrumental and vocal improvisation -- it encounters each artist entering a new stage of their career, harnessing the challenges posed by the other as a means to drive toward new creative unknowns. Central to this is the pair's unique approach to structure and form, in addition to their chosen instruments and electronics. The first track "Curse Of Ceauşescu", played on two sides of the first vinyl is something incredible. A truly stunning, visionary expanse of texture and tonality -- pushing noise practice and the very notions of language into uncharted realms. The others two tracks that fill the sides of the second vinyl complete this masterpiece increasingly pushing into more constrained of electronics phenomena, site specific resonance, and complex harmonic interplay, that consistently rethink the terms of noise, infusing it with tension, dissonance, and a deeply emotive, human touch. An absolutely masterful piece of work, threaded with risk, ambition, raw immediacy, and precision. While astounding artists in their own right, deserving every bit of the accolades they've thus far received, Toshiji Mikawa and Fumio Kosakai seem capable of something profound together that has yet to have heard. Feedback of N.M.S. is everything you would hope to hear from an experimental endeavor and so much more. Includes six cards reproducing Takuya Sakaguchi's original drawings and adding an unreleased drawing and extensive notes in Japanese and English; edition of 299.
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LP
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UMA 161LP
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First time vinyl reissue. Few projects can claim the seminal importance of the Incapacitants on worldwide noise scene. The group was formed in 1981 in Osaka, as the solo project of Toshiji Mikawa, a member of the amazing noise group Hijokaidan. Later Mikawa moved to Tokyo, where he joined with Fumio Kosakai, also an occasional member of Hijokaidan, as well as a former member of C.C.C.C., to make Incapacitants a duo. They've been making some of the most unremittingly ear-shattering racket for decades as Incapacitants, one of the most significant noise outfits to emerge from the groundbreaking Japanese scene in the early 1980s, and still one of the most radical and powerful. They've consistently been responsible for some of the most complex, chaotic, loud, and downright fun releases in the genre. Almost thirty years have passed since the first publication of Quietus. Is the fourth Incapacitants album released on Alchemy Records and along with Feedback Of N.M.S. has definitively consecrates them as the "Gods of Noise". "No Risk, No Return" fills completely side A, and it's just uncontaminated, pure electronic distortion of the highest quality: exciting, frightening, hypnotic and fascinating all at the same time. Side B open with a small noise gem, furrows that precede the intensity and the noisy purity that will characterize all the production of the Incapacitants, titled "Backfire". And then comes the masterpiece "Goby Fishing", whose sound is particularly exciting, agonizingly dense and full of detail, with thrilling psychedelics feedback and sonic bulldoze, all sounding crystal clear. It's the perfect soundtrack for your lake holidays or, for anyone with an inkling of interest, it's a wonderful time capsule from the Golden Age of Japanese Noise. A highly sought-after milestone in noise music -- bridging rigorous practices of experimentation and highly refined elements of power electronics and hold countless revelations for anyone yet to encounter their wonders first hand. Incapacitants create inexhaustible chaos verging on the sublime, and take you on a truly excruciating journey toward catharsis. This is truly the spirit of noise: no macho posturing, no pseudo-intellectualism, no "rocking out", no pretense! Fully remastered; edition of 199 copies.
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LP
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UMA 143LP
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Urashima present one of the most sought-after artifacts from the '80s noise scene -- Incapacitants' first cassette, recorded in 1981 by Toshiji Mikawa and never been released until now, reemerging in a new fully remastered edition by Andrea Marutti on vinyl format. Few projects can claim the seminal importance of the Incapacitants on worldwide noise scene. The group was formed in 1981 in Osaka, as the solo project of Toshiji Mikawa, a member of the amazing noise group Hijokaidan. Later Mikawa moved to Tokyo, where he joined with Fumio Kosakai, also an occasional member of Hijokaidan, as well as a former member of C.C.C.C., to make Incapacitants a duo. They've been making some of the most unremittingly ear-shattering racket for decades as Incapacitants, one of the most significant noise outfits to emerge from the groundbreaking Japanese scene in the early 1980s, and still one of the most radical and powerful. They've consistently been responsible for some of the most complex, chaotic, loud, and downright fun releases in the genre. The cassette consists of a long track on side A titled "Fulfilled Promise" that starts slowly and gradually transforms into a crackling volcano and then comes the bursts and the outflow of lava, always controlled. While side B is a collection of small noise gems, furrows that precede the intensity and the noisy purity that will characterize all the production of the Incapacitants, titled Plague. The two sides of the tape are very different from each other, but they contain the same exciting, terrifying, hypnotic, and fascinating soul -- there's very little air to breathe here! The vinyl edition faithfully reproduces the order and duration of the tracks recorded on tape. Includes 12" size insert with extensive notes by Toshiji Mikawa in Japanese with translation by Kato David Hopkins in English. Edition of 299.
Translated from Japanese liner notes by Toshiji Mikawa: "Listening to such artless performances and recordings is a bit embarrassing but, at the risk of flattering myself, I think it has some degree of interest. It's from almost forty years ago, but I hope you'll enjoy the very first recordings under the name Incapacitants."
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3LP BOX
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UMA 136LP
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Urashima present a reissue of Incapacitants' Project Pallo '85, originally released in 1985 by Pariah Tapes. The first ever vinyl reissue of one of the most sought-after artifacts from the '80s noise scene, fully remastered edition by Andrea Marutti. It's a great moment for reissues of ambitious, historical gestures of the noise from Japan. One after the other, these artifacts have emerged from the shadows. Few projects can claim the seminal importance of the Incapacitants on worldwide noise scene. The group was formed in 1981 in Osaka, as the solo project of Toshiji Mikawa, a member of the amazing noise group Hijokaidan. Mikawa, a bank employee who then became a deputy general manager of one of the largest securities brokers in Japan, later moved to Tokyo, where he joined with government office worker. Fumio Kosakai (also an occasional member of Hijokaidan as well as a former member of C.C.C.C.) was recruited to make Incapacitants a duo. They've been making some of the most unremittingly ear-shattering racket for decades as Incapacitants, one of the most significant noise outfits to emerge from the groundbreaking Japanese scene in the early 1980s, and still one of the most radical and powerful. They've consistently been responsible for some of the most complex, chaotic, loud, and downright fun releases in the genre. In the early '80s when based in Osaka, Mikawa occasionally performed as Incapacitants as part of various duets, most notably with Yamatsuka Eye of Hanatarash and Boredoms, and set up the Pariah Tapes label in order to release the first Incapacitants material. Starting from 1981 with Eternal Paralysis and Peony Crackers until 1985 with Project Pallo '85 that was produced on the label in triple-cassette and handmade box. About two-and-half hours divided in seven long tracks of just pure, unadulterated electronic distortion done by one of the masters. Fun, terrifying, hypnotic, and fascinating all at the same time; his noise takes root not in violence or gimmickry, but in uncontaminated energy. Triple-LP on 140 gram vinyl; deluxe grey wooden box with front/back laser engraving plus three cardboard colored in 30x30cm from the original box cover art, original dragon drawing by Takuya Sakaguchi used for artwork box and original insert; edition of 299 (numbered).
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4LP
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HOS 618LP
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Hospital Productions present a reissue of Incapacitants' Stupid Is Stupid, originally released in 1993. In 1993, founding fathers of Japan noise T. Mikawa and F. Kosokai revealed Stupid Is Stupid, one of the most classic titles to emerge from the criminally underrated and revered Incapacitants. A seminal document already over a decade into the duo's unrelenting path of pure chaos after their formation in 1981, Stupid Is Stupid was released as a double cassette on the equally influential Sounds For Consciousness Rape label from France. Divided into studio materials and live materials oddly from two performances at the same venue on two different years. Beyond the massive frequency exploration and freedom of the sounds this set revealed dramatic documentation of the projects history, performances, and influence as shown in the form of color live photos pasted into the metal wire and mesh encased booklet where one can feel the physical energy just from the ravaged and ecstatic face and contorted bodies of the two doing the business. Japanese artist and illustrator Takuya Sakaguchi created The Incapacitants Data File comic book detailing the otherworldly origins behind the devotion and pure frequency dedication only Incapacitants create. Sakaguchi also wrote The Incapacitants Story which reveals insights from the Japanese perspective into how much influence the project achieved as early as 1993. The audio here is painstakingly restored for vinyl by Kris Lapke. Presented in a wide spine slipcase cover with obi strip; includes large format two-sided color poster that no Incapacitants worshipper's home can continue without, alongside full-size comic book and insert card.
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LP
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UMA 131LP
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Incapacitants are the best noise band to ever come out of Japan; the group was formed in 1981 in Osaka, the solo project of Toshiji Mikawa, a member of the amazing noise group Hijokaidan. Mikawa, a bank employee who later became manager of one of the largest securities brokers in Japan, later moved to Tokyo, where he joined with government office worker Fumio Kosakai (also an occasional member of Hijokaidan, as well as a former member of C.C.C.C.) to make Incapacitants a duo. Mikawa and Kosakai are no ordinary salarymen, though. They've been making some of the most unremittingly ear-shattering racket for decades as Incapacitants, one of the most significant noise outfits to emerge from the Japanese scene in the early 1980s, and still one of the most radical and powerful. They've consistently been responsible for some of the most complex, chaotic, loud, and downright fun releases in the genre. Extreme Gospel Nights is a shocking cassette from 1993, released by one of the Japanoise-defining labels, Vanilla Records, whose sound is particularly exciting, agonizingly dense and full of detail. "Gospel" refers to the studio where the recordings were made; don't expect traditional spirituals, but rather some truly alien performances, complete with sporadic screaming of vivisected baboons drowning in the sonic sludge. There are two tracks here "Bitter Insect" on and the super lo-fi "Accelerated No(i)sebleed," in all probability recorded directly from the soundboard. Just pure, unadulterated electronic distortion of the highest quality done by two of the masters of all who have ever turned the knob on a distortion pedal. This is fun, terrifying, hypnotic, and fascinating all at the same time; their noise takes root not in violence or gimmickry, but in pure energy. It also serves as great example of just what makes well done noise so great: the layers of complexity that build upon each other reveal new and different textures and patterns on subsequent listens. Mastered by Mikawa and reissued for the first time on vinyl, with black label and black inner sleeve. Edition of 300 in deluxe silver silkscreen on black cardboard sleeve with an image of the Tomyodai lighthouse in the late Meiji era as cover art, insert on classic ultra-bright paper with glossy plastic coating with replica of original. Wrapped in tissue golden paper to replicate original tape release, includes sticker.
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CD
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HARB 045CD
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Shit-your-pants loud, or just another day at the office for Incapacitants. Tracklist: 1. Take it! 2. Go! 3. Say! 4. After Drunken Interview (In Memory of Koji Tano) 5. Club 24 Forever (Live at Club 24 20070128)
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