Charnel Music
Encyclopedia
Charnel Music is an independent record label
devoted to putting out strange and improvisational music. The label was formed in 1988
by Mason Jones as "Charnel House" and had initially released works by his band Trance. The label's name later changed to "Charnel Music," and went on to release music by influential acts such as Melt Banana, Merzbow
, and The Pain Teens
. Charvel is one of the first independent labels that focused on noise music
and music from Japan
.
Charnel released music from up-and-coming as well as bands that already possessed a cult following (such as the Pain Teens). For the next eight years, releases by acts such as Gravitar, Crash Worship
, and Jones' own SubArachnoid Space
had followed. The label also put out releases by Japanese bands such as Melt Banana and Fushitsusha
, and compiled a three-part Land of the Rising Noise series that featured all Japanese bands.
Charnel had two sub-labels. The first was Document and Eyewitness
, whose sole release was P. Children's Documentation 1987-1992. The other was Circular Reasoning
, which was formed in 1995 and put out albums such as Tel Basta's Lickerish and the groundbreaking Bohemian Special by The Gay Barbarians and/or the Jaurwars.
Charnel ceased their operations in 1999 and was briefly resurrected in 2007 for the CDR releases of Mason Jones' Unreleased Themes For Caged Heat 3000 and Numinous Eyes' The Farthest Thing. The label is currently on an indefinite hiatus.
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
devoted to putting out strange and improvisational music. The label was formed in 1988
1988 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1988.-January-March:* January 1 – André Rieu's Johann Strauss Orchestra plays its first concert....
by Mason Jones as "Charnel House" and had initially released works by his band Trance. The label's name later changed to "Charnel Music," and went on to release music by influential acts such as Melt Banana, Merzbow
Merzbow
is the main recording name of the Japanese noise musician , born in 1956. Since 1979 he has released in excess of 350 recordings.The name "Merzbow" comes from German artist Kurt Schwitters' artwork, "Merzbau”. This was chosen to reflect Akita's dada influence and junk art aesthetic...
, and The Pain Teens
The Pain Teens
Pain Teens was an experimental noise rock band formed in Houston, Texas in 1985 by Scott Ayers and Bliss Blood. The band used tape manipulation, digital delays, sampling, tape cut-ups and other effects in their music...
. Charvel is one of the first independent labels that focused on noise music
Noise music
Noise music is a term used to describe varieties of avant-garde music and sound art that may use elements such as cacophony, dissonance, atonality, noise, indeterminacy, and repetition in their realization. Noise music can feature distortion, various types of acoustically or electronically...
and music from Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
History
Charnel's first release was Trance's Fatal Blow on cassette. More cassettes releases from Trance as well as other local San Francisco groups followed. The label focused on other projects after the release of the Arrhythmia CD compilation in 1990.Charnel released music from up-and-coming as well as bands that already possessed a cult following (such as the Pain Teens). For the next eight years, releases by acts such as Gravitar, Crash Worship
Crash Worship
Crash Worship or ADRV was a San Diego based experimental-aktionist-industrial-noise performance group formed in 1986. Most renowned for its live shows in which three stand-up percussionists hammered out concussive poly-rhythms to abstract mutated guitar, synthesizers, effects and dualling vocalists...
, and Jones' own SubArachnoid Space
SubArachnoid Space
SubArachnoid Space was a San Francisco, California-based psychedelic rock band founded in 1996 by Mason Jones, the owner of the independent music label Charnel Music.They relocated to Portland Oregon, where they continued to perform, tour and release albums...
had followed. The label also put out releases by Japanese bands such as Melt Banana and Fushitsusha
Fushitsusha
Fushitsusha is a Japanese rock band specialising in the psychedelic rock, space rock and noise rock genres. The band consists of electric guitarist and singer Keiji Haino, and a shifting cast of complementary musicians. The group released the majority of its material in the 1990s.-History:Haino...
, and compiled a three-part Land of the Rising Noise series that featured all Japanese bands.
Charnel had two sub-labels. The first was Document and Eyewitness
Document and Eyewitness
Document and Eyewitness is a live album by the post-punk band Wire. It marked the end of the first period of Wire's activity and the end of their association with EMI. The Notre Dame Hall show records Wire after the tour to support 154, tired of playing the same old songs and continually moving...
, whose sole release was P. Children's Documentation 1987-1992. The other was Circular Reasoning
Circular reasoning
Circular reasoning, or in other words, paradoxical thinking, is a type of formal logical fallacy in which the proposition to be proved is assumed implicitly or explicitly in one of the premises. For example:"Only an untrustworthy person would run for office...
, which was formed in 1995 and put out albums such as Tel Basta's Lickerish and the groundbreaking Bohemian Special by The Gay Barbarians and/or the Jaurwars.
Charnel ceased their operations in 1999 and was briefly resurrected in 2007 for the CDR releases of Mason Jones' Unreleased Themes For Caged Heat 3000 and Numinous Eyes' The Farthest Thing. The label is currently on an indefinite hiatus.