Richard Ramirez (musician)
Encyclopedia
Richard Ramirez is an American
noise music
artist from Houston, Texas
, recording and performing both as a solo artist and as part of several groups and Houston Noise Bands
, including Black Leather Jesus, Priest in Shit, An Innocent Young Throat-Cutter, Oasis of Fear and the "static noise" solo project Werewolf Jerusalem. He is notable for being one of the earliest American harsh noise artists.
Ramirez, though extremely prolific, draws a distinction between his relatively few professionally printed CDs
and LPs
and the many CD-R
s and tapes he produces for smaller record labels. He has done collaborations and split releases with many figures in the noise field, including Merzbow
, Emil Beaulieau
, Skin Crime, and MSBR
.
Ramirez's work tends to consist of long, slowly changing or static tracks of heavily distorted
low- to mid-range noise, with a gradual move over the last several years toward more drone-influenced sounds in addition to his harsh noise work. Parallel to this evolution has been a shift in thematic concerns, with album covers, titles, and general themes changing from more typical noise music concerns such as violence and war (largely borrowed from Industrial
culture) to a focus on homosexual
themes and gay porn
artwork. In addition to his musical work, Ramirez also runs the noise and experimental music
label Deadline Recordings.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
artist from Houston, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, recording and performing both as a solo artist and as part of several groups and Houston Noise Bands
Houston Noise Bands
Since the 1970s, Houston, TX has become one of the world's leading centers for a particular brand of dark experimental music, ranging from psych-rock to industrial to distorted, stripped-down folk songs, to dance party mayhem, but all sharing a similar aesthetic sensibility rooted in dissonance...
, including Black Leather Jesus, Priest in Shit, An Innocent Young Throat-Cutter, Oasis of Fear and the "static noise" solo project Werewolf Jerusalem. He is notable for being one of the earliest American harsh noise artists.
Ramirez, though extremely prolific, draws a distinction between his relatively few professionally printed CDs
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
and LPs
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
and the many CD-R
CD-R
A CD-R is a variation of the Compact Disc invented by Philips and Sony. CD-R is a Write Once Read Many optical medium, though the whole disk does not have to be entirely written in the same session....
s and tapes he produces for smaller record labels. He has done collaborations and split releases with many figures in the noise field, including 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...
, Emil Beaulieau
Emil Beaulieau
Emil Beaulieau, or more fully, “Emil Beaulieau: America’s Greatest Living Noise Artist” is the stage name of Ron Lessard, a prominent noise musician who primarily records for his own label: RRRecords. He has collaborated and performed with many well-known noise artists, including Merzbow, Pain...
, Skin Crime, and MSBR
MSBR
MSBR is the name of a recording project of Japanese noise musician Koji Tano that was based out of Matsuyama, then later Tokyo. MSBR was active starting in the early 1990s, releasing music on numerous labels, often in limited pressings...
.
Ramirez's work tends to consist of long, slowly changing or static tracks of heavily distorted
Distortion
A distortion is the alteration of the original shape of an object, image, sound, waveform or other form of information or representation. Distortion is usually unwanted, and often many methods are employed to minimize it in practice...
low- to mid-range noise, with a gradual move over the last several years toward more drone-influenced sounds in addition to his harsh noise work. Parallel to this evolution has been a shift in thematic concerns, with album covers, titles, and general themes changing from more typical noise music concerns such as violence and war (largely borrowed from Industrial
Industrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
culture) to a focus on homosexual
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
themes and gay porn
Gay pornography
Gay pornography is the representation of sexual intercourse between men with the primary goal of sexual arousal in its audience. There is also a tradition, and continuing considerable output, of lesbian pornography....
artwork. In addition to his musical work, Ramirez also runs the noise and experimental music
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
label Deadline Recordings.