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Oliver Payne
GODZILLA
SOUND
2024
Cassette tape
H 7 x W 11 x D 2 cm
A side 30 min /B side 12min
edition: 100
Regular price $243.00 USD 
Regular price Sale price $243.00 USD
Sale
NANZUKA is pleased to announce the release of GODZILLA, a sound work by Oliver Payne created for the 70th-anniversary art project GODZILLA THE ART. This work, released as part of GODZILLA THE ART by PARCO vol.4, is available as a limited edition of 100 cassettes. During the exhibition, held from Friday, November 29, 2024, to Monday, December 16, at the PARCO MUSEUM TOKYO (4th floor, Shibuya PARCO), visitors will have the opportunity to listen to Payne's special edition cassette on a cassette deck installed at the venue. Payne drew deep inspiration from the sounds of the 1954 film Godzilla, creating a harsh noise music piece that pays homage to the iconic auditory elements of the original movie. The methods used to create Godzilla’s voice and music in 1954 were highly experimental and avant-garde, sharing many commonalities with the origins of noise music. Sound engineers Ichiro Minawa and Hisashi Shimonaga conducted various experiments beyond the conventional scope of sound production to express Godzilla's voice. Initially, they attempted to use actual animal sounds, but these lacked the desired impact, leading to the adoption of more mechanical sound representations. Ultimately, a contrabass was used—a low-pitched string instrument. The noise generated by plucking its strings was recorded, and the playback speed of the tape was manually manipulated to emphasize the sound’s attack and enhance the deep bass, giving Godzilla its immense sense of scale. This technique highlighted the "noisy texture" of the sound itself and adopted an approach that reconstructed music and sound design. Payne’s piece for this project pays respect to these pioneers. "I’ve created a new experience by slowing down Godzilla’s footsteps and roars. Producing noise music from the sounds of Godzilla films and being able to present it in Japan, where noise music has evolved so profoundly, is incredibly exciting. To create the sounds for this piece, I collaborated with my friend David Scott Stone, who has worked with Merzbow, Mazona, and Melvins, among others," Payne commented.
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