Sun Ra/ Merzbow — Strange City( 2026 double CD version)

First released in the year 2016, Strange City was one of the weirdest collabs in noise music, as one of its collaborators had been dead since the early 90s. Basically, it is a noise/ jazz cross over utilizing elements from two Sun Ra albums- 1967’s Strange String and 1966’s The Magic City- which the king of Japanese noise, Merzbow, bent, mangled and corrupted to wonderful effect. Here’s a double CD release of the album, which collects together everything recorded for the album- you see, different tracks appeared on both the CD ( which I originally reviewed) and vinyl, which I didn’t review…so now it’s all helpfully in one place. Instead of re-reviewing the tracks I’ve already commented on, I’ll just review the unheard/ unreleased tracks- so if you want to find out about the others, head here.

The reissue comes presented in eight panel/ glossy digipak- this features shape-based, colourful & psychedelic interpretations of both Sun-Ra & Merzbow’s faces. Also featured is a six-page inlay booklet, with text about the release and more psychedelic art.

Disc one opens with "Livid Sun Loop” a thirty two & elven minute track, which opened the original CD. Next is “Granular Jazz Part 1”; it’s a just shy of eighteen-minute track. It’s a steadily fading-in mix of swirling up-and-down noise electronics, stretched-out horn bays, and constantly churning/ sparking tone detail. Along its length, there are subtle shifts/ sonic events, yet it manages to maintain a consistent feel. The track manages to somehow feel both busy and oddly soothing, feeling akin to lying on a plush/ comfy daybed, as you zoom & zip through a detailed futuristic city.

Moving on to the second disc, we open with the original second track from the CD release “Granular Jazz Part 2”, which comes in at just over the thirty-four-minute mark. Next is “Granular Jazz Part 3” – this runs just shy of the thirteen-and-a-half-minute mark; it begins with this blend of stabbing ‘n’ sparking electronics, underfed by subtle/dusk-like low-end hover. As the track progresses, the whole seems to both blow out and become more whizzing/ choppy in its attack, feeling akin to being trapped in an electricity-edged cloud, which seems alive with the darting/ pulsing colours of a washed-out rainbow. “Granular Jazz Part 4” just slides in at the five-minute mark, beginning with blend-locked percussive & bass dart. As it progresses, warped horns are smudged into the structure, and baying & racing electronics appear, with stretched/ warped horn dart, shifting percussive lines, and billowing to sparking tone detail. Finally, we have “Granular Jazz Part 5”. This two-minute track was recorded for Stuart Maconie's "Freak Zone" (BBC Radio 6), which was only broadcast once, ahead of Merzbow's show at Manchester's legendary FAC251, September 2016. And it’s a nice compression of the album's sound, with its shift / dense blend of knocking ‘n’ baying noise and warped horn tones.

When Strange City first came out, it most certainly stood as one of the great later-day Merzbow releases, and with this new release it reiterates it statis & then some. If you either bought the album the first time around, or are new to it- and enjoy Merz on his more melting, jazz-inspired side- it’s a must-have release!.