Masonna

Infobox musical artist
Name = Masonna


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Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth_name = Yamazaki Maso
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Born = 1966, Kyōto, Japan
Died =
Origin = Osaka, Japan
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Genre = Noise music
Japanoise
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Years_active = 1987–present
Label = Alchemy
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URL = [http://www.yamazaki-maso.net/ yamazaki-maso.net]
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Masonna (マゾンナ), started in 1987 in Osaka, Japan, is the noise music project of Yamazaki Maso. Sometimes rendered as an acronym M.A.S.O.N.N.A., standing for either "Mademoiselle Anne Sanglante Ou Notre Nymphomanie Auréolé" (French, meaning in English 'Miss Bloody Anne, Or Our Aureoled Nymphomania'; proper spelling is "Auréolée". Spelt in kana; "血まみれのアンヌ嬢・若しくは・我等がニンフォマニアが・後光に包まれる") or more rarely "Mystic Another Selection Of Nurses Naked Anthology". Maso has said before that the name is a pun on pop singer Madonna, though the name is also a composite of Maso (Japanese for 'Masochist') & Onna (Japanese for 'Woman') alluding again to the fetishistic "bloody Anne" reference in the French acronym. Along with Merzbow, Masonna is one of the best known Japanese noise projects.

The Masonna project has been the opening act for several well known artists on their Japanese concert dates, including Sonic Youth, Beck and Slipknot. Masonna also caught the attention of John Peel and was featured on his program, having even done a limited Masonna 'John Peel Sessions' CD.

Yamazaki Maso currently works at Alchemy Records in Osaka.

Masonna is most known for Yamazaki's wild live performances which usually consist of damaging his equipment and jumping around madly. He has given entire concerts which last only a few seconds. In 1996 Masonna toured the United States on the "American Mystique Tour" named after his only album to be released on two formats, "Inner Mind Mystique".

American Mystique Tour 1996 (Masonna's only U.S. tour)

* Oct. 3rd at "Club Moe", Seattle WA with guests Daniel Menche, Small Cruel Party & Merzbow
* Oct. 4th at "Reed College", Portland OR with guests Daniel Menche, Smegma & Merzbow
* Oct. 5th at "Bottom of the Hill", San Francisco, CA with guests Bastard Noise & Merzbow
* Oct. 6th at "Noisegate Loft", Oakland, CA with guests F.A.G.G.O.T., Noisegate & Merzbow
* Oct. 8th at "Spaceland", Los Angeles, CA with guests Speculum Fight, Subarachnoid Space & Merzbow
* Oct. 9th at "Jabberjaw", Los Angeles, CA with guests Bastard Noise & Merzbow
* Oct. 11th at "The Pieta", Cleveland, OH with guests Psywarfare & Merzbow
* Oct. 13th at "The Knitting Factory", New York, NY with guests Borbetomagus & Merzbow
* Oct. 14th at "Mama Kin", Boston, MA with guests Skin Crime, The Japanese Torture Comedy Hour, Nightstick, Emil Beaulieu & Merzbow

elected CD Discography

* "Masonna vs. Bananarama" (1989)
* "Shinsen Na Clitoris" (1990), Vanilla Records
* "Mademoiselle Anne Sanglante Ou Notre Nymphomanie Aureolé" Japan (1993), Alchemy Records
* "Noskl In Ana" (1994), Alchemy Records
* "Super Compact Disc" (1995), Alchemy Records
* "Noisextra" (1995), RRRecords
* "Ejaculation Generater" (1996), Alchemy Records
* "Inner Mind Mystique" (1996), Relapse Records
* "Hyper Chaotic" (1996), V Records
* "Freak-Out Electrolyze" (1997), Nanophonica Records
* "Spectrum Ripper" (1998), Cold Spring Records
* "Frequency L.S.D." (1998), Alien8 Recordings
* "Vestal Spacy Ritual" (1999), Alchemy Records
* "Beauty Beast" (1999), Blast First Records
* "Shock Rock" (2002), MIDI Creative Records

External links

* [http://www.yamazaki-maso.net/ Official website]
* [http://math.berkeley.edu/~inoue/monkey_golfer.htm#MASONNA "Amusing Ourselves to Death"] June 1993 interview from Bananafish #8 by David Hopkins.
* [http://www.japsounds.by.ru/noise/engmasonna.html Interview and translation by Matt Kaufman] 6/29/94.