WEIRD LITTLE BOY — Weird Little Boy (1998) APE (image+.cue), lossless

 From the first ten seconds of this album, you know exactly where jazz masochist John Zorn is heading with Weird Little Boy, one of his many noise projects with Mr. Bungle singer Mike Patton. A Phil Spector-style drum intro immediately leads into some hissing noise, with squeaks and pops provided by Zorn's saxophone. From this point on, nothing is sacred sonically. These are not songs so much as pieces of sound, and this is how the artist intended it to be. The music slides from casual guitar jamming (courtesy of Patton's partner in crime Trey Spruance) to ear-splitting noise to the sound of someone choking to cartoon sound effects in a matter of a minute. The album is more of an experience than anything, and this is driven home by the wonderful packaging (which includes a booklet filled with poetry, text, and art). This is not for fans of jazz, or fans of anything really. This is a brutal noise experience for listeners interested in how far sonic technology can really be stretched and twisted. It is also very captivating music, and given time it can really sustain interest. Just make sure to listen to it when you have time to digest the whole package. Bradley Torreano
Tracklist :
[1]    (10:07)
1.1    Two Weeks On A Morphine Drip    
1.2    New Dirt And New Flies    
1.3    Lorne Greenlies    
[2]    (8:05)
2.1    If The Gun Has A Mind    
2.2    Redeye    
2.3    Worms And Shit    
3    Totally Poobied    2:14
4    Weird Little Boy    1:39
5    Lungfull Of Water    7:51
6    Seance    3:04
7    When Blood Fills A Cylinder    2:59
8    Waiting    1:46
9    Blindness    4:04
Credits :
Chris Cochrane - Guitar
Mike Patton - Drums, Vocals
Trey Spruance - Guitars, Keyboards, Drums
William Winant - Percussion
John Zorn - Alto, Samplers, Keyboards
Dennis Cooper - Text

JOHN ZORN : The Gift (2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

A beautiful and lyrical exploration of surf, exotica, easy listening and world beat, The Gift is an honest and heartfelt offering to music lovers the world over: an invitation to forget about the worries and cares of the world; to sit back and relax. Featuring Marc Ribot (Postizos), Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle), Cyro Baptista (Herbie Hancock), Jamie Saft (Bobby Previte), Joey Baron (Masada) and many special guests, this is the album Naked City fans have been waiting for. A side of John Zorn you’ve rarely heard, the music of The Gift is both relaxing and stimulating, like feeling perfectly at home in a place you’ve never been before. John Zorn "for lovers only." TZADIK
Tracklist :
1    Makahaa 5'18
Bass – Trevor Dunn
Guitar – Marc Ribot
Organ – Jamie Saft
Percussion – Cyro Baptista
2    The Quiet Surf 3'15
Bass – Trevor Dunn
Electric Piano [Wurlitzer Piano] – Jamie Saft
Guitar – Marc Ribot
Percussion – Cyro Baptista
Violin – Jennifer Choi
3    Samarkan 6'39
Bass – Trevor Dunn
Drums – Joey Baron
Electric Piano [Wurlitzer Piano] – Jamie Saft
Guitar – Marc Ribot
Percussion – Cyro Baptista
Shakuhachi – Ned Rothenberg
4    Train To Thiensan 3'52
Bass – Trevor Dunn
Drums – Joey Baron
Guitar – Marc Ribot
Keyboards – Jamie Saft
Percussion – Cyro Baptista
5    Snake Catcher 6'30
Bass – Trevor Dunn
Electric Piano [Wurlitzer Piano] – Jamie Saft
Guitar – Marc Ribot
Percussion – Cyro Baptista
6    Mao's Moon 5'17
Bass – Greg Cohen
Cello – Raman Ramakrishnan
Drums – Joey Baron
Percussion – Cyro Baptista
Piano – Jamie Saft
Trumpet – Dave Douglas
Viola – Masumi Rostad
Violin – Jennifer Choi
7    Cutting Stone 7'08
Electric Piano [Wurlitzer Piano] – Jamie Saft
Percussion – Cyro Baptista
8    La Flor Del Barrio 3'10
Bass – Trevor Dunn
Drums – Joey Baron
Guitar – Marc Ribot
9    Bridge To The Beyond 5'30
Bass – Trevor Dunn
Guitar – Marc Ribot
Percussion – Cyro Baptista
Piano, Theremin – John Zorn
Vocals – Mike Patton
10    Makahaa (Reprise) 4'20
Bass – Trevor Dunn
Drums – Joey Baron
Guitar – Marc Ribot
Organ – Jamie Saft
Percussion – Cyro Baptista
Credits :
Composed, Arranged, Producer By – John Zorn
Painting [Paintings By] – Trevor Brown

JOHN ZORN : IAO (2002) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The name IAO is Kabbalistically identical to the Beast and his number 666. In the tradition of Zorn's longform studio compositions Godard, Spillane, Elegy, Kristallnacht and Duras, yet completely unique in form and content, IAO is a hypnotic seven-movement suite of Alchemy, Mysticism, Metaphysics and Magic both black and white. Inspired in part by the esoteric works of Aleister Crowley and his magickal disciple, filmmaker Kenneth Anger, the seven movements range from hypnotic exotica, ritualistic percussion and death metal to ambient, electronica and a stunning piece for female chorus. As varied and listenable as The Gift and as perplexing as Songs from the Hermetic Theater, IAO is a major new work by downtown's master of the unexpected. TZADIK
Tracklist :
1    Invocation    7:19
2    Sex Magick    13:26
3    Sacred Rites Of The Left Hand Path    6:31
4    The Clavicle Of Solomon    9:28
5    Lucifer Rising    5:23
6    Leviathan    3:26
7    Mysteries    5:50
Featuring – Beth Anne Hatton, Bill Laswell, Cyro Baptista, Greg Cohen, Jamie Saft, Jennifer Charles, Jim Pugliese, Mike Patton, Rebecca Moore
Producer, Composed By – John Zorn

JOHN ZORN | HEMOPHILIAC - 50⁶, John Zorn 50th Birthday Celebration Volume Six (2004) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Mike Patton, Ikue Mori and John Zorn are Hemophiliac, and together they are responsible for some of the wildest improvisational music ever. Performing for Zorn's 50th birthday month and playing to a packed house of screaming enthusiasts and obnoxious groupies, this set shows them at their most focused and most intense. Their first release since the 2001 online-only limited edition, this is new music from the outer reaches of madness. TZADIK
Tracklist :
1    @:◊:@    7:26
2    +(=&)+    7:03
3    \/\/\///\/\/\/\\/\///\\/\    4:44
4    ‡*§†*§‡    9:34
5    <<-^->>    9:45
6    ’·ˇ,'"῎‚ι«ʹ⌝ˇໍ»°"    6:15
7    []≈[]≈[]≈[]    5:02
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Producer – John Zorn
Computer [Laptop Electronics] – Ikue Mori
Music By – Mori, Zorn, Patton
Voice – Mike Patton

JOHN ZORN | PAINKILLER - 50¹², John Zorn 50th Birthday Celebration Volume Twelve (2005) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

A powerful and breathtaking meeting of masters. With the tight rhythm section of Laswell and Drake, who have a long history working together in a variety of bands and contexts, and the empathetic insanity of Patton and Zorn, this set was as much of a surprise to the musicians as it was to the pumped up crowd that were lucky enough to hear it that night. Although billed as Painkiller, this once in a lifetime unit was really something completely different. At times hilarious, exhilarating, outrageous and transcendent, this is music only the New American Underground could create. East Coast meets West Coast meets Midwest: New York, California and Chicago come together in this twisted, funky improviser’s paradise. TZADIK

Tracklist :
1    Your Inviolable Freedoms    20:29
2    Dpm    16:24
3    Prophethood Of Chaos    6:23
Credits :
Bass – Bill Laswell
Drums – Hamid Drake
Guest [Special Guest], Voice – Mike Patton
Music By – Bill Laswell, Hamid Drake, John Zorn, Mike Patton
Producer, Saxophone – John Zorn

JOHN ZORN : Astronome (2006) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Zorn continues his intense new rock direction with a second release by the dynamic all star trio from his acclaimed song suite Moonchild to present an intense and mysterious tale of magic and alchemy. Featuring the mad vocal wizardry of Mike Patton singing in preverbal language accompanied by long time cohort Trevor Dunn on electric bass and Joey Baron on drums, this is Zorn at his edgy and uncompromising best. An opera of unbridled madness and complexity that will make your jaw drop. Recorded and mixed by the radical posse of musical terrorist Bill Laswell. TZADIK
Tracklist :
Act One    (14:33)
1a        Scene 1: A Secluded Clearing In The Woods    
1b        Scene 2: A Single Bed In A Small Room    
1c        Scene 3: The Innermost Chapel Of A Secret Temple    
Act Two    (17:00)
2a        Scene 1: A Mediaeval Laboratory    
2b        Scene 2: In The Magick Circle    
Act Three    (12:44)
3a        Scene 1: A Barren Plain At Midnight    
3b        Scene 2: An Unnamed Location        
Credits :
Bass – Trevor Dunn
Drums – Joey Baron
Producer, Arranged By, Concept By [Conceived By], Composed By, Conductor – John Zorn
Voice – Mike Patton

JOHN ZORN : Moonchild (Songs Without Words) (2006) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Zorn’s newest project is a hardcore song cycle scored for voice, bass and drums. This powerful rock unit features three of his most illustrious, longtime cohorts who have worked together in bands such as Naked City, Fantomas, Mr. Bungle and Electric Masada and are keenly in tune with Zorn’s language and aesthetic. Musicians are always at their best in Zorn projects and Moonchild is no exception. You have never heard these players as up front, on the edge or as inspired as they are here, raging through eleven pieces of terrifying intensity. Drawing on preverbal language and the primal power of rock music, this is Torture Garden with an alchemical twist—spontaneous, complex and evocative. Eleven new Zorn compositions executed with a ritualistic passion that will take your breath away. TZADIK
Tracklist :
1    Hellfire    4:07
2    Ghosts Of Thelema    4:32
3    Abraxas    3:13
4    Possession    5:21
5    Caligula    1:47
6    616    5:20
7    Equinox    4:07
8    Moonchild    6:51
9    Le Part Maudit    2:49
10    The Summoning    2:30
11    Sorceress    4:37    
Credits :
Bass – Trevor Dunn
Drums – Joey Baron
Producer, Concept By, Composed By, Conductor, Arranged By, Liner Notes [Nyc 2006] – John Zorn
Voice – Mike Patton

JOHN ZORN : Six Litanies For Heliogabalus (2007) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The infamous Moonchild/AstronomeTrio of Patton, Dunn and Baron returns to the studio this time aided by the searing organ of Jamie Saft, the complex electronics of Ikue Mori and a small female chorus to realize Zorn’s latest project Six Litanies for Heliogabalus. Inspired by the decadent excesses of the Roman emperor/child-god who made Caligula and Nero look like reasonable human beings—smothering his dinner guests to death in a rain of perfumed rose petals—these six compositions (including an outrageous new piece for solo voice) explode with color, imagery and intensity. A startling blend of Metal, Contemporary Classical, Jazz and Mediaeval Music, this is one of Zorn's most extreme and original creations. TZADIK
Tracklist :
1    Litany I    7:52
2    Litany II    7:01
3    Litany III    10:33
4    Litany IV    8:10
5    Litany V    4:27
6    Litany VI    6:16    
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Producer, Composed By, Arranged By, Conductor – John Zorn
Bass – Trevor Dunn
Chorus – Abby Fischer, Kirsten Sollek, Martha Cluver
Drums – Joey Baron
Electronics – Ikue Mori
Organ – Jamie Saft
Painting – Alma Tadema
Recorded By, Mixed By – Bill Laswell
Voice – Mike Patton

JOHN ZORN : The Crucible (2008) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The legendary Moonchild trio returns for another intense journey into the worlds of magic, alchemy and witchcraft. Following one of Zorn’s true masterpieces Six Litanies for Heliogabalus, this fourth volume streamlines and simplifies the music with new melodic elements bringing Zorn’s sax and the lyricism of Masada into the power and structural complexity of the patented Moonchild sound. With Patton using his prodigious voice to sing melodies in addition to his preverbal screams and howls, The Crucible is another bold step from mad alchemist John Zorn. Including special guest guitarist Marc Ribot on one Led Zeppelin influenced track, this is a rocking new installment to the Moonchild-Astronome-Heliogabalus legacy. TZADIK
Tracklist :
1    Almadel    7:10
2    Shapeshifting    3:20
3    Maleficia    8:14
4    9x9    5:37
5    Hobgoblin    2:54
6    Incubi    7:44
7    Witchfinder    3:48
8    The Initiate    5:42
Credits :
Bass – Trevor Dunn
Alto Saxophone, Producer, Concept By [Conceived By], Composed By, Arranged By, Conductor – John Zorn
Drums – Joey Baron
Guitar – Marc Ribot (pistas: 4)
Voice – Mike Patton

JOHN ZORN : Ipsissimus (2010) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Weaving sonic dramas around the legacies of Magick and Alchemy, Moonchild is one of Zorn’s most intense and powerful projects. Active since 2006, Moonchild has released four CDs speaking directly to young, open minded and curious music lovers around the world, and their newest recording is the most varied and driving to date. Nine new duos, trios and quartets swirling with melodic and rhythmic invention featuring the searing guitar of Marc Ribot, the magical vocals of Mike Patton and Zorn’s manic sax with the astounding Dunn-Baron rhythm section. Ipsissimus is the fifth surprising installment in the remarkable Moonchild legacy. TZADIK
Tracklist :
1    Seven Sigils    6:39
2    The Book Of Los    8:21
3    Apparitions Ⅰ    3:45
4    Supplicant    5:33
5    Tabula Smaragdina    6:12
6    Apparitions Ⅱ    4:10
7    The Changeling    6:32
8    Warlock    4:57
9    Apparitions Ⅲ    3:10
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Piano, Producer, Concept By [Conceived By], Composed By, Arranged By, Conductor – John Zorn
Bass – Trevor Dunn
Drums – Joey Baron
Guitar – Marc Ribot
Painting – William Blake
Voice – Mike Patton

JOHN ZORN : Templars - In Sacred Blood (2011) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Over a year in the making, the 6th CD in the Moonchild legacy is a testament-tribute to the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon, the legendary crusading Warrior-Monks whose 200-year rise to power ended abruptly in 1307 under accusations of heresy. With lyrics opening a new world of possibilities, the music exudes a powerful emotional intensity. Patton's versatility is at its peak, and he sings everything from Gregorian Chants and atonal melodies to hardcore screams and passionate whispers. The evocative organ of John Medeski adds a deeply religious tone to the drama, and the Dunn-Baron rhythm section is at its raging best! TZADIK
Tracklist :
1    Templi Secretum    5:34
2    Evocation Of Baphomet    5:27
3    Murder Of The Magicians    4:14
4    Prophetic Souls    6:21
5    Libera Me    3:21
6    A Second Sanctuary    5:07
7    Recordatio    3:54
8    Secret Ceremony    9:16
Credits :
Bass – Trevor Dunn
Drums – Joey Baron
Music By, Lyrics By, Concept By [Conceived], Composed By, Arranged By, Conductor, Producer – John Zorn
Organ – John Medeski
Voice – Mike Patton

JOHN ZORN : The Last Judgment (2014) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Featuring the same magical Templar quartet from “In Sacred Blood”, “The Last Judgment” is the final CD in the remarkable Moonchild septology. This project has explored many different worlds in the past 8 years, and this CD takes a moody and lyrical approach with Medeski’s organ fully integrated into the band. Once again inspired by the legend of the powerful Knights Templar and their tragic demise under accusations of heresy in 1307, Zorn has composed a suite of pieces with a strong sense of continuity and emotional impact. Mike Patton draws on every vocal technique in his huge arsenal and the rhythm section of Dunn and Baron are tighter than ever. The last piece of the Moonchild puzzle—essential! TZADIK
Tracklist :
1    Tria Prima 3'28
2    Trinity 5'22
3    Resurrection 4'20
4    Le Tombeau de Jacques de Molay 4'24
5    Sleepy Hollow 2'41
6    Friday The 13th 3'44
7    Misericordia 5'50
8    Incant 4'28
9    Slipway 6'29
Credits :
Artwork – François Marius Granet
Bass – Trevor Dunn
Drums – Joey Baron
Lyrics By, Composed By, Arranged By, Photography By, Producer – John Zorn
Voice – Mike Patton
Organ – John Medeski