Masonna

Japanese noise musician born Takushi Yamazaki in 1966 in Miyazu, Kyoto, who launched the Masonna project in Osaka in 1987. The name combines the Japanese words for masochist and woman and doubles as a pun on the pop singer Madonna. Known above all for explosive live performances — destroyed equipment, screaming vocals, feedback-laden electronics, and physical injury — he became a central figure in the international noise scene of the 1990s. John Peel featured him on his BBC radio programme and issued a limited Peel Sessions release. He also records as Space Machine using vintage analog synthesizers and has collaborated with the noise trio Flying Testicle and the supergroup Bustmonster.