Scratch or Stitch is an album by Melt-Banana

Melt-Banana

Melt-Banana is a Japanese punk band that is known for playing extremely fast noise music mixed with experimental electronica and pop-based song structures. They have worked with artists as diverse as Merzbow, John Zorn, Mike Patton, and Discordance Axis...

. This album was the first breakthrough for the band, as well as their first actual U.S. release. LP versions of this album were limited to 2,600 copies, housed in rubber packaging with a poster lyric sheet and a special Melt-Banana temporary tattoo.

The album was recorded in July-August 1995 by Jim O'Rourke

Jim O'Rourke (musician)

Jim O'Rourke is an Irish-American musician and record producer. He was long associated with the Chicago experimental and improv scene...

 and produced by Steve Albini

Steve Albini

Steven Frank Albini is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman, and Flour, and is currently a member of Shellac...

. This along with a US tour with Mr. Bungle

Mr. Bungle

Mr. Bungle was an experimental band from Northern California. The band was formed in 1985 while the members were still in high school and was named after a children's educational film. Mr. Bungle released four demo tapes in the mid to late 1980s before being signed to Warner Bros. Records and...

 helped establish Melt-Banana as one of the leading new Japanese punk rock

Punk rock

Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...

bands. Melt-Banana have said in interviews how the audience would scream "we want to see Mr. Bungle", "free bird" and "go back to Japan" proving how unknown they were at that time.

The track list is filled with Melt-Banana live favorites such as "Plot in a Pot", "Scratch or Stitch", "Sick Zip Everywhere", "It's in the Pillcase", "His Name is Mickey" and "Iguana in Trouble". A promotional video was made for "Sick Zip Everywhere".

Track listing

1. "Plot in a Pot" – 1:19
2. "Scratch or Stitch" – 1:02
3. "Sick Zip Everywhere" – 1:51
4. "Disposable Weathercock" – 1:43
5. "Ten Dollars a Pile" – 0:59
6. "Ketchup-Mess" – 1:27
7. "Buzzer #P" – 1:46
8. "Rough Dogs Have Bumps" – 1:49
9. "Iguana in Trouble" – 2:21
10. "It's in the Pillcase" – 1:30
11. "Test: Ground 1" – 0:30
12. "Zoo, No Vacancy" – 0:15
13. "A Finger to Hackle" – 0:22
14. "Type B for Me" – 0:09
15. "His Name Is Mickey (At Last She Got Him...)" – 0:21
16. "Back to the Womb" – 2:46
17. "I Hate It" – 0:58
18. "What Do You Slaughter Next?" – 1:42
19. "Eye-Q Trader" – 1:48
20. "Dig Out!" – 2:23
21. "Contortion Out of Confusion" – 1:39
22. "Pigeon on My Eyes (Go to Bed!!!)" – 2:33