Merzbow
Masami Akita (秋田 昌美, Akita Masami, born December 19, 1956), better known by his stage name Merzbow (メルツバウ, Merutsubau), is a Japanese noise musician. He is best known for his style of harsh, confrontational noise exemplified on his 1996 release, Pulse Demon. Since 1980, he has released over 400 recordings.
The name Merzbow comes from the German dada artist Kurt Schwitters' artwork Merzbau (German pronunciation: [ˈmɛʁtsˌbaʊ̯]), in which Schwitters transformed the interior of his house using found objects. The name was chosen to reflect Akita's dada influence and junk art aesthetic. In addition to this, Akita has cited a wide range of musical influences from progressive rock, heavy metal, free jazz, and early electronic music to non-musical influences like dadaism, surrealism, and fetish culture. Since the early 2000s, he has been inspired by animal rights and environmentalism, and has become a vegan.
As well as being a prolific musician, he has been a writer and editor for several books and magazines in Japan, and has written several books of his own. He has written about a variety of subjects, mostly about music, modern art, and underground culture. His more renowned works were on the topics of BDSM and Japanese bondage. Other art forms Akita has been interested in include painting, photography, filmmaking, and Butoh dance.
In 2000, Extreme Records released the 50 CD box set known as the Merzbox. Akita's work has been the subject of several remix albums and at least one tribute album. This, among other achievements, has helped Merzbow to be regarded by some as the "most important artist in noise".
Releases
Sleeve | Title | Year | Format |
---|---|---|---|
メルツバウ* = Merzbow - 干渉ハノーバー | 1991 | Vinyl, LP, Limited Edition, Numbered | |
メルツバウ* = Merzbow - 和漢短歌/戦後五十年の先住民 = Wakantanka / Aboriginie Of Anniversary 50 Years After War | 1995 | Vinyl, 7", 33 ⅓ RPM, Limited Edition, Numbered, Picture Disc, Special Edition | |
メルツバウ* = Merzbow - 干渉ハノーバー | 1991 | Vinyl, LP, Repress | |
メルツバウ* = Merzbow - 和漢短歌/戦後五十年の先住民 = Wakantanka / Aboriginie Of Anniversary 50 Years After War | 1995 | Vinyl, 7", 33 ⅓ RPM, Limited Edition, Numbered, Picture Disc | |
メルツバウ* = Merzbow - 和漢短歌/戦後五十年の先住民 = Wakantanka / Aboriginie Of Anniversary 50 Years After War | 1995 | Vinyl, 7", 33 ⅓ RPM, Limited Edition, Numbered, Picture Disc, Special Edition | |
メルツバウ* = Merzbow - 干渉ハノーバー | 1991 | Vinyl, LP | |
メルツバウ* = Merzbow - 干渉ハノーバー | 1991 | Vinyl, LP | |
Merzbow - Great American Nude / Crash For Hi-Fi | 1991 | CD, Album | |
Merzbow - Rod Drug 93 | 1993 | Vinyl, 7", 33 ⅓ RPM, Limited Edition, White Label | |
Merzbow - Jigokuhen | 2011 | Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition | |
Merzbow - Untitled 1991 Vol. 1 | 2019 | CD, Album, Remastered | |
Merzbow - Necro 2000 | 2020 | CD, Album, Remastered | |
Merzbow - Pornoise/Extra | 1984 | Cassette, Album | |
Merzbow - Lowest Music.2 | 1983 | Cassette, Album, Reissue | |
Merzbow - Merzbow | 2023 | File, FLAC, Single | |
Merzbow - Noise Matrix | 2023 | File, FLAC, Album, Reissue | |
Merzbow - Rainbow Electronics | CD, Album, Repress | ||
Merzbow - Merzbox | 2000 | CD, Album, CD, CD-ROM, Box Set, Compilation, Limited Edition, Numbered | |
Merzbow - Noisembryo | 1994 | CD, Album, Stereo | |
Merzbow - Zophorus | 2007 | CD, Album, Limited Edition | |
Merzbow - Ecobondage | 1987 | Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Numbered | |
Merzbow - 13 Japanese Birds Parts 1-13 | 2010 | CD, Album, CD, Album, CD, Album, CD, Album, CD, Album, CD, Album, CD, Album, CD, Album, CD, Album, CD, Album, CD, Album, CD, Album, CD, Album, Box Set, Limited Edition | |
Merzbow - Venereology | 2019 | Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Reissue, Remastered | |
Merzbow - Space Metalizer | 2023 | Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered, White Label, Box Set, Limited Edition, Numbered, Special Edition | |
Merzbow - Ikebukuro Dada | 2002 | CD, Album | |
Merzbow - Mort Aux Vaches: Locomotive Breath | 1996 | CD, Limited Edition, Numbered | |
Merzbow - Kibbutz | 2012 | Vinyl, LP, Limited Edition, Numbered, Reissue, Remastered | |
Merzbow - Artificial Invagination | 1991 | CD, Mini | |
Merzbow - Metamorphism | 2006 | CD, Album, Box Set, Limited Edition | |
Merzbow - Life Performance | 2016 | CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered | |
Merzbow - Dying Mapa Tapes | 2019 | CD, Album, Compilation, Limited Edition, Reissue, Remastered | |
Merzbow - Triwave Pagoda | 2021 | Cassette, Album, Limited Edition | |
Merzbow - Pulse Demon | 2019 | File, MP3, Album, Reissue, Remastered | |
Merzbow - Yahatahachiman | 2019 | CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered | |
Merzbow - Hatobana | 2016 | CD, Album, Deluxe Edition, Limited Edition | |
Merzbow - Paradoxa Paradoxa | 1982 | Cassette | |
Merzbow - Agni Hotra (2nd Mix) | 2019 | CD, Album, Remastered | |
Merzbow - Batztoutai Mix | 2019 | CD, Album, Remastered | |
Merzbow - Live At 同志社大学 | 2019 | CD, Album, Remastered | |
Merzbow - Feedback Purple Yellow | 2021 | CD, Album | |
Merzbow - Pi-Eggplant | 2021 | CD, Album | |
Merzbow - Worker Machine | 1983 | Cassette | |
Merzbow - Yahatahachiman | 1983 | Cassette | |
Merzbow - Dead Lotus | 2019 | Cassette, Album, Limited Edition | |
Merzbow - 1.10.16 | 2017 | File, MP3 | |
Merzbow - Space Metalizer | 2018 | File, MP3, Album, Reissue | |
Merzbow - Noisembryo | File, MP3, Album | ||
Merzbow - StereoAkuma | 2020 | File, AAC, Album | |
Merzbow - Paradoxa Paradoxa (Sound Assemblage And Performance) | 1984 | Cassette, Reissue | |
Merzbow - Noise Matrix | 2023 | Vinyl, LP, Limited Edition, Numbered, Reissue, Test Pressing |
Images - Coming soon...
Tracklist: Merzbient
No. | Title | Runtime |
---|---|---|
A | RBA 1A (1989) Part 1 | 20:35 |
B | RBA 1A (1989) Part 2 | 20:24 |
C | RBA 1B (1989) Part 1 | 20:27 |
D | RBA 1B (1989) Part 2 | 20:28 |
E | RBA 2B (1989) Part 1 | 20:26 |
F | RBA 2B (1989) Part 2 | 20:31 |
G | RBA/Capsule Cologne Maxell (1990) Part 1 | 20:26 |
H | RBA/Capsule Cologne Maxell (1990) Part 2 | 20:25 |
I | RBA 8B (1990) Part 1 | 20:26 |
J | RBA 8B (1990) Part 2 | 20:25 |
K | RBA 8A (1990) Part 1 | 20:25 |
L | RBA 8A (1990) Part 2 | 20:28 |
M | Metal4ch (1987) Part 1 | 20:25 |
N | Metal4ch (1987) Part 2 | 20:27 |
O | 92288 (1988) Part 1 | 20:27 |
P | 92288 (1988) Part 2 | 18:47 |
Q | Gasstove4-90 (1990) | 20:26 |
R | Violinsolo89 (1989) | 16:00 |
S | 1988DECsolo (1988) | 20:25 |
T | RBA 7+1 (1990) | 20:28 |
U | MatHNAS (1987) Part 1 | 20:29 |
V1 | MatHNAS (1987) Part 2 | 7:13 |
V2 | RBA Max2 (1990) | 13:00 |
W | RBA 7+2 (1990) Part 1 | 15:14 |
X | RBA 7+2 (1990) Part 2 | 17:04 |
Y | RBA/Maxell US II-S 90 (1990) Part 1 | 15:11 |
Z | RBA/Maxell US II-S 90 (1990) Part 2 | 15:47 |
AA | 9011 (1990) Part 1 | 13:42 |
AB | 9011 (1990) Part 2 | 18:29 |
AC | Mixer/Scratch AXIA For CD (1990) Part 1 | 18:05 |
AD | Mixer/Scratch AXIA For CD (1990) Part 2 | 12:33 |
AE | Nov 89 (1989) Part 1 | 18:45 |
AF | Nov 89 (1989) Part 2 | 19:07 |
AG | Variation For Electric Fan Part 1 (1988) | 21:04 |
AH | Variation For Electric Fan Part 2 (1988) | 20:00 |
AI | Rubber Strings (1990) Part 1 | 18:09 |
AJ1 | Rubber Strings (1990) Part 2 | 10:21 |
AJ2 | Denon HD 54 B (1990) | 6:29 |