Merzbow Day *

‘Merzbow (Japanese; メルツバウ) is the name used by Japanese musician Masami Akita (秋田昌美 Akita Masami) (b. 1956) for most of his experimental noise records, and is considered by many to be the earliest project among others in what has become known as the ‘Japanese noise scene’. He has released over 300 CDs, LPs and cassettes since the early 1980s.

‘His earliest music was made with tape loops and creatively recorded percussion and metal, and has been compared to Throbbing Gristle and Nurse With Wound (an acknowledged influence). Early methods included what he referred to as “Material Action”, in which he would closely amplify small sounds so as to distort them through the microphone; later, he made several albums of “SCUM” (“Scissors for Cutting Up Merzbow”/”Society for Cutting Up Merzbow”), for which he would cut up previous Merzbow albums until they resembled something new. His tendency to work in themed phases recalls his training as a visual artist.

‘He released his music on cassettes through his own record label, Lowest Music & Arts, which was founded in 1979. In the early 1980s, after meeting the Italian avant-gardist noise artist Maurizio Bianchi/M. B. in Milan, he founded a second label, ZSF Produkt.

‘He later began to use more electronic instruments and electric guitars, but his music still consisted of what most people would think of as “noise”. In the past few years, Merzbow has begun to use digital technology more in his music. At a live performance these days, it is normal for him to produce all his music with two laptop computers, or combination of a laptop and analog synthesizers. In 2000, the Extreme record label released Merzbox, a 50 CD set of Merzbow records, 20 of them not previously released. The set also included stickers, postcards, poster, “merzdallion”, book, CD-ROM, and T-shirt; initial copies included extra posters and double album.

‘Merzbow’s most recent phase has an added political dimension, being explicitly related to animal rights and similar themes. An example of this is Minazo Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, dedicated to an elephant seal he visited often at the zoo, and Bloody Sea, a protest against Japanese whaling. He has even produced several works centered around recordings of his pet chickens (notably Animal Magnetism and Turmeric).’ — collaged

(the most comprehensive
Merzbow fan page in existence)

by Masami Akita/Merzbow

The History of S&M; in Japan

S&M; Art has taken many forms in Japan and this relates directly to the history of Japan. One established genre of S&M; art in Japan is what is known as the Joshu or female prisoners stuff. When we say “female prisoners” or “Joshu” stuff, we generally refer to those pictures of torture from the period between the battle of Onin (1467) throughout Sengoku and Edo periods to Meiji. Sengoku period is noted for its cruel methods of torture – fire, knife (to cut off parts of the body), tattoo, rocks, boiling water, divining blocks and rocking horses, and so on and so on. The most brutal forms of execution and torture were employed during this period of hell on earth. The methods of torture and execution used against the Christians were most barbaric. It should be noted, however, that there is nothing uncommon about brutal religious prosecutions throughout history. Elsewhere the believers of ‘wrong’ religions have been treated separately from the rest of the population. Christians in Japan got their ears, fingers and noses chopped oft, which were originally punishments for those who committed the crime of treachery and deceit. It was meant to give maximum public humiliation by physical deformation.

The Tokugawa government laid out in 1742 the foundation of crime laws, which spelled out seven different types of punishment – death, exile, slavery, forced labour and so forth, as well as four kinds of torture – .whip (mutchiuchi), pressing stone (ishidaki), bend by rope (ebizeme) and hung by rope (tsurizeme). It has to be noted that all four official methods of torture from this period ore still considered the main stream torture patterns in the S&M; ort today. You could say the foundation of today’s S&M; art was laid down then. (the entirety)

 

 

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by Chad Hensley

I was influenced by aggressive Blues Rock guitar sounds like Jimi Hendrix, Lou Reed, Robert Fripp and fuzz organ sounds such as Mike Ratledge of Soft Machine. But the most structured Noise influence would have to be Free Jazz such as Albert Ayler, Cecil Taylor, and Frank Wright. I saw the Cecil Taylor Unit in 1973 and it was very influential. I was a drummer for a free form Rock band in the late ’70s and I became very interested in the pulse beat of the drums within Free Jazz. I thought it was more aggressive than Rock drums. I also became interested in electronic kinds of sounds. I started listening to more electro-acoustic music like Pierre Henry, Stockhausen, Fancois Bayle, Gordon Mumma and Xenakis. Then I found the forum for mixing these influences into pure electronic noise. I was trying to create an extreme form of free music. In the beginning, I had a very conceptual mind set. I tried to quit using any instruments which related to, or were played by, the human body. It was then that I found tape. I tried to just be the operator of the tape machine– I’m glad that tape is a very anonymous media. My early live performances were very dis-human and dis-communicative. I was using a slide projector in a dark room at that point. I was concentrating on studio works until 1989 then I assembled some basic equipment before I started doing live Noise performances. Equipment included an audio mixer, contact mike, delay, distortion, ring modulator and bowed metal instruments. Basically, my main sound was created by mixer feedback. It was not until after 1990, on my first American tour, that I started performing live Noise Music for presentation to audiences. The first US tour was a turning point for finding a certain pleasure in using the body in the performance. Right now I’m using mixer feedback with filters, ring, DOD Buzz Box, DOD Meat Box, and a Korg multi-distortion unit. I am using more physically rooted Noise Music not as conceptually anti-instrument and anti-body as before. If music was sex, Merzbow would be pornography. (cont.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Merzbow & Genesis P-Orridge A Perfect Pain (Cold Spring Records): ”This is a whistle-stop journey through the redded tooth and claw of Natural Selection, where the strong survive and the weak are incapable of stemming the bloody flow that Masami Akita has induced from their beleagured eardrums. A long-awaited masterpiece.’ — Synthesis

Alec Empire vs. Merzbow Live at CBGB’s 1998 (Digital Hardcore): ‘The CD races through all 58mins at a phenomenal speed, leaving a burning trail of splatter breaks and white noise in its wake. There are many moments when the sheer volume of different layers of beats and screaming machines threatens to collapse under its own weight but its fascinating to listen to and spot where the underlaying substructure of cohesion is coming from. Often this is supplied by the strong and driving rhythms which alternate between styles such as drum n bass, industrial and hip hop loops, but at other times its the job of the pounding synths to maintain at least a shadow of order over the run-away percussion.’ — amazon review

Merzbow / Carlos Giffoni / Jim O’Rourke Electric Dress (No Fun): ‘Whirring static, spurting effects, heavy drones: everything you’d expect from three prolific noisemakers is here, all doled out in big, dense brush strokes. Yet Electric Dress is no oppressive onslaught. Each participant is careful to share and trade sonic space with the other, and what could have been claustrophobic or suffocating is instead a balanced improvisation, akin to a thoughtful free jazz session.’ — Pitchfork

Maldoror (Merzbow & Mike Patton) She (Ipecac): ‘I think the last reviewer, who gave one star, was possibly expecting something a bit more musical from mike patton, or perhaps has never heard merzbow.’ — amazon review

 

Merzbow & Boris Sun Baked Snow Cave (HydraHead) ‘In all likelihood, you’ll have to take a break from Sun Baked Snow Cave halfway through and listen to some mainstream pop to cleanse your palate — otherwise the degenerating sine waves and disintegrating guitars will start to sound like the showers at Auschwitz.’ — Splendid Magazine
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Documentaries

Beyond Ultra Violence, a Merzbow Documentary (1998)

MERZBOW – Part of Viva2 documentary from 2000 [VHS rip]

 

Live

Masami Akita’s supergroup Bust Monsters live ’91

Merzbow ‘Minus Zero’ music video

Merzbow live at the No Fun Fest 2007

Masonna and Merzbow live in Osaka w/ interview

Sonic Youth w/ Merzbow @ Roskilde Festival, 2005

Boris & Merzbow Boiler Room Tokyo Live Set

Merzbow with Wolf Eyes live at Kings Raleigh NC 8/6/13

Merzbow & Balazs Pandi – Saint Vitus 2012

 

Recorded

Merzbow – Pulse Demon (Full Album)

Merzbow – 1930 [Full Album]

Merzbow – Venereology [Full Album]

Merzbow – Electric Salad [Full Album]

Xiu Xiu + Merzbow – Merzxiu B

Merzbow / Mats Gustafsson / Balázs Pándi / Thurston Moore – Divided By Steel