Length 49:54:47 | Release date 1991 | |
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Released June 16, 2000 (2000-06-16) Recorded December 27, 1979 – March 30, 1997 Merzbox(2000) Live at Radio 100(2000) Similar Merzbow albums, Noise music albums, Other albums |
Merzbox is a box set compilation by the Japanese noise musician Merzbow. It consists of 50 CDs spanning Merzbow's career from 1979 to 1997. 30 discs are taken from long out of print releases, while 20 are composed mainly of unreleased material. The box also contains two CD-ROMs, six CD-sized round cards, six round stickers, a poster, a black long-sleeve T-shirt, a medallion, and the Merzbook, all packaged together in a "fetish" black rubber box. It is limited to 1000 numbered copies. A Merzbox Sampler was released in 1997.
Contents
- History
- OM Electrique
- Personnel
- Metal Acoustic Music
- Notes
- Remblandt Assemblage
- Collection Era Vol 1
- Collection Era Vol 2
- Paradoxa Paradoxa
- Material Action for 2 Microphones
- Yantra Material Action
- Solonoise
- Expanded Music
- Nil Vagina Tape Loops
- Material Action 2 NAM
- Mechanization Takes Command
- Dying Mapa Tapes 1 2
- Agni Hotra
- Pornoise 1kg Vol 1
- Pornoise 1kg Vol 2
- Pornoise 1kg Vol 3
- Pornoise Extra
- SadomasochismoLampinak
- MortegageBatztoutai Extra
- EnclosureLibido Economy
- Vratya Southward
- Live in Khabarovsk CCCP Im Proud by Rank of the Workers
- Storage
- Fission Dialogue
- Collaborative
- Crocidura Dsi Nezumi
- KIR Transformation
- SCUM Vol 1
- SCUM Vol 2
- Severances
- Steel CUM
- Cloud Cock OO Grand
- Newark Hellfire Live at WFMU USA
- Hannover Cloud
- Stacy Q Hi Fi Sweet Leaf
- Music for True Romance Vol 1
- Brain Ticket Death
- Sons of Slash Noise Metal
- Exotic Apple
- Liquid City
- Red Magnesia Pink
- Marfan Syndrome
- Rhinogradentia
- Space Mix Travelling Band
- Motorond
- Annihiloscillator
- Songs
- References
The Merzbook, subtitled The Pleasuredome of Noise, is a 132-page hardcover book written by Brett Woodward with over 100 images. It contains an extensive biography, culled from previous interviews and articles, a new interview, and essays by Achim Wollscheid, Jim O'Rourke, Damion Romero, Eugene Thacker, and Jonathan Walker. Masami Akita provides extensive liner notes for each disc. The book was also released separately with the Merzrom included.
The Merzrom is an interactive multimedia CD-ROM, designed by Troy Innocent. A second CD-ROM contains various Extreme press and a catalog. The "Merzdallion" medallion was designed by Marcus Davidson. Art direction and design were by Doriana Corda. Audio mastering was by François Tétaz.
History
Extreme's original plan was to reissue Collaborative, their only vinyl release, for the label's tenth anniversary. There was then discussion of reissuing other early releases, with talk of a ten disc box, the number was finally set at 50 discs. The Merzbox was originally scheduled for release in late 1997, and available for pre-order, but kept getting delayed until it was finally released in 2000. It was officially launched on June 16, 2000 at Sónar, Barcelona, where Merzbow also performed.
Those who had pre-ordered received a two CD album called Decomposition with remixes of Eugene Thacker and Shane Fahey followed by the original tracks, the Merzbox Sampler, and two posters. These were then made available with purchase of the Merzbox for extra money.
The Merzbox was exhibited at Kunsthalle Wien, Vienna from April 4 to April 7, 2002. Merzbow performed opening and closing concerts. All 60 hours were webcast live.
In December 2002, Georgia Tech's student-run radio station WREK broadcast the entire 50-disc Merzbox without interruption. An article in Creative Loafing described the Merzbow Marathon as "what may be the most obscure and counterintuitive move in the history of radio."
Between the final recordings of the set and its release, Merzbow switched to using a laptop, having first acquired a Macintosh to work on the artwork for the set.
Masami Akita has stated in a 2009 interview that he has enough unreleased material for another 50 CD box. Between 2010 and 2013, he released four 10 box sets of unreleased raw material recorded from 1987 to 1997; Merzbient, Merzphysics, Merzmorphosis, and Duo. 2012 also saw the release of Lowest Music & Arts 1980–1983, a 10 LP box set that included some full-length albums only partially released in the Merzbox.
OM Electrique
The first noise recordings of Merzbow. Previously unreleased.
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Personnel
Metal Acoustic Music
Earliest Merzbow recording available until the release of the Merzbox.
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Notes
Personnel
Remblandt Assemblage
First work using tape manipulation. Only a few copies distributed.
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Notes
Personnel
Collection Era Vol. 1
The three Collection Era discs are compiled from the ten volume Collection series. The first five volumes were recorded for Ylem and consist of studio sessions with Kiyoshi Mizutani. However, Ylem went out of business before they could be released. Masami Akita then released them himself and recorded five more at home using previous Collection session recordings mixed with new material and effects.
Notes
Personnel
Collection Era Vol. 2
Note: The contents of CD 5 and CD 6 were switched (5 has eight tracks and 6 has seven), the info below is as it appears in the Merzbook.
Notes
Personnel
Notes
Personnel
Paradoxa Paradoxa
The first Merzbow live performance.
Notes
Personnel
Material Action for 2 Microphones
"Material Action" was a term for using household objects to make quiet sounds, which were then amplified, inspired by John Cage's "Cartridge Music". The term itself was taken from Otto Muehl. This recording was used as raw material for other works such as Material Action 2 N.A.M.
Notes
Personnel
Yantra Material Action
Originally intended to be the first Merzbow LP, but it went unreleased. Six months later the label then asked again to release the LP, but Akita decided to record new material – which became Material Action 2 N.A.M. Includes reworks of past recordings with added effects and new instrumentation. The liner notes were to have been written by Fred Frith, who heard the tape and liked it.
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Notes
Personnel
Solonoise
Solonoise means "Solar-Noise", inspired by Georges Bataille's The Solar Anus.
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Notes
Personnel
Expanded Music
Conceptual works manipulating various inputs using feedback processed audio mixer. Inspired by Stan Brakhage's scratched films.
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Notes
Personnel
Nil Vagina Tape Loops
Featuring a four track tape recorder found in the street. A different sound was recorded on each track, and then played back randomly.
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Personnel
Notes
Material Action 2 N.A.M
The first Merzbow LP. The 2 in the title refers to Yantra Material Action, which was meant to be the first LP. Sounds include styrofoam and a typesetting machine (Kiyoshi Mizutani worked at a typesetting company at the time). Includes raw material from Material Action for 2 Microphones.
Notes
Personnel
Mechanization Takes Command
First release on ZSF Produkt. Akita changed the name of his label since he wanted to release other artists. Featuring the Synare 3, which was later destroyed by Bara on stage in the late 90s.
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Notes
Personnel
Dying Mapa Tapes 1-2
Title inspired by the Nyingmapa school of Tibetan Buddhism. Made with different equipment and instruments than other recordings of the same period. Featuring instruments recorded on tape, then slowed down or played backwards.
Notes
Personnel
Notes
Personnel
Agni Hotra
Originally intended to be the second Merzbow LP, but it went unreleased. Includes outtakes from Ushi-Tra, which is from the same period. Loops were included on Loop Panic Limited.
Notes
Personnel
Pornoise 1kg Vol. 1
In the 80s Masami Akita had a mail art project called Pornoise, in which he made collages using discarded magazines – in particular pornographic magazines – taken from the trash. These were then sent along with his cassettes, the idea being that his art was like cheap mail order pornography. Pornoise/1kg was released as part of these activities, the 1kg refers to the total weight of the original package. The voice on "Night Noise White" is taken from the "Halt Tape".
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Notes
Personnel
Pornoise 1kg Vol. 2
Field recordings on "Dynamite Don Don" include street sounds recorded from a moving bicycle, and a house being demolished across from Akita's apartment.
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Notes
Personnel
Pornoise 1kg Vol. 3
The voice on "UFO vs British Army" is taken from the "Halt Tape". Some other samples are from horror films.
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Notes
Personnel
Pornoise Extra
Additional tracks from the Pornoise 1kg sessions. Original release had different track titles.
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Notes
Personnel
Sadomasochismo/Lampinak
Includes unused tracks for Batztoutai with Memorial Gadgets
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Notes
Personnel
Mortegage/Batztoutai Extra
Original recordings for the Batztoutai with Memorial Gadgets album. Includes samples from François Bayle, Conlon Nancarrow, Ivo Malec, Luc Ferrari.
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Notes
Personnel
Enclosure/Libido Economy
First of two cassettes made with raw material from Ecobondage, Vratya Southward being the second.
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Notes
Personnel
Vratya Southward
Second cassette made with raw material from Ecobondage. "Electric Red Desart" includes a field recording of the Menkake gyōretsu (面掛行列?, mask procession) festival at the Goryō shrine in Kamakura. Masami Akita posted photos of the procession on his blog in 2010.
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Notes
Personnel
Live in Khabarovsk, CCCP – I'm Proud by Rank of the Workers
First two of three performances. First performance was stopped for being "too wild", so they then played more conventionally. Includes Batztoutai material on backing tape, and Russian radio.
Notes
Personnel
Storage
Due to issues with sound quality, the recording was edited for the LP release. The full-length recording is released here for the first time. The working title for the album was War Storage, which is now used for the track titles.
Notes
Personnel
Fission Dialogue
Unreleased tracks from Ecobondage and Storage period.
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Personnel
Collaborative
Essay by Jonathan Walker from the original LP is reprinted in the Merzbook.
Notes
Personnel
Crocidura Dsi Nezumi
"Unplugged noise" made using household objects; violin sound is violin bow on plastic cassette case or wood, acoustic guitar is a rubber band, Tibetan trumpet is a toilet paper tube, electrical sounds are made with metal. "Environmental drums" are the floor, gas stove, the spring of a table lamp.
Names are taken from the Latin names of the Dsinezumi shrew, Japanese stoat, and Japanese least weasel. Other titles were inspired by Frank Zappa's song "The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet" and Sun Ra's album Strange Strings.
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Notes
Personnel
KIR Transformation
From a concert with Achim Wollscheid: first Merzbow played, then Wollscheid played using a recording of Merzbow's set, then Merzbow and Wollscheid played together.
All tracks written by Masami Akita and Achim Wollscheid.
Notes
SCUM Vol. 1
SCUM was project to create new works out of previous Merzbow sessions using cut-ups, effects, and mixing. Name taken from the SCUM Manifesto. The track titles influenced by American post-war art. This was last LP record on ZSF Produkt.
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Notes
Personnel
SCUM Vol. 2
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Notes
Personnel
Severances
Includes two covers, "Deaf Forever" by Motörhead and the Jimi Hendrix version of "Wild Thing".
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Notes
Personnel
Steel CUM
The EP on Vertical Records was remixed and released without permission, with the cover made using one of Masami Akita's collages. "But a result of EP was fine. So, I'm agreed. But EP is still bootleg."
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Notes
Personnel
Cloud Cock OO Grand
During the European tour in 1989, Masami Akita could only bring simple equipment, and created a new live electronics style, different from his acoustical and tape based studio work, leading to the harsh noise Merzbow became known for in the 1990s. Cloud Cock OO Grand was the first example of this style, Merzbow's first digital recording, and the only CD on ZSF Produkt.
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Notes
Personnel
Newark Hellfire, Live at WFMU, USA
Radio session from Merzbow's first American tour.
Notes
Personnel
Hannover Cloud
Features outtakes from Hannover Interruption and Cloud Cock OO Grand. "Rocket Bomber" uses raw materials from Sadomasochismo.
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Notes
Personnel
Stacy Q, Hi-Fi Sweet Leaf
Originally made as raw material for "Crash for Hi-Fi", "Wing Over", and "Another Crash for High Tide". Includes the use of a scratched Cloud Cock OO Grand CD.
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Notes
Personnel
Music for True Romance Vol. 1
Backing tracks made for True Romance, a performance art project with Seido and Bara.
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Notes
Personnel
Brain Ticket Death
Track 4 samples Brainticket's self-titled song from their album Cottonwoodhill. It's also a reference to Nurse with Wound, who used the same bit on Brained by Falling Masonry.
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Personnel
Sons of Slash Noise Metal
Tracks 1 and 3 were made as raw material for recordings of the same period. Track 2 is a remix of a fragment.
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Notes
Personnel
Exotic Apple
Includes Arthur Lyman samples. Yuuri Sunohara is a director, producer, model etc. for Kinbiken/Right Brain. "Apple Rock" includes unused material originally made for Flying Testicle.
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Notes
Personnel
Liquid City
Originally intended to be part of a CD+CD-ROM called Scatologic Baroque, but it was canceled. The material for the CD-ROM was use for the book Anal Baroque. Part of the "World Trilogy" with Magnesia Nova and Green Wheels. "Liquid City 17-1-95" was recorded on the same day as the Great Hanshin earthquake. "Tiabguls" is a Throbbing Gristle tribute.
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Notes
Personnel
Red Magnesia Pink
Outtakes from Red 2 Eyes, Magnesia Nova, and Pinkream.
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Personnel
Marfan Syndrome
"Marfan Syndrome for Blue" is first track to use EMS synthesiser. Track 2 is a reference to Claes Oldenburg, who creates oversized sculptures of everyday objects, including soft sculptures.
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Notes
Personnel
Rhinogradentia
Named after a fictitious order of mammals. Masami Akita performed solo twice as Zecken, playing this style.
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Notes
Personnel
Space Mix Travelling Band
Tracks 1–2 are based on four channel tape: two channels recorded in 1994 and used on tracks of the same period, and two channels of EMS recorded in 1996. Additional EMS and Moog overdub and final mix in 1997.
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Notes
Personnel
Motorond
Track 1 was most recent live performance when Merzbox was compiled.
Notes
Personnel
Annihiloscillator
Selection of recent tracks when Merzbox was compiled. Track 3 is a reference to Marguerite Yourcenar's Dark Brain of Piranesi, an essay about Giovanni Battista Piranesi's Carceri prints.
All tracks written by Masami Akita.
Notes
Personnel
Songs
1Tael of a Saeghors4:50
2The Shadows of Mde Velo's Story2:35
3Row Boat2:12