Masami Akita performing live at ISSUE Project Room in 2010
Background information
Origin
Tokyo, Japan
Genres
Noise
industrial
ambient
free improvisation
Years active
1979 (1979)–present
Labels
Lowest Music & Arts
ZSF Produkt
Alchemy
Alien8
Blosloming Noise
Cold Spring
Dirter Promotions
Extreme
Important
Relapse
RRR
Soleilmoon
Tzadik
Members
Masami Akita
Past members
Kiyoshi Mizutani
Reiko Azuma
Tetsuo Sakaibara
Website
Official website
Merzbow (メルツバウ, Merutsubau) is a Japanese noise project started in 1979 by Masami Akita (秋田 昌美, Akita Masami),[1][2] best known for a style of harsh, confrontational noise. Since 1980, Akita has released over 500 recordings and has collaborated with numerous artists.
The name Merzbow comes from the German dada artist Kurt Schwitters' artwork Merzbau, 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[3] to non-musical influences like dadaism, surrealism and fetish culture.[4] Since the early 2000s, he has been inspired by animal rights and environmentalism, and began to follow a vegan, straight edge lifestyle.[5][6]
In addition to 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.[1]
In 2000, Extreme Records released the 50 CD box set 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".[7]
^ ab"Merzbow". Extreme Music. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
^"On the Floor – Merzbow at Red Bull Music Festival Chicago". Red Bull Radio. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
^Woodward, Brett (1999). Merzbook: The Pleasuredome of Noise. Melbourne: Extreme. p. 40. ISBN 978-0-646-38326-2.
^Woodward, Brett (1999). Merzbook: The Pleasuredome of Noise. Melbourne: Extreme. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-646-38326-2.
^Batty, Roger. "Animal instincts". Musique Machine. Retrieved 2008-04-02.
^"Fifteen Questions with MERZBOW | Lost and found". 15questions.net. 2013. p. 2. Archived from the original on 2014-06-25. Retrieved 2017-07-08.
Merzbow (メルツバウ, Merutsubau) is a Japanese noise project started in 1979 by Masami Akita (秋田 昌美, Akita Masami), best known for a style of harsh, confrontational...
of the Japanese noise musician Masami Akita, best known for his project Merzbow. Since 1980 he has released hundreds of recordings, collaborated with dozens...
Chatham, Ryoji Ikeda, Survival Research Laboratories, Whitehouse, Coil, Merzbow, Cabaret Voltaire, Psychic TV, Jean Tinguely's recordings of his sound...
America Salutes Merzbow, subtitled The Lowest Tribute: A Collection of Merzbow Classics as Covered by America's Lowest!, is a 1996 tribute album featuring...
history of collaboration with Japanoise artist Merzbow. Thus far, three of the collaborations with Merzbow have been full-length albums, one of them is...
Cain of The Wire identifies the "primacy of Japanese Noise artists like Merzbow, Hijokaidan and Incapacitants as one of the major developments in noise...
Kang. He has worked as a producer or co-producer with artists such as Merzbow, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Sepultura, Melvins, Melt-Banana, and Kool Keith...
Pulse Demon is a studio album by the Japanese noise musician Merzbow, released 28 May 1996. The album was reissued on vinyl in May 2018 by Bludhoney Records...
that served in the United States Navy from 1917 to 1919 ZaRa, an EP by Merzbow "Zara", a 2011 single by Arty Zara (game), a dice game Zara (Milan Metro)...
Boredoms evolutions, to the tabletop electronics of Incapacitants and Merzbow. The scene was initially inspired by power electronics and sometimes deals...
years following back-to-back collaborative studio albums with Merzbow (Full of Hell & Merzbow) and The Body (One Day You Will Ache Like I Ache). Vocalist...
collaborative release by the Japanese experimental band Boris and noise musician Merzbow. It features several rerecorded tracks that first appeared on Boris' album...
musician Merzbow, Japanese guitarist Keiji Haino, and the Hungarian drummer Balázs Pándi. Merzbow and Pándi have worked together since 2009; Merzbow and Haino...
were also re-recorded with Merzbow in 2004, for their 2011 collaboration called Klatter. Another collaboration with Merzbow for the title track – though...
Genesis P-Orridge, singer Cree Summer, noise music artist Masami Akita of Merzbow, the Italian pianist Stefano Bollani, the Italian band Elio e le Storie...
reworkings of "Huge" and "Vomitself" appear on their collaborative album with Merzbow, Gensho. Some of the track titles were originally released in Japanese...
film The Storage, a 2011 Finnish film Storage (album), a 1988 album by Merzbow Storage Wars, a reality television show "Storage Wars", an episode of One...
Group Broken Flag, Iphar 1995 Horn Of The Goat Consumer Electronics / Merzbow Freek Records 2007 Nobody's Ugly Consumer Electronics No Fun Productions...
Ulrich Krieger, Alan Licht, Eric Lumbleau, Lydia Lunch, Howard Mandel, Merzbow, Keith Moliné, Will Montgomery, Brian Morton, Joe Muggs, Alex Neilson,...
(2006, 2CDs) Richard Pinhas & Merzbow : Keio Line (2008, 2CDs) Richard Pinhas : Metal/Crystal (2010, 2CDs) with Merzbow & Wolf Eyes Råd Kjetil Senza Testa :...
collaboration with the Japanese noise musician Masami Akita (better known as Merzbow). She composed the music for the 2019 anime Blade of the Immortal. She...
TO RED COMUNITARIA TRANS 77 TRACKS, 4H 23M FEATURING AGAINST ALL LOGIC, MERZBOW, ANDY MORIN, ZHONE W/ FRAXIOM AND LUCAS CRUIKSHANK, GLASS BEACH, NMESH...
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