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.
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.Kunstradio webcast
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. Since 2018, further archival recordings have been released through Japanese label Slowdown Records, including the 60 CD boxset 10×6=60 in 2021.
Album listing OM Electrique
The first noise recordings of Merzbow. Previously unreleased.
Personnel Masami Akita – tape recorder, percussion, meditation, guitar, Merztronics, taped drums, voice, water
Metal Acoustic Music
Earliest Merzbow recording available until the release of the Merzbox.
Notes Side one of the Metal Acoustic Music cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1981
Personnel Masami Akita – Merztronics, tape recorder, recorded percussion
Remblandt Assemblage
First work using tape manipulation. Only a few copies distributed.
Notes Mixed at Lowest Music & Arts, 1980 All tracks from Remblandt Assemblage cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1981
Personnel Masami Akita – tapes, prepared acoustic guitar, noise, tabla, percussion, microphone, voice, radio, concret sounds, egg cutter
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 Mixed at Ylem/Gap Works, Tokyo, 3 June 1981 Tracks 1–2 from Collection 001 cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1981 Track 3 from Collection 002 cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1981
Personnel Masami Akita – tapes, ring modulator, violin, tabla, voice, guitar, percussion, drums, radio Kiyoshi Mizutani – drums on track 1, percussion on track 2, organ on track 3
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 Mixed at Lowest Music & Arts, 1981 Tracks 1–4 from Collection 007 cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1981 Track 5 from Collection 009 cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1981 Tracks 6–7 from Collection 010 cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1982 Merztronics tape used on tracks 6–7
Personnel Masami Akita – taped drums, tabla, guitar, tapes, Synare 3, percussion, ring modulated recorders, voice, endless tape, noise, rhythm box Kiyoshi Mizutani – wood bass on track 6
Collection Era Vol. 3
Notes Tracks 1–7 from Collection 008 cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1981 Track 8 from Tridal Production cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1982
Personnel Masami Akita – guitar, tape, damaged tape recorder, bass guitar, Dr. Rhythm, ring modulator, percussion, rubber guitar, violin, tape loops, Synare 3, tabla, drums, synthesizer Kiyoshi Mizutani – guitar on track 1, piano on track 4, violin on tracks 7–8
Paradoxa Paradoxa
The first Merzbow live performance.
Notes Mastered from original live recording Track 1 from Paradoxa Paradoxa cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1982 Track 2 previously unreleased
Personnel Masami Akita – Merztronix, tape, solar organ on track 2, violin, Dr. Rhythm, alto saxophone, radio, feedback Kiyoshi Mizutani – solar organ on track 1, violin, tape, piano Masahiro Kurose – live recording
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 Mixed at Lowest Music & Arts Studio, 1981 Tracks 1–2 from Material Action for 2 Microphones cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1981
Personnel Masami Akita – condenser microphone, environmental percussion, scratched sound, tapes, turntable, radio Kiyoshi Mizutani – condenser microphone, percussion, additional synthesizer
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.
Notes Mixed at Junktion Music Works, 1981 All tracks from Yantra Material Action cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1983
Personnel Masami Akita – tapes, junks, noise, percussion, radio, drums, guitar Kiyoshi Mizutani – percussion, guitar, keyboards, synthesizer, tapes H. Kawagishi – sound engineering
Solonoise
Solonoise means "Solar-Noise", inspired by Georges Bataille's The Solar Anus.
Notes Tracks 1–2 from Solonoise 1 cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1982 Track 3 from Solonoise 2 cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1982
Personnel Masami Akita – electronics, ring modulator, violin, voice, treated tapes, acoustic guitar, Nil Vagina tape loop, treated percussion, Synare 3, TV, styrofoam Kiyoshi Mizutani – violin, electric piano on track 1
Expanded Music
Conceptual works manipulating various inputs using feedback processed audio mixer. Inspired by Stan Brakhage's scratched films.
Notes Tracks 1–8 from Expanded Music 2 cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1982 Track 9 from Musick from Simulation World cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1983
Personnel Masami Akita – TV test signal, feedback mixer, damaged tape recorder, Dr. Rhythm, tapes, percussion, synthesizer
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.
Personnel Masami Akita – Sony 464 tape recorder, Nil Vagina tape loop, treated tapes, percussion, Synare 3, Dr. Rhythm
Notes Track 1 from Solonoise 2 cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1982 Tracks 2–3 from Lowest Music 2 cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1982
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 All tracks from Material Action 2 N.A.M. LP, Chaos, 1983
Personnel Masami Akita – tapes, junk percussion, electro-acoustical noise, organ, tape collage, recording, mixing Kiyoshi Mizutani – tapes, synthesizer, violin, machine noise H. Kawagishi – engineering
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.
Notes Mixed at ZSF Produkt Studio, Asagaya March 1983 All tracks from Mechanization Takes Command cassette, ZSF Produkt, 1983
Personnel Masami Akita – Pearl drum kit, various percussion, tapes, TV, Synare 3, voice, tabla, Dr. Rhythm, ring modulator, guitar, feedback, synthesizer, recorder, scrap metals, devices
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 Produced by Lowest Music & Arts, 1982 Tracks 1–4 from Dying Mapa I cassette, Aeon, 1983 Track 5 from Dying Mapa II cassette, Aeon, 1983
Personnel Masami Akita – tapes, radio, ring modulator, percussion, noise, rhythm box, guitar Kiyoshi Mizutani – violin, percussion
Dying Mapa Tapes 2–3
Notes Produced by Lowest Music & Arts, 1982 Track 1 from Dying Mapa II cassette, Aeon, 1983 Tracks 2–3 from Dying Mapa III cassette, Aeon, 1983
Personnel Masami Akita – tapes, radio, ring modulator, percussion, noise, rhythm, junk electronics, TV, guitar, bass Kiyoshi Mizutani – violin, percussion
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 Tracks 1–4 from first Agni Hotra master Track 5 from second Agni Hotra master Track 6 appeared with different mix on Ushi-tra cassette, Cause & Effect, 1985 Track 7 from Ushi-tra recording session
Personnel Masami Akita – distorted tape loops, metals, recorder, tapes, tape reel, percussion, shakujo, bells, noise
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 1 kg refers to the total weight of the original package. The voice on "Night Noise White" is taken from the "Halt Tape".
Notes All tracks from Pornoise/1kg cassette box, ZSF Produkt, 1984
Personnel