Merzbow

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Merzbow
Masami Akita A.K.A. Merzbow at Moers Festival 2007
Masami Akita A.K.A. Merzbow at Moers Festival 2007
Background information
Birth name Masami Akita
Also known as Merzbow
Born 1956
Origin Tokyo, Japan
Genre(s) Experimental, noise, dark ambient[1]
Instrument(s) Magnetic tape, homemade guitars, synthesizer, effect pedals, percussion, laptop
Years active 1979–present
Website www.merzbow.net

Merzbow (メルツバウ) is a noise music project created in Tokyo, Japan in 1979 by musician Masami Akita (秋田昌美 AKITA Masami) and has been noted as the first Japanese noise act.[2] Since 1979, he has formed two record labels and has contributed releases to numerous independent record labels. As well as being a prolific artist, he has also written a number of books and has been the editor of several magazines in Japan. He has written about a variety of subjects, mostly about art, avant-garde music and post-modern culture. His more renowned works have been on the topics of BDSM and fetish culture. Other artforms Akita has been interested in include directing and Butoh dance.[2]

The name "Merzbow" comes from German artist Kurt Schwitters' artwork, Merzbau. This was chosen to reflect Akita's dada influence and junk-art aesthetic. In addition to this, Akita has cited a wide range of influences from various progressive rock artists such as Frank Zappa and King Crimson[3] to Japanese bondage.[4]

In 2000, Extreme Records released the 50 CD box set known as the Merzbox. From 2004 onwards, he has been a supporter of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) which has influenced a number of animal-themed releases as well as Akita becoming vegan.[5] Akita's work has been the subject of several remix albums and at least one tribute album. Akita is a prolific musician and has produced over 200 releases since 1980.[2] This, among other achievements, has helped Merzbow to be regarded as the "most important artist in noise music".[1]

Contents

[edit] Life and Music Career

[edit] Pre-Merzbow (1956 - 1979)

Masami Akita was born in Tokyo in 1956. He listened to psychedelic music, progressive rock, and later free jazz in his youth, all of which have influenced his music.[1] In high school he became the drummer of various high school bands which he left due to the other members being "grass-smoking Zappa freaks".[6] By this time he and high school friend Kiyoshi Mizutani had started playing improvised rock at studio sessions which Akita describes as "long jam sessions along the lines of Ashra Tempel or Can but we didn't have any psychedelic taste".[6]

He later attended Tamagawa University to study fine art from which he majored in painting and art theory.[2] While at university he became interested in the ideas of dada and surrealism and also studied Butoh dance.[6] This is where he learned of Kurt Schwitters' Merz, or art made from rubbish, including Schwitters' Merzbau, or "Merz building" which is the source of the name "Merzbow".[7]

[edit] Lowest Music & Arts (1979 - 1984)

Merzbow began as the duo of Masami Akita and Kiyoshi Mizutani who met Akita in high school. He started releasing noise recordings on cassettes through his own record label, Lowest Music & Arts, which was founded in 1979 in order to trade cassette tapes with other underground artists. The first tape made for the label was Metal Acoustic Music and was sold exclusively by mail order. Various other releases were made before the first real release which included Collection Era Vol. 1 and a very limited release of Remblandt Assemblage.[8] The Collection Era series was originally ten cassettes that were going to be distributed through an independent label called YLEM but when it became defunct and cancelled the series, Akita decided to release them through Lowest Music & Arts.[9]

His earliest music was made with tape loops and creatively recorded percussion and metal. "I threw all my past music career in the garbage. There was no longer any need for concepts like 'career' and 'skill'. I stopped playing music and went in search of an alternative". - Masami Akita on Lowest Music and Arts.[10] 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. The early releases were xeroxes of collages made out of manga and porn magazines he found in trash cans in the Tokyo subway. Akita explained this as trying to "create the same feeling as the secret porn customer for the people buying my cassettes in the early '80s".[11] In 1984 he founded a second record label called ZSF Produkt.

[edit] ZSF Produkt (1984 - 1990)

ZSF Produkt was founded in 1984 to release music by similar artists within the industrial movement but eventually became the successor to Lowest Music & Arts.[12] Numerous releases were made in the ZSF Produkt studio with Mechanization Takes Command being the first.[13] The studio continued to be used until 1999 when Akita started producing home recordings from his bedroom studio.[citation needed]

During this era, Merzbow found much wider recognition and began making recordings for various international labels.[14] He also started touring abroad with the help of various collaberators. Merzbow toured Russia in 1988, USA in 1990, Korea in 1991 and Europe in 1989 and 1992.[15] For most of the late 1980s through the 1990s, Merzbow live was a trio including Reiko A. on electronics and Bara on voice and dance. Akita's work evolved from tape loops and improvised use of instruments of early works into utilising more electronic instruments and electric guitars.[citation needed] Around this time he started crediting the name "Abtechtonics" (or variations of this) on his recordings under artwork. He explained in the Merzbook that this name is used for him publishing his own artwork which he attempts to do as much as possible.[16]

[edit] Digital Era (1990 - 2000)

Merzbow's first digital work was the CD release Cloud Cock OO Grand in 1990.[17] With a higher international profile in the 90's, Merzbow started working on more ambitious projects such as the Noisembryo. The Noise Embryo was a Merzbow CD released in a limited edition of one copy sealed in the CD player of a BMW sedan which was rewired to play the cd whenever the car was started. The CD was also released normally on the same label.[18] Recordings from the mid-1990s onwards are mostly of extreme volume, some mastered at levels far beyond standard (Noisembryo, Pulse Demon).[19] From 1996, plans were made to release a "10 (or maybe 12)" CD box set on Extreme Records[20]. In 2000, Extreme Records released the Merzbox, a fifty CD set of Merzbow records, twenty of them not previously released. The set also included stickers, postcards, a poster, "merzdallion", book, CD-ROM, and T-shirt; initial copies included extra posters and double album.[citation needed]

[edit] Laptop Era (2000 - Present)

Since 2000, Akita began to utilise computers more in his recordings. At live performances, Akita has produced noise music from either two laptop computers or combination of a laptop and analog synthesizers.[citation needed] Reiko Akita, formerly Reiko Azuma, left Merzbow during this time and now has a solo career. Since 2001, Jenny Akita (formerly Kawabata) started being credited for artwork on various releases.

In 2002, Akita released Merzbeat, which was seen as a significant departure from his trademark abstract style in that it contains beat-oriented pieces. This has sparked some controversy among fans[21], though some reviewers pointed out that it sounded very similar to Aqua Necromancer (1998) which features samples of progressive rock drumming. [22] [23] Merzbird(2004) and Merzbuddha(2005) followed in a similar vein with sampled beats combined with Merzbow's signature harsh noise.

Since 2004, Akita has been a supporter of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) which is reflected in his animal-themed releases.[24] Releases such as Bloody Sea[25] , Houjoue[26] and F.I.D. [27] among others promote vegetarianism and other animal-rights issues.

Merzbow's most recent phase has an added political dimension, being explicitly related to animal rights and similar themes.[28] An example of this is Minazo Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, dedicated to an elephant seal he visited often at the zoo, [29] and Bloody Sea, a protest against Japanese whaling.[30] He has even produced several works centered around recordings of his pet chickens [31](notably Animal Magnetism and Turmeric).

[edit] Side Projects

 Please help improve this section by expanding it.
Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.
  • Tibeta Ubik
  • Flying Testicle
  • Bustmonster
  • Abe Sada
  • Sponge
  • Maldoror
  • Masami Akita (solo work)
  • MAZK
  • SCUM
  • Merzbow/Null
  • Boris with Merzbow
  • Kikuri (Masami Akita & Keiji Haino)

[edit] Musical Style

 Please help improve this section by expanding it.
Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.


[edit] Writings

Since completing his degree in fine arts, Akita has become the editor of various magazines in Japan. He frequently writes on a variety of topics including S&M, Japanese bondage (some excerpts appear in his Music For Bondage Performance albums), noise music and architecture. He is a prolifc writer and has written thirteen books and countless magazine articles.

 Please help improve this section by expanding it.
Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.


[edit] Selected Discography

Main article: Merzbow discography

[edit] Bibliography

  • The Anagram of Perversion (1988) Seiku-sha
  • Ikei No Mannerism (1989) Seiku-sha
  • Fetish Fashion (1990) Seiku-sha
  • Touge No Chaya/Conversation of Underground Folklore (1990) Parole-Sha
  • Club & Saloon (l990) NTT Publications
  • The Birth of Sex Symbol (1991) Seiku-sha
  • Noise War (1992) Seiku-sha
  • Terminal Body Play (1993) Seiku-sha
  • Body Exotica (1993) Suisei-sha
  • Sei no Ryo-ki Modern (1994) Seiku-sha
  • Scum Culture (1994) Suisei-sha
  • History of Kinbaku Pictures (1995) Jiyu Kokumin-sha
  • Nude World Vol. 1-3 (1995) Suisei-sha [11]
  • Cruelty Free Life (2006)[28]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Couture, François. Biography. Allmusic Guide. Retrieved on 2008-04-01.
  2. ^ a b c d Merzbow. Extreme Records. Retrieved on 2008-04-01.
  3. ^ Woodward, Brett (1999). Merzbook "The Pleasuredome of Noise". Melbourne: Extreme, 40. ISBN 0-646-38326-4. 
  4. ^ Woodward, Brett (1999). Merzbook "The Pleasuredome of Noise". Melbourne: Extreme, 27. ISBN 0-646-38326-4. 
  5. ^ Batty, Roger. Animal instincts. Musique Machine. Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
  6. ^ a b c Woodward, Brett (1999). Merzbook "The Pleasuredome of Noise. Melbourne: Extreme, 10. ISBN 0-646-38326-4. 
  7. ^ Hensley, Chad. The Beauty of Noise. EsoTerra. Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
  8. ^ Woodward, Brett (1999). Merzbook "The Pleasuredome of Noise. Melbourne: Extreme, 84-85. ISBN 0-646-38326-4. 
  9. ^ Woodward, Brett (1999). Merzbook "The Pleasuredome of Noise. Melbourne: Extreme, 85. ISBN 0-646-38326-4. 
  10. ^ Pouncey, Edwin (August, 2000). "Consumed by Noise". The Wire, p. 30.
  11. ^ a b Brennan, Gerald. Merzbow Biography. Enotes. Retrieved on 2008-05-13.
  12. ^ Merzbow - Age of 369/Chant 2. Extreme Records. Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
  13. ^ Woodward, Brett (1999). Merzbook "The Pleasuredome of Noise". Melbourne: Extreme, 95. ISBN 0-646-38326-4. 
  14. ^ Woodward, Brett (1999). Merzbook "The Pleasuredome of Noise". Melbourne: Extreme, 53. ISBN 0-646-38326-4. 
  15. ^ Pozo, Carlos. Expanded Noisehands - The Noise Music of Merzbow. Angbase. Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
  16. ^ Woodward, Brett (1999). Merzbook "The Pleasuredome of Noise". Melbourne: Extreme, 45. ISBN 0-646-38326-4. 
  17. ^ Woodward, Brett (1999). Merzbook "The Pleasuredome of Noise". Melbourne: Extreme, 117. ISBN 0-646-38326-4. 
  18. ^ Woodward, Brett (1999). Merzbook "The Pleasuredome of Noise". Melbourne: Extreme, 33. ISBN 0-646-38326-4. 
  19. ^ Hegarty, Paul (2007). Noise/Music - A History. London, New York: Continuum International Publishing Group Inc., 156. ISBN 0826417272. 
  20. ^ Woodward, Brett (1999). Merzbook "The Pleasuredome of Noise". Melbourne: Extreme, vi. ISBN 0-646-38326-4. 
  21. ^ Tausig, Ben. Noise with a Beat. Dusted Magazine. Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
  22. ^ Merzbeat - Review. Couture, François. Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
  23. ^ Merzbeat. Howard, Ed. Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
  24. ^ Anderson, Rick. Merzbird. Allmusic Guide. Retrieved on 2008-04-01.
  25. ^ Batty, Roger. Merzbow - Bloody Sea. Musique Machine. Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
  26. ^ Batty, Roger. Animal instincts. Musique Machine. Retrieved on 2008-04-14.
  27. ^ Batty, Roger. Merzbow - F.I.D. Musique Machine. Retrieved on 2008-04-14.
  28. ^ a b Bailey, Thomas. My Cruelty-Free Noise. Belsona Strategic. Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
  29. ^ Akita, Masami. MERZBOW - Minazo Vol 1. Important Records. Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
  30. ^ Merzbow - Bloody Sea. Vivo Records. Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
  31. ^ Merzbow: Animal Magnetism. Alien8 Recordings. Retrieved on 2008-05-14.

[edit] Further reading

[edit] External links

Persondata
NAME Merzbow
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Akita, Masami
SHORT DESCRIPTION Musician, Producer
DATE OF BIRTH 1956
PLACE OF BIRTH Tokyo, Japan
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH