Pornoise/1kg

Pornoise/1kg
Box set by Merzbow
Released	1984
Recorded	1982–1984 at Merzbau, Tokyo
Genre	Noise
Length	302:19
Label	ZSF Produkt
Producer	Masami Akita
Merzbow chronology
Le Cuisinier (1983)Le Cuisinier1983 Pornoise/1kg (1984) Pornoise/Extra (1984)Pornoise/Extra1984
Cover of 1993 reissue

Pornoise/1 kg is a box set album by the Japanese noise musician Merzbow.^[1] Additional material from the sessions was released as Pornoise/Extra.

It was partially included in the Merzbox in 2000.

Background

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.^[2][3]

At the same time that Pornoise/1kg was released, Akita started the Sexorama compilation series featuring artists involved in the international industrial/noise mail music scene. The series had the same concept as Pornoise/1kg, and likewise was reissued in 1993 by Statutory Tape.

Pornoise was credit as the artist for the track "New Cunts" on Sexorama 2 and co-credited for artwork on Scissors for Cutting Merzbow.

Track listing

Original release

1993 Statutory Tape release

Notes

Original release

• Recorded & mixed at Merzbau, Tokyo
• (c)1982+1985 Merzbow

1993 reissue

• Recorded 1984 at Suzuka Heights, Asagaya

Personnel

Original release

• Masami Akita – metals, rhythm, tape loops, machine noise, processed radio, TV, ring, symbal, voices, guitar, Synare 3, percussion, junk, construction environment, surrounding noises, signal devices, sex tape, UFO noise; organ on "Extra Track"
• Kiyoshi Mizutani – synth, gadgets; drums on "Extra Track"
• Unknown – bass on "Extra Track"

(note: some info was illegible due to being printed over dark areas)

1993 reissue

• Masami Akita – all noise operation
• Trevor Brown – cover
• Mamoru Murayama/Gyuten-Suprex – art direction

Release history

• The original release consists of five cassettes and numerous prints on magazine pages. Each cassette comes in a folded magazine page with overprinted images and liner notes in its own plastic sleeve. Everything is packaged in a large envelope with printed artwork.
• It was reissued at an unknown date in a VHS box with numerous inserts.
• 1987 reissue in an edition of 30 copies available exclusively through RRRecords mail order. It came packaged in a large envelope with printed artwork and with numerous inserts.
• 1993 reissue by RRR sub-label Statutory Tape, packaged in a plastic tape box with new pornographic cover art by Trevor Brown. Includes a plain insert with the liner notes.

References