Merzbox

The first noise recordings of Merzbow. Previously unreleased.

• Masami Akita – tape recorder, percussion, meditation, guitar, Merztronics, taped drums, voice, water

Earliest Merzbow recording available until the release of the Merzbox.

• Side one of the Metal Acoustic Music cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1981

• Masami Akita – Merztronics, tape recorder, recorded percussion

First work using tape manipulation. Only a few copies distributed.

• Mixed at Lowest Music & Arts, 1980
• All tracks from Remblandt Assemblage cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1981

• Masami Akita – tapes, prepared acoustic guitar, noise, tabla, percussion, microphone, voice, radio, concret sounds, egg cutter

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.

• 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

• 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

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.

• 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

• 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

• Tracks 1–7 from Collection 008 cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1981
• Track 8 from Tridal Production cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1982

• 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

The first Merzbow live performance.

• Mastered from original live recording
• Track 1 from Paradoxa Paradoxa cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1982
• Track 2 previously unreleased

• 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" 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.

• Mixed at Lowest Music & Arts Studio, 1981
• Tracks 1–2 from Material Action for 2 Microphones cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1981

• Masami Akita – condenser microphone, environmental percussion, scratched sound, tapes, turntable, radio
• Kiyoshi Mizutani – condenser microphone, percussion, additional synthesizer

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.

• Mixed at Junktion Music Works, 1981
• All tracks from Yantra Material Action cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1983

• Masami Akita – tapes, junks, noise, percussion, radio, drums, guitar
• Kiyoshi Mizutani – percussion, guitar, keyboards, synthesizer, tapes
• H. Kawagishi – sound engineering

Solonoise means "Solar-Noise", inspired by Georges Bataille's The Solar Anus.

• Tracks 1–2 from Solonoise 1 cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1982
• Track 3 from Solonoise 2 cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1982

• 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

Conceptual works manipulating various inputs using feedback processed audio mixer. Inspired by Stan Brakhage's scratched films.

• Tracks 1-8 from Expanded Music 2 cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1982
• Track 9 from Musick from Simulation World cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1983

• Masami Akita – TV test signal, feedback mixer, damaged tape recorder, Dr. Rhythm, tapes, percussion, synthesizer

Featuring a four track tape recorder found in the street. A different sound was recorded on each track, and then played back randomly.

• Masami Akita – Sony 464 tape recorder, Nil Vagina tape loop, treated tapes, percussion, Synare 3, Dr. Rhythm

• Track 1 from Solonoise 2 cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1982
• Tracks 2–3 from Lowest Music 2 cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1982

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.

• All tracks from Material Action 2 N.A.M. LP, Chaos, 1983

• Masami Akita – tapes, junk percussion, electro-acoustical noise, organ, tape collage, recording, mixing
• Kiyoshi Mizutani – tapes, synthesizer, violin, machine noise
• H. Kawagishi – engineering

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.

• Mixed at ZSF Produkt Studio, Asagaya March 1983
• All tracks from Mechanization Takes Command cassette, ZSF Produkt, 1983

• Masami Akita – Pearl drum kit, various percussion, tapes, TV, Synare 3, voice, tabla, Dr. Rhythm, ring modulator, guitar, feedback, synthesizer, recorder, scrap metals, devices

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.

• 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

• Masami Akita – tapes, radio, ring modulator, percussion, noise, rhythm box, guitar
• Kiyoshi Mizutani – violin, percussion

• 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

• Masami Akita – tapes, radio, ring modulator, percussion, noise, rhythm, junk electronics, TV, guitar, bass
• Kiyoshi Mizutani – violin, percussion

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.

• 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

• Masami Akita – distorted tape loops, metals, recorder, tapes, tape reel, percussion, shakujo, bells, noise

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.[12] The voice on "Night Noise White" is taken from the "Halt Tape".

• All tracks from Pornoise/1kg cassette box, ZSF Produkt, 1984

• Masami Akita – distorted Sony 464, feedback mixer, radio, loop tapes, Synare 3, rhythm box, ring modulator, devices
• Kiyoshi Mizutani – taped typesetting machine noise and taped synthesizer on tracks 2–4 with distorted process

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 from Pornoise/1kg cassette box, ZSF Produkt, 1984

• Masami Akita – distorted Sony 464, feedback mixer, loop tapes, Synare 3, ring modulator, field recording tapes, devices

The voice on "UFO vs British Army" is taken from the "Halt Tape". Some other samples are from horror films.

• All tracks from Pornoise/1kg cassette box, ZSF Produkt, 1984

• Masami Akita – distorted Sony 464, feedback mixer, loop tapes, Synare 3, ring modulator, devices

Additional tracks from the Pornoise 1kg sessions. Original release had different track titles.

• All tracks from Pornoise/Extra cassette, ZSF Produkt, 1985

• Masami Akita – feedback mixer, radio, loop tapes, Synare 3, rhythm box, ring modulator, distorted Sony 464, devices
• Kiyoshi Mizutani – sampled electric piano

Includes unused tracks for Batztoutai with Memorial Gadgets

• Tracks 1–3 from Sadomasochismo cassette, ZSF Produkt, 1985
• Tracks 4–6 from The Lampinak cassette, ZSF Produkt, 1985

• Masami Akita – various metal percussion, chain, loops, noise electronics, Synare 3, tapes

Original recordings for the Batztoutai with Memorial Gadgets album. Includes samples from François Bayle, Conlon Nancarrow, Ivo Malec, Luc Ferrari.

• Track 1 appeared edited on Batztoutai with Memorial Gadgets LP, RRRecords, 1986
• Track 2 previously unreleased
• Track 3 appeared in different order on Batztoutai with Memorial Gadgets LP

• Masami Akita – tapes, voice, electronics, scrap metals, percussion, field recordings

First of two cassettes made with raw material from Ecobondage, Vratya Southward being the second.

• Tracks 1–3 from Enclosure cassette, ZSF Produkt, 1987
• Track 5 from Enkele Gemotiveerde Produktiemedewerkers compilation, Midas Music, 1990
• Track 6 from Network 77 compilation, Network 77, 1990

• Masami Akita – bowed instruments with piano wires, ring modulator, tapes, feedback mixer, effects, percussion, turntable

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.[13]

• Tracks 1–2 from Vratya Southward cassette, ZSF Produkt, 1987
• Track 3 previously unreleased

• Masami Akita – cymbals, various percussion, electronics, paper pipe, tapes, plastic, voice, flute, toy marimba, scratch records, electric violin on tracks 1–2; feedback mixer, piano strings on metal box on track 3

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.

• Recorded live at Jazz-on-Amur '88, Khabarovsk, Russia
• Live PA recordings by Russian staff
• Remastered from original live recording
• Different versions appeared on Live in Khabarovsk, CCCP LP, ZSF Produkt, 1988

• Masami Akita – electric bowed instruments, tape, radio on track 1; drums, tape on track 2
• Kiyoshi Mizutani – piano, low feedback US MP guitar on track 1; piano, guitar on track 2

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.

• All tracks from Storage LP, ZSF Produkt, 1988

• Masami Akita – bowed instruments with piano wires, percussion, tapes, effects, guitar
• Kiyoshi Mizutani – submitted raw material on track 2

Unreleased tracks from Ecobondage and Storage period.

• Masami Akita – cymbals, various percussion, electronics, voice, byan, bowed instruments, paper pipe on tracks 1–2; noise electronics, turntable, scrap metals on track 3

Essay by Jonathan Walker from the original LP is reprinted in the Merzbook.

• Track 1 recorded at ZSF Produkt on 8 March 1988
• Track 2 produced 1988
• Track 3 recorded at ZSF Produkt (live) on 1 May 1988
• All tracks from Collaborative LP+7″, Extreme, 1988 [Note: The S.B.O.T.H.I. solo track from the 7″ is not included in the Merzbox]

• Masami Akita – tapes, metals, scratch, guitar, mixing on track 3
• Kiyoshi Mizutani – samples, guitar, balalaika, byan on track 3
• Achim Wollscheid – raw materials on track 1, production on track 2

"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.

• Tracks 1-2 from Crocidura Dsi Nezumi cassette, ZSF Produkt and Banned Production, 1988
• Track 3 previously unreleased

• Masami Akita – environmental drums, bowed instruments, paper pipe, plastic, woods, flute, insects, effects on tracks 1–2; bowed instruments, motor, noise electronics on track 3

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.

• Edited by Achim Wollscheid, 1997

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.

• Order of this CD is same as the original master tapes
• Tracks 2–5 previously unreleased
• All others from Scissors for Cutting Merzbow LP, ZSF Produkt, 1989

• Masami Akita – electronics, tapes, bowed instruments, percussion, metal junks, motor, piano wires, noise generator, drums, guitar, radio
• Kiyoshi Mizutani – junks, effects on raw materials

• Order of this CD is same as the original master tapes
• Track 4 previously unreleased
• All others from Scissors for Cutting Merzbow LP, ZSF Produkt, 1989

• Masami Akita – electronics, tapes, bowed instruments, percussion, metal junks, motor, piano wires, noise generator, guitar, electric shaver, radio, effects
• Kiyoshi Mizutani – guitar, junks, effects on raw materials

Includes two covers, "Deaf Forever" by Motörhead and the Jimi Hendrix version of "Wild Thing".

• Drum track of "Rap the Khabarovsk" was recorded live in Russia
• All tracks from Severances cassette, Discordia/Concordia, 1989

• Masami Akita – tapes, turntables, electronix, drum kit, percussion, voice, metal percussion, bowed instruments, electro-shaver, motor, self-made junk
• Kiyoshi Mizutani – tape materials: guitar on tracks 1 and 3; keyboard, computer rhythm on track 2

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."[6]

• Mixed at ZSF Produkt Studio 1989
• All tracks from Steel Cum cassette, ZSF Produkt, 1990
• Some parts appeared on Steel Cum 7″, Vertical, 1992

• Masami Akita – guitar, drums, tapes, electronics, metal bowed instruments, feedback mixer, turntable
• Kiyoshi Mizutani – drums, guitar on some parts

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.

• Mixed at ZSF Produkt Studio 17 April 1990
• Track 4 includes live recordings at V2, 's-Hertogenbosch, and Diogenes, Nijmegen, September 1989
• All tracks from Cloud Cock OO Grand CD, ZSF Produkt, 1990 [Note: "Modular" is about five minutes longer here than on the original CD]

• Masami Akita – tapes, noise electronics, metals, distorted DBX, turntable, loops, bowed instruments, metal harp, short wave
• Reiko Azuma – bowed instruments on track 4
• Peter Duimelinks – original live recordings

Radio session from Merzbow's first American tour.

• Live recording by WFMU
• Remastered from original recording at ZSF Produkt Studio
• An excerpt appeared on Great American Nude / Crash for Hi-Fi CD, Alchemy, 1991

• Masami Akita – feedback audio mixer, metals, electronics, electric shaver
• Reiko Azuma – metals, bowed instruments

Features outtakes from Hannover Interruption and Cloud Cock OO Grand. "Rocket Bomber" uses raw materials from Sadomasochismo.

• Tracks 1–2 outtakes from Hannover Interruption LP, Dradomel, 1990
• Track 3 outtake from Cloud Cock OO Grand CD, ZSF Produkt, 1990
• Track 4 different mix appeared on Cloud Cock OO Grand

• Masami Akita – noise electronics, metals, tapes

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 no editing

• Masami Akita – noise electronics, tapes, scratched CD, radio, sound effect records, guitar

Backing tracks made for True Romance, a performance art project with Seido and Bara.

• Tracks 1–4 made for Blood Orgy of the She Dolls soundtrack, 1992
• Track 5 made for "Isis and Secret Army Hyper Vivisection" performance at MOMA, Kyoto, 1993

• Masami Akita – tapes, electronics, disks

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.

• Masami Akita – noise electronics, metals, turntable, bass, guitar

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 remastered from original mother tape, no editing

• Masami Akita – metals, noise electronics, scratched CD, radio, tapes

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.

• Track 1 from Melt compilation, Work In Progress, 1992
• Track 2 from Land of the Rising Noise compilation, Charnel House, 1993

• Masami Akita – tapes, noise electronix, metals, guitar, EMS Synthi A, Roland TR-606

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.

• Track 3 from Entertainment Through Pain compilation, RRRecords, 1995

• Masami Akita – noise electronics, metals, EMS, voice

Outtakes from Red 2 Eyes, Magnesia Nova, and Pinkream.

• Masami Akita – EMS Synthi 'A', noise electronics, metal, filters, voice

"Marfan Syndrome for Blue" is Akita's first track to use the EMS synthesiser. Track 2 is a reference to Claes Oldenburg, who creates oversized sculptures of everyday objects, including soft sculptures.

• Track 1 appeared with different mix on Eternal Blue Extreme compilation, Somnus, 1994
• Track 4 appeared edited on Coruscanto by Reiko Azuma, Nekoisis, 1995
• All others previously unreleased

• Masami Akita – noise electronics, EMS, Synare 3, metals, rubber bass guitar, telephone signal, tape, voice
• Reiko Azuma – voice on tracks 1 and 5

Named after a fictitious order of mammals. Masami Akita performed solo twice as Zecken, playing this style.

• Remixed in 1997

• Masami Akita – noise electronics, EMS, audio generator, filters

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.

• Raw materials of tracks recorded during 1994–1996
• Track 3 different mix used as raw material for Brisbane–Tokyo Interlace with John Watermann, Cold Spring, 1996

• Masami Akita – noise electronics, EMS, Moog, metals, voice, tapes

Track 1 was the most recent live performance when the Merzbox was compiled.

• All remixed at ZSF Produkt Studio, April 1997
• Track 2 last 10 minutes appeared on Non Stop Noise Party, Hond in de Goot, 2000

• Masami Akita – noise electronics, Novation Bass Station, metals, pressure pedal
• Bara – voice

Selection of recent tracks when the 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.

• Raw material for track 2 recorded live in California, 1995
• Track 4 appeared on Merzbow/Kadef split 10″, Dreizehn, 1997

• Masami Akita – metal, noise electronix, EMS on tracks 1–2, Theremin on tracks 1–4, Moog on track 4
• Reiko Azuma – noise on track 2
• Bara – voice on track 2