# Merzbow -- The Art of Noise



## Guest (Apr 9, 2015)

Merzbow is an artist from Japan named Akita Masami. He had started off playing drums in a psychedelic and acid rock band and branched into free jazz and avant-garde. But dada and surrealism had gripped him and he was drawn to it. He took his name from a project by German dadaist Kurt Schwitters called Merzbau, a remodeling of his family home in Hanover.










Akita began messing with analog synths, loops and found objects. His inspiration is the degradation of the technological, industrial, mechanized urban existence--it's crime, poverty, violence, filth, isolation, coldness, etc.





















Like all surrealist art, Merzbow's pieces have no meaning being randomly generated and irrational. The meaning comes from the listener in a very personal way--no two people will get or impart the same meaning.

What strikes me, and I don't know if there is a connection, but the weird, bleak, urban existence depicted in the movie "Eraserhead" produced a sound FX track that, at times, sounds rather similar to Merzbow. He has made over 50 CDs of which I own about half.

I included Merzbow in the non-classical section although a case can be made that he should be considered a classical artist. I don't know how he'd feel about that. I posted about Subotnick in the non-classical folder and was gently chided by someone who considered it a form of classical. Merzbow's pieces can be short or long but each CD is usually a single work. The separation of each composition rather like movements than anything else. But this not always the case as with his "Music for Bondage Performance" CD which appeared to be true separate compositions. It was composed for the bondage clubs in Tokyo as accompaniment for the bizarre onstage action:






Merzbow has quite a cult following worldwide. I suppose you must have a taste for this kind of thing because some people express absolute hatred of the material. Few have neither the attention span nor the constitution to get through it and so it might be right up the aisle of the classical listeners. A criticism I often get is, "It's just a bunch of noise!" which is like criticizing the Three Stooges for being stupid. To me, the only way to listen to Merzbow is to crank it up until the walls shake and the fillings in your teeth rattle. Pure sonic assault--ear-rape. I find it oddly meditative. Maybe Schwitters would have too.


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## GodNickSatan (Feb 28, 2013)

Hey, I like Merzbow! Hybrid Noisebloom is a really cool album. I think it goes without saying it's not gonna be for everyone, but if anyone is interested in hearing something different then check it out.


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## Schubussy (Nov 2, 2012)

I consider myself very open minded musically, I like a lot of weird drone & experimental type stuff, but I don't understand Merzbow at all.

Tim Hecker for example uses noise influences but creates music that works emotionally for me but with Merzbow I really can't see the aim of his music, none of it works for me emotionally or 'intellectually'. Genuinely trying to understand here.


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## padraic (Feb 26, 2015)

Could never get into this art form.


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## Crudblud (Dec 29, 2011)

Merzbow is, or was at one time, I think, attempting to create a "music" (used loosely since many noise artists tend to describe their work as being other than music) of pure sensation, not emotional or intellectual, but visceral. Some works of Xenakis operate in a similar manner. However, those looking for a softer approach may find his album _Sleeper Awakes on the Edge of the Abyss_ to be more appealing.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

Thanks for posting about Merzbow. He's long been a favorite of mine from the contemporary noise scene and I've collected quite a few of the albums including the limited edition (400 copies) of the 10 CD set titled MERZBOW DUO featuring Masami Akita and Kiyoshi Mizutani in selected studio sessions 1987-89. Great "dinner music" for those times when you want to rid your home of certain guests, quickly.


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