Merzbow is Masami Akita, the Tokyo-born noise musician recording since 1979 and the most prolific figure in Japanoise — hundreds of releases deep, including the 50-CD Merzbox. Pulse Demon (1996) and Venereology (1994) are the classic entry points into the harsh stuff. Explore Merzbow vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Masami Akita, performing as Merzbow, was born in Tokyo, Japan on December 19, 1956. He launched his recording career in 1979 (the project name references Kurt Schwitters's Merzbau Dadaist art installations). He is widely cited as the most prolific and influential figure in Japanese noise music - with hundreds of full-length releases across his multi-decade catalog. His 2000 Merzbox box set contains 50 CDs of material and is widely cited as one of the most ambitious noise music releases of all time. He is involved in animal rights and veganism activism, with multiple of his albums (the 13 Japanese Birds series, for instance) addressing these themes. His foundational influence on contemporary noise music, harsh noise, power electronics, and broader experimental music is widely documented.
Merzbow's sound combines noise music, Japanoise, harsh noise, harsh noise wall, power electronics, dark ambient, and experimental electronic with extensive use of distorted synthesizer arrangements, contact microphones, found object manipulation, and progressively varied compositional approaches across decades. His foundational influence on contemporary noise music as a recognized genre is widely documented.
The Merzbow catalog is foundational to noise music collecting. Multiple anniversary editions, color variants, and box set programs (including the Merzbox and various series box sets) have been released across his decades-long career.
Listeners new to Merzbow typically start with Pulse Demon (1996) or Venereology (1994).
