Merzbow's 10x60=60cd boxset

CD18 – De-Soundtrack

This 3rd edition of this series compiles recordings dating from 1984~87 and comprises of the following 6 titles, Agni Hotra (2nd Mix), Antimony, Batztoutai Mix, Jinrinkinmouzui, Antimonument Tapes, De-Soundtrack. And〈Loop & Collage〉and compiles all of these titles into 1 box set. As expressed in this symbolic title, the period of the mid 1980s when these works were recorded was a special era for Merzbow that resonated with the aid of mechanical loops and an all-out radicalization of distorted tones which surfaced after the advent of Throbbing Gristle whose appearance influenced not only him but also activated the subsequent blossoming of the Industrial Movement worldwide and it was also an era that consolidated a distinctive style of Industrial Noise music as well. And also, with the tape collage technique that he started to experiment while initially active as a duo, he was able to reach the apex of a complex sound construct and was able to especially release some of the higher profile works in his career such as Batz Tou Tai with Memorial Gadgets, etc. and it was a period where Merzbow was able to leave a mark as a tape music maestro.

Among these 6 works, there exists both an industrial noise tone sensibility that makes great use of extremely distorted resonance and an aspect of a collage with the remains of a sketch, created with tape material. And each element with a different balance, competes fiercely against each other. Included in the works of this series are many alternative versions, outtakes and demo versions of tracks of original pieces that were issued before. From these alternative track’s presence, you can notice that during this period, while in the midst of a conversation between being in the margin of detailed revision and possibilities that lingers always with techniques such as monomanical tape collage and while creating his usual versions, Merzbow was able to produce.

During the transition of Merzbow’s sound, he brought to the forefront, a more harsh noise style that had the capacity to black out your hearing and the reason for this is because he became more active performing live entering the 1990s. While viewing his works of this era constructed with the focus on sampling collage techniques, one might feel a momentary degrading of the sound pressure but then again, due to this method, the recording’s freedom and resonance, multifacetedness and the meticulous editing that is not prohibited to the live performance’s reproductivity is a huge affinity in these works of his. Even if you uncover the difference between other noise music and the music of Merzbow as well as attempting to listen deeply to his latter works, in order to understand the magnetism of this sound that not limited to just noisy resonance included in Loop & Collage, this series will be quite a big clue. – Yorosz (aka Shuta Hiraki)

CD 18: De-Soundtrack (Released 15 March 2019)

All Music by Masami Akita
Recorded & Mixed at ZSF Produkt Studio, Tokyo, 1986-87.
Remastered from Original Cassette Tape at Munemihouse, Tokyo, August 2018.
Yasuyuki Nakamura (slowdown records) : A&R

This album contains several tracks that were contributed to foreign compilation cassettes.
Tracks 2 and 6 fall into that cassettes, which are quite valuable considering that the compilations they were contributed to are not easy to find nowadays.

The shuffle-like guitar and bass playing that appears as a theme at the beginning of the second track, and is used as a sample in many other tracks, is a fragment of a studio session with Kiyoshi Mizutani. As can be heard on several tracks, including the first 25 seconds of the first track, a drama record from the science fiction film “Earth Defense Force” (released by King Records in 1984) is sampled and scratched. The word “Soundtrack” was used in the title in reference to the fact that it was sampleded.

In the mid-80s, the period in which this album was produced, Merzbow established his own style of industrial noise through the use of a variety of tape based sources, the use of mechanical loops, and a thorough radicalization of distorted tones, all of which resonated with the industrial movement that had emerged around the world since the appearance of Throbbing Gristle. It can be said that this is the first achievement in his career.
In addition to the strong aspect of this album as a radical cut-up collage using various tape sources, what characterizes the songs on this album (as well as the studio session with Kiyoshi Mizutani mentioned earlier) is the high ratio of instrumental performances in the samples used, and the blinding speed with which they intervene in the flow of the performances with sound cuts and edits. Tracks 4 and 6, which use various instruments and sounds, including junk-like sounds, are particularly interesting, as they seem to reconstruct Merzbow’s sound from his duo days with Kiyoshi Mizutani, when he repeatedly experimented with sounds in sessions using instruments, with the sensibility and touch of this time. The other tracks, especially the title track (No.2 and No.3), have the strongest sense of time fragmentation among Merzbow’s works of the 80’s, which made extensive use of collage techniques. This is an important group of tracks that shows that Masami Akita’s senses were extremely radicalized at this point, especially in terms of sound transitions. – yorosz Note

Not the best finish to Box 3. The CD starts off and is a bit of a departure for Merzbow with a disturbing moaning sound, erratic percussion, double bass and elements of the soundtrack that are being ‘de-soundtracked’. Unfortunately, the first track is the best of these six and the elements are largely repeated for tracks two, three and five. For these track the components never really work together for me and it sounds more like experimentation that concrete pieces. Track 4 is more percussion focused and contains less sampling and tape loops. Track 6, Untitled, was my second favourite and is percussion with an eerie undercurrent of tape loops which works well. Junk percussion is definitely beginning to become more of a focus with this release.

A weak finish to this box set. Two tracks worth listening to.

CD17 – Antimonument Tapes

CD 17: Antimonument Tapes (Released 15 March 2019)

All Music by Masami Akita
Recorded & Mixed at ZSF Produkt Studio, Tokyo 1985-86.
Remastered from Original Cassette Tape at Munemihouse, Tokyo, August 2018.
Yasuyuki Nakamura (slowdown records) : A&R

This album contains material from two cassettes, each of which consists mainly of a different take of the album “Antimonument”, originally released by ZSF Produkt in 1986.
Both cassettes are titled “Nigled”, which may have been the original title of the song “Tatara” from “Antimonument”, and included the first take of “3 Types of Industrial Pollusion”, which would later be included as a bonus track when “Antimonument” was reissued. (The drum track used in this song was recorded live in a solo studio).
In the mid-80s, the period in which this album was produced, Merzbow established his own style of industrial noise through the use of a variety of tape based sources, the use of mechanical loops, and a thorough radicalization of distorted tones, all of which resonated with the industrial movement that had emerged around the world since the appearance of Throbbing Gristle. It can be said that this is the first achievement in his career.
Among the works of Merzbow in the 80’s with such a trend and flow, “Antimonument” is very popular for its stimulating content of high-speed sample cut-ups and industrial sounds. The album is also known for its continuity with the highly collaged style of “Batztoutai With Memorial Gadgets,” another prominent work from the 1980s, and for the fact that it offers a condensed version of the main elements of Merzbow’s musicality. This album, “Antimonument Tapes,” which is composed mainly of the other takes, has an agitated finish, featuring more boldly the clash between the crude sounds of junk playing and the cracked noise that is often used as samples. – yorosz Note

I found this release to be interesting, dynamic and very dense. I’ve listened to it at least 5 times now and it’s still surprising me. There’s a lot of sounds which really seem quite modern. There are elements of Tatara (Another Mix) and 3 Types Of Industrial Pollution Mix 2 which remind me of Richard Ramirez/Black Leather Jesus with a real sense of recording space with the reverb. The drum solos throughout the three versions of the Industrial Pollution Mix all work really well with the piece, bringing to mind later Merzbow periods such as 13 Birds, where we saw this again. It’s a constant collage with sections being brought in and out to great effect. I enjoyed the middle of the album less, Nigled 1 which is the longest track on the album, was also one of the weakest and not as diverse of interesting as Tantara.

A solid album with great diversity and a layered sound collage you can keep re-visiting.

CD16 – Jinrinkinmouzui

CD 16: Jinrinkinmouzui (Released 15 February 2019)

All Music by Masami Akita *Guitar by Kiyoshi Mizutani
Recorded & mixed at ZSF Produkt Studio, Tokyo 1985.
Remastered from original cassette tape at Munemihouse, Tokyo, August 2018.
Yasuyuki Nakamura (slowdown records) : A&R

This album “Jinrinkinmouzui” is made up of sounds taken from unused three cassettes master.
The first track is one side of a cassette that was titled “Jinrinkinmouzui”. This is an alternate take of ‘Wild Animal & Polyhedral Garden’ from the album Batztoutai with Memorial Gadgets (1986). The title of this album was also taken from this cassette.
Tracks 2~4 are the B-side of the cassette “Master”, which was the basis of “Batztoutai with Memorial Gadgets”.
The fifth track is the other side of the cassette on which “Batztoutai (Another Mix)” was recorded, which is included in “Batztoutai Mix” of this series. The guitar at the beginning of the song is made from material by Kiyoshi Mizutani.
In the mid-80s, the period in which this album was produced, Merzbow established his own style of industrial noise through the use of a variety of tape based sources, the use of mechanical loops, and a thorough radicalization of distorted tones, all of which resonated with the industrial movement that had emerged around the world since the appearance of Throbbing Gristle. It can be said that this is the first achievement in his career.
In particular, “Batztoutai”, which has multiple versions, is regarded as one of the best examples of his tape collage/concrete style in his career, and the existence of this work, which is compiled from sources connected to it in some way, will further confirm its value and historical position.
This is the best way to understand how Merzbow came to be the hardcore of tape music in the 80s. – yorosz Note

So, one additional alternative take from 抜刀隊 With Memorial Gadgets and effectively four B sides of unreleased material from the previous CD which does not seem promising. Jinrinkinmouzui (Wild Animal & Polyhedral Garden – Another Mix) is another sound collage but is less frantic than those from the Batztoutai Mix and was the best track on this CD. Moby Dick was unmemorable. Battle was better, quite industrial loops – I can see the Throbbing Gristle influence. Sun Organ features more Organ which takes us back to the Early Sessions, and not in a good way. Finally, Kiyoshi is back for at least the first five minutes and last two of Ugly Radio. He still can’t play guitar so it’s aimless plucking. After the introduction, the track then morphs into mostly tape manipulation of looped source material of voices and percussion. Pitch shifted, sped up, slowed down, panned left, panned right. It’s nearly 23 minutes long and not for me.

Deep into Merzbow’s archive with one alternative mix and four B sides of unreleased material. Jinrinkinmouzui was enjoyable, Ugly Radio was an ordeal.

CD15 – Batztoutai Mix

CD 15: Batztoutai Mix (Released in July 2021)

All Music by Masami Akita
Recorded & mixed at ZSF Produkt Studio, Tokyo 1984-85.
Remastered from original cassette tape at Munemihouse, Tokyo, August 2018.
Yasuyuki Nakamura (slowdown records) : A&R

The song “Batztoutai – The Nightingale’s Song” appeared on “Battoutai with Memorial Gadgets”, one of the most prominent Merzbow albums of the 80s. The song was released many versions on “Battoutai with Memorial Gadgets” 2LP (1986 on RRR Records, USA), “Battoutai with Material Gadgets” CD (1990 on RRRecords, or 2004 on Merzbow’s Self Release), and “Mortegage/ Batztoutai Extra” (containing “Merzbox”, released by Extreme in Australia in 1999). The version included here is a different long mix of the 1990 CD ver.
In the mid-80s, the period in which this album was produced, Merzbow established his own style of industrial noise through the use of a variety of tape based sources, the use of mechanical loops, and a thorough radicalization of distorted tones, all of which resonated with the industrial movement that had emerged around the world since the appearance of Throbbing Gristle. It can be said that this is the first achievement in his career.
Among them, “Batztoutai”, which has multiple versions, is a work selected and edited by RRR from multiple tapes originally produced between 1984 and 1985 (when it was released on CD in 1990, extra tracks were added to bring it closer to the original form). This is an important album that can be regarded as one of Merzbow’s best albums of this period, and is regarded as one of the best examples of his tape collage/concrete style in his career.
In the long mix included here, various sounds, such as the military song “Batztoutai” composed by Gabriel Leroux (French composer) during the Meiji era (1868-1912), which gave the title to the album, and INA-GRM’s music concrete records, are edited and mixed in rapid succession.
This is a must-hear album, which is not as noisy as his other works, but it contains a variety of sounds with different characteristics, and the sense of selection and mixing shows a side of his sensibility that does not come to the fore in his other works. – yorosz Note

Very different to the previous works in this box. This is pure dada collage. Two tracks, the first is an extended mix of the original ‘Batz Tou Tai – The Nightingale’s Song’ from 抜刀隊 With Memorial Gadgets. The second is a different mastering of Mortegage inc. Batztoutai from disc 23 of the Merzbox. 抜刀隊 With Memorial Gadgets has never been one of my Merzbow favourites. This time around It’s still not one I’m going to be revisiting often but I think it’s well done. In contrast to some of the earlier collages we’ve had in this box set it’s clear that Masami has mastered these techniques and expanded his repertoire. I think the added 6 minutes to the first track contribute nothing to the overall piece but prefer the mastering of both these tracks. Both pieces move away from the distored echo-y military music collage to pure noise and static, it would be interesting to hear this type of collage ended in a different way.

Two revisits to pieces we’ve heard before. This is dada collage at peak mastery, but ultimately not the type of noise I personally enjoy.

CD14 – Antimony

CD 14: Antimony (Released in June 2021)

All Music by Masami Akita
Recorded & mixed at ZSF Product Studio, Tokyo 1984-1985.
Remastered from original cassette tape on August 2018 at Munemihouse, Tokyo.
Yasuyuki Nakamura (slowdown records) : A&R

“Antimony” is the first take of “Sadomasochismo”, a cassette released by ZSF Produkt in 1985. Compared to the cassette release, it is almost a different sound source except for the first track. It is also part of the unused material for Merzbow’s collage side masterpiece ‘Batztoutai with Memorial Gadgets’, so it can be said to be a buried tracks in more ways than one.
In the mid-80s, the period in which this album was produced, Merzbow established his own style of industrial noise through the use of a variety of tape based sources, the use of mechanical loops, and a thorough radicalization of distorted tones, all of which resonated with the industrial movement that had emerged around the world since the appearance of Throbbing Gristle. It can be said that this is the first achievement in his career.
Starting with the first track, in which cracked concrete sounds and bombastic noise loops intertwine as if they were hitting each other, this album contains a total of four tracks that share the common characteristic of rapid-fire noise drops that seem to fill the space. Even in the third and fourth tracks, where collage techniques using sutra readings, instrumental samples, and concrete sounds indicate the unused sound source position of “Batztoutai with Memorial Gadgets,” the sound has a stubbornly loud orientation that pushes toward saturation.
The “tuned noise machine” is the Japanese translation of Intonarumori, a musical instrument invented by Luigi Russolo, but what we have here is truly a level of artistic noise that can only be reached through a kind of control, a kind of tuning, and its radical and relentless multilayered dissolution. – yorosz Note

The first track starts off as an alternate mix of Antimony pt1 from the Sadomasochismo cassette and CD 22 from the infamous Merzbox. However, around the 8 minute mark it morphs into its own piece. There is a gradual static building over an industrial rhythmic element with plenty of processed tape loops of vocals and other elements. It’s really enjoyable and the highlight of 10×60 to date. The other three untitled tracks are different in their own ways and there are enough ideas present to justify their lengths and inclusion. Tape loops drenched with delay and overladen with other loops of feedback, static and percussive elements. I particularly enjoyed untitled 2 which begins with sutra readings before morphing into the rapid-fire stuttering which yorosz mentions.

Incredible first track and an interesting collection of three untitled pieces round out Antimony.

CD13 – Agni Hotra (2nd Mix)

CD 13: Agni Hotra (2nd Mix) (Released in June 2021)

“Agni Hotra” was originally planned as Merzbow’s second LP and was supposed to be released on the Swedish label Psychout (later Multimood), but was put on hold. It was later included in the 50 disc box set “Merzbox” and has already seen the light of day, but the 1st mix was mainly used in that set, and the content was different from what was originally planned to be released on Psychout. The 2nd mix is the final master that was sent to Psychout, and is the real “Agni Hotra” as the lost 2nd LP.
In the mid-80s, the period in which this album was produced, Merzbow established his own style of industrial noise through the use of a variety of tape based sources, the use of mechanical loops, and a thorough radicalization of distorted tones, all of which resonated with the industrial movement that had emerged around the world since the appearance of Throbbing Gristle. It can be said that this is the first achievement in his career.
The first thing that strikes you about this album is the first track. Its mechanically repetitive bombing-like noise sounds like a prophetic dream of a war scene that would later be broadcasted by the media to the world. The third track, in which the repetition of multiple samples is functionally intertwined, also shows a cool sense of mixing in which the sound sources are arranged and organized in a point-like manner. The fourth track is an early version of Merzbow’s collage masterpiece, “Batztoutai with Memorial Gadgets,” which shows that he was reaching a peak in their attempts to create edgy collages as well as industrial sounds.
“Agni Hotra (2nd Mix)” is a work that loudly proclaims that the mid-80’s would be a period of fulfillment for Merzbow, where their experimental use of tape would lead to the creation of his own radical sound and the creation of many masterpieces. – yorosz Note

This CD kicks off the third box strongly. As noted, Agni Hotra had been previously released as part of disc 17 of the Merzbox. I preferred this mix, the underlying noise is more separated yet still interacts with the main layer. It is a heavily loop based industrial track with an underlying roar of noise. There are variations to the samples throughout and while the track doesn’t fully justify its nearly 19 minutes running time I didn’t lose interest. The next three tracks are the strongest of the CD. Particularly, the 2nd track – Agni Loops 1, which is an absolutely delicious reverb heavy interpretation of some of the loops from the 1st track. The 4th track, The Dying Toad Become Forth With Coal For Color Black (Pre Mix), is the odd one out on this CD being more of a collage than a loop based track. Odd to include it here as all the tracks in this boxset are from the same 1984-85 period. Nonetheless, it’s a great example of the type of track Merzbow would gain international renown for. An absolute kaleidoscope of free jazz, scrapes, bangs and distorted samples.

A terrific start to the third box. Interesting loop based industrial tracks and some fresh unreleased material. Promising for the rest of the period.

CD12 – Age of 369

The melting of noise/ performance/ rhythm comprised in the 6 titles included in this Early Cassettes Box set are the crystallization of the musical emptiness that was characteristic of early Merzbow. One can say that it is a precious document of the history of noise music. Here is a masterpiece that transcends time which can only be expressed as “Merbzow Music”. And it has been decided that this archival project will become a series and continue into 2019…

CD 12: Age of 369 (Released in June 2021)

Recorded and Mixed at ZSF Produkt, 1984
Remastered from Original Cassette Tape on Feb 2018 at Munemihouse, Tokyo
Originally Released as Cassette on ZSF Produkt, 1984
Also Released Double CD as ‘Age Of 369/Chant 2 ‘ on Extreme, 1996
Masami Akita : Loops, Metals, Radio, Microphone, Chain, Electronics, etc.
Yasuyuki Nakamura (slowdown records) : A&R

Isn’t the reissue of Merzbow’s 1984 work “Age Of 369” in this chaotic and confusing time almost a request of the “age/unconscious”? As I listened to this album with the enigmatic word “369” inscribed on it, I was reminded that “noise music is a phenomenon that touches the unconscious of people, or rather the world”.

This album “Age Of 369” is also well known as “Age Of 369 / Chant 2”, a 2 CD set released in 1996 by Australian noise/experimental music label “Extreme” (Extreme also released a 50 CD box set “Merzbox” in 1999). To be precise, this is a reissue of the original cassette of “Age Of 369” including in disc 1 of “Age Of 369 / Chant 2”. This work “Age Of 369” can be said to be the first sounds that deserves to be presented when asked “What is the noise of Merzbow?” The strong and ferocious writhing of noise that is typical of Merzbow’s work is beautifully established and recorded over a total of four tracks. According to the credits, Akita used “loops, metal, radio, microphones, chains, and electronics” to create the noise sounds in this work. It is indeed a tremendous sonic vortex. – Denshi Note

We’re veering into analogue era here to my ears. I think this is one of those Denshi notes which hasn’t been translated that well. The unconscious of the people, a request of the “age/unconscious”. Not sure.

The album lack the dynamics which make Merzbow’s later work such a success. The first track is the most successful and the metals/chain elements add a satisfying percussive element. The screaming vocal sample used during for the first five minutes add to a claustrophobic opening. Nonetheless, it lacks direction and feels like a bunch of shorter pieces included together. This is felt most acutely on track three which meanders throughout it’s mammoth 24 minutes running time. For 1984 I think the album is very impressive and would have put this closer to work from 1989 such as Cloud Cock OO Grand.

Aside from Yantra Material Action I think the cover art for this is some of the most attractive in the box set so far.

For a Merzbow retrospective I think this album acts as a good summary of the early cassette box era. It’s overly long but never irritated me or was entirely without sonic merit.

CD11 – Le Sang Et La Rose

CD 11: Le Sang Et La Rose (Released in June 2021)

Recorded and Mixed at ZSF Produkt Studio, Tokyo in 1983
Lotus Club, Xerosx, Merzbow * Extra From Tracks ‘Chant’ (Original 1983)’
Remastered from Original Cassette on Feb 2018 at Munemihouse, Tokyo
Originally Released Cassette on ZSF Produkt in 1983
Yasuyuki Nakamura (slowdown records) : A&R

The first time you hear this cassette of Merzbow, released in 1983 under the name “Lotus Club,” you may be deeply surprised. “When did this track come out?” The noise, the beat, the looped tape. The dynamic and original sound of this album is timeless, and it is a fearsome track that can be directly linked to the industrial/techno music of the decade and beyond, from the realm of 80’s noise music.

This album was released on ZSF Produkt, a cassette label run by Mr. Akita. It was recorded and mixed at ZSF Produkt Studio in 1983. Three tracks are on the A-side, and two tracks are on the B-side. It should be noted that this reissue was remastered from the original cassette at Munemihouse in Tokyo in February 2018. This album has the fluid appeal of Merzbow from the early 80s/duo period onward. Noise, sound, and beat are generated in chaos, and because they are indefinite, they erode in all directions and swallow up other genres. This is the unique charm of Merzbow in the early to mid 80’s. Incidentally, the album title “Le Sang Et La Rose” was apparently borrowed from the magazine “Blood and Roses” found on Akita’s bookshelf. Each track explodes with a shock that overturns the history of noise music, techno, and experimental music. In a sense, this album is like a cutting-edge noise/beat mix. Here is a masterpiece that transcends time. – Denshi Note

Five tracks so some variety and a different approach to the previous CDs. Lotus Club is credited to Masami so I presume that some of the tape loops being manipulated contain elements from this other alias. Side A starts hynotically with a distorted looping vocal sample, a repetitive drum machine beat and swirling synths. It’s a bit repetitive but enjoyable enough until at 16:40 the equivalent of a fire alarm starts and continues for the next six minutes. Deeply unpleasant. The next two tracks are shorter 6:40 affairs which don’t overstay their welcome. Less tape manipulation and more drum machine with some elements of junk percussion on A3. B1 was the most enjoyable track on the album. Aside from the drum machine this has low-fi Skullflower esque-vibes. B2 has similar tape use samples to A1 but the fire alarm esque repetive synth is present throughout. This track just gave me a headache. Avoid.

I like the change in direction and enjoyed the middle of the album. But it’s bookmarked by two headache inducing tracks. I will never listed to this album again.

CD10 – Musick For Screen

CD 9: Expanded Musik 2 (Released in September 2018)

Recorded and Mixed at Lowest Music & Arts, August 1983
Remastered from Original Cassette Tape on Feb 2018 at Munemihouse, Tokyo
Originally Released as Cassette on Lowest Music & Arts, Japan on 1983
Masami Akita : Tapes, Effects
Piano on Part A-Unknown
Yasuyuki Nakamura (slowdown records) : A&R

This work is a precious sounds. In a note I received from Masami Akita, he wrote “I remember that it was the sound source used for the Merzbow performance at Kichijoji Gatty. This is first time reissue.” Yes, this is the first reissue of the album. The original recording was made in 1983 and released on Akita’s cassette tape label, Lowest Music & Arts.

Kichijoji “Gatty”, where the sound for this album was recorded, was a legendary live space that existed for several years in the 80s, and is known for the many avant-garde artists who performed there. In this sense, this work is a record in the history of Japanese avant-garde music. This work, however, is a somewhat unique sounds. According to Akita’s notes, “Merzbow’s performance at Gatty was not a live performance, but a slide show and tape performance, with the slides melted by heat. It seems that “Musick For Screen” was used as the sounds. The word “Screen” in the title means “slide”. The two long tracks are “Part A” (30 minutes and 49 seconds) and “Part B” (9 minutes and 37 seconds), both tracks are bursting with intense, ear-piercing noise, a kind of nonbeat metallic Merz-Noise. In order to write the liner notes for the Mertzbow Early Archive Project, I’ve been listening to Merzbow recordings from the late 70’s and early 80’s, and I was often surprised to find that they were already practicing this kind of thing at this time! This recording is no exception. This recording is exactly the same. – Denshi Note

The Denshi description initially filled me with dread. I’m a veteran of some Merzbow pieces which have previously been accompanied by a performance, such as CD40 – Music For True Romance from the Merzbox and without the visual accompaniment these have been minimal in variation and lack lustre in musical merit.

This CD is very different and the best that 10×60=60cd has offered to date. I’m really surprised that this was originally from 1983 – it seems quite ahead of it’s time and far beyond what we even heard in the previous CD. The CD is split into two untitled tracks which are varied in tone. Track 1 is the “nonbeat metallic Merz-Noise”-esque sound that Denshi mentions. The metallic roar is quite intense but there’s varied classical and operatic sampling used throughout which keeps the piece engaging. These samples start almost obtrusively – what’s a clean sounding piano piece doing in a Merzbow track? By the end they’re destroyed and crushed between layers of glorious fuzz. It’s easy to see this as deliberate commentary on the nature of noise, particularly when accompanied by the literally destruction of slides and their images. Track 2 is skittery reverb-heavy tape manipulation piece which morphs into a dark cyclical drone around the halfway mark before alternating beween these two soundscape before finishing. Both pieces together are one hour but this CD didn’t feel this length.

Two long but varied tracks with blistering moments of harsh noise interplayed with classical elements. A neglected early release deserving of the reissue treatment. Recommended.

CD9 – Expanded Musik 2

Early Cassette Box (6CD BOX)

CD 9: Expanded Musik 2 (Released in August 2018)

Recorded and Mixed at Lowest Music & Arts, 1982
Remastered from Original Cassette Tape on Feb 2018 at Munemihouse, Tokyo
Originally Released as Cassette on Lowest Music & Arts, Japan on 1982
Masami Akita : Tapes, TV Test Signal, Field Recordings, Feedback Processed Audio Mixer, Broken Tape Recorder, Rhythm Machine, Percussion, etc.
Yasuyuki Nakamura (slowdown records) : A&R

The new release is “Expanded Musik (2)” from Lowest Music & Arts. The original release was in 1982. This is a must-have for Merzbow enthusiasts. Incidentally, the second series of the Merzbow Archive Project is also a series of reissues of valuable cassette recordings from the early 80s. In a sense, it’s no exaggeration to say that this series is as valuable as “Lowest Music & Arts 1980 – 1983” released by “Vinyl on Demand” in 2012.

This album was recorded and mixed at “Lowest Music & Arts” in 1982. The performance was done solely by Masami Akita. He uses tapes, TV test signals, field recordings, rhythm machines, percussion instruments, feedback process audio mixers, and broken tape recorders to create noise/music that directly adjusts to the cerebral spinal cord. The original cassette was released in 1982 by Lowest Music & Arts, a cassette tape label run by Akita, and was remastered in February 2018 for this reissue. Mr. Akita described this work as follows. “There are several types of title notation, such as “expanded Musik 2”, “expanded music”, and “expanded music 2”. Initially, there should have been a “1”, but since it is no longer found, it may have been deleted. ” The existence of the missing “1” is interesting, but as the plurality of the titles suggests, “2” may also be a sound source that has taken an odd path. This album was also released in 1984 by Produktion in Australia. – Denshi Note

This is the first solo release of the boxset, and the last we’ll hear of the Kiyoshi “Duo” era. The release is largely similar to CD 11 Expanded Music in the Merzbox, although I think the mastering for this reissue sounds a bit more dynamic and has some extra texture. At first I started off hating this, the first seven minutes are dominated by this high pitched oscillation (TV test signal sound?) which is really obnoxious although there are some potentially interesting analogue tape manipulation and feedback underneath. However, this fades and the rest of the piece sounds like some early 90s Merzbow, think Green Wheels. This is the first we’ve heard of the style of harsh noise that will come to dominate Merzbow’s career. The end of track one from 17 minutes with the rhythm machine and crowd field recordings is enjoyable. I think Merzbow is at his best with a Tauromachine style rhythm machine and this is reminiscent. The first 16 minutes of track two continues with the concert field recordings, which gives this a live feel, but manipulates these in a variety of interesting and intriguing ways with the feedback mixer. If this was the start of the live set, where the real crowd noise was manipulated it would be quite exciting. The middle of the track has some good live percussion amidst the harsh noise. Sadly, the last five minutes of the track is dominated by the same annoying shrilling loop which started track one.

An overall enjoyable start to the true harsh noise era of solo Merzbow. The sections of the annoying TV test signal mark this down by a star.