Merzbow Top Hits

[Henrik III]

Hannover Interruption is a release that doesn't seem to get the attention it should deserve. From Masami's best era, active and noisy yet not ultra harsh. Another vinyl favorite is SCUM 2LP.

[P A N I C]

Besides the slew of good material that has been mentioned I would like to add my modest $0.02 and put in a vote for Flare Gun, which has as of yet gone unmentioned. Excellent and harsh 12" that is taut and tense, perhaps in part because of the relatively short playing time (about 30 minutes). This album has, more than any others, grown to be my favourite Merzbow.

Other 'Bow albums I have a particular soft spot for include the Khabarovsk LP (which was later included in the Merzbox), Pornoise 5CS box and Live at Radio 100.

From what has been mentioned so much is good, Noisembryo, Artificial Invagination, Hannover Interruption. Much (predominantly 90s) Merzbow seems to sound 'right' to my ears if just for its textures and palette. There is something so vibrant and organic to it that totally works for me. The overall sense of aesthetics definitely contributes. I sometimes wonder whether it's the magic of the Merz or a sort of nostalgic infatuation that overtakes me upon playing and makes me think back to when I was 15 and discovered Tauromachine... but I am convinced at least some magic is at play.

[eric faustus]

Yes, "New Takamagahara" is very nice! Just listened today on subway by coincidence.

Not at all full throttle noise but some interesting textures on "Music For Bondage Performance 2"...

[acsenger]

Much (predominantly 90s) Merzbow seems to sound 'right' to my ears if just for its textures and palette. There is something so vibrant and organic to it that totally works for me. The overall sense of aesthetics definitely contributes. I sometimes wonder whether it's the magic of the Merz or a sort of nostalgic infatuation that overtakes me upon playing and makes me think back to when I was 15 and discovered Tauromachine... but I am convinced at least some magic is at play.

I agree so much that I could've written this. I also wonder sometimes whether it's partly nostalgia that accounts for my loving Merzbow (though not everything, of course) while not caring for, for example, John Wiese or Sissy Spacek who seem to be much appreciated by most. After all, I discovered Merzbow (and through it experimental music) at age 17. But at the same time there must be heaps of good noise out there that I don't know. I wish I had friends into this kind of music through whom I could hear much more. Can't spend hundreds of dollars every week on music and I dislike downloading.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

I don't know can Wiese's popularity be compared with Merzbows? Most certainly man is known, but while Wiese is known from 100 7"s often pressed 100 copies, Merzbow is known from 1000 Cd's pressed 1000 copies! :D
Well, jokes aside, popularity of Wiese now could be based that he could be now at his best? I think ring snare for example (couple years ago) was masterpiece. Last Merzbow masterpiece was.... ? I consider Merzbow analogue material superior to Wiese's analogue material, but Wiese's digital is without doubt superior to Merzbow digital.

[acsenger]

I don't know can Wiese's popularity be compared with Merzbows?

It can't, of course, but what I meant is that he's an example of someone who's highly regarded by a lot of people really into noise, as opposed to people who have heard about Merzbow and might like it to an extent but otherwise listen to very different kinds of music, or downright snobs who pretend to like it because it's extreme and therefore "cool" to like (I went to a Merzbow concert the other week in Sydney and I might be prejudiced or ignorant, but practically everyone in the audience looked like an art school snob with terrible clothes and hairstyle and I had a hard time believing most of them genuinely like Merzbow and noise or PE, for example).

I consider Merzbow analogue material superior to Wiese's analogue material, but Wiese's digital is without doubt superior to Merzbow digital.

Knowing only a few of Wiese's CDs, I can't comment on that. But let me mention a CD each by him and another highly regarded musician that I thought were nothing special: the Wiese part of Multiplication (the split/collab by Wiese & Merzbow) and The Quiet North by Lasse Marhaug. Am I extremely biased or plain deaf that I think they're average noise in comparison to most analogue '90s Merzbow? I'm genuinely interested. It could be that I simply don't know enough noise to appreciate them fully...

[Bloated Slutbag]

Surprised, but provoked, at seeing Akasha Gulva mentioned here. That was one of the first Merzbow offerings to actually put me off, at least initially. I have subsequently have gone back and forth on it a few times, and the personal jury is still out. It's certainly not in line with the majority of his output to that particular date (1996), though it is a live recording and therefor subject to a slightly different set of criteria (at least in my brain). Overall, I like the general taste of the sound. And it is certainly devoid of "relent" - always a plus. But it lacks most of the textural dexterities that make Merzbow Merzbow (at least in my brain). If someone had told me this was, say, Gomikawa Akita or a discarded Kosakai-Hasegawa collab project I might have dug it more. But for Merz...

Merzblah.

[cipher chris]

I went to a Merzbow concert the other week in Sydney and I might be prejudiced or ignorant, but practically everyone in the audience looked like an art school snob with terrible clothes and hairstyle and I had a hard time believing most of them genuinely like Merzbow and noise or PE, for example

I was at the same show, and fully agree.

[holydeath]

I went to a Merzbow concert the other week in Sydney and I might be prejudiced or ignorant, but practically everyone in the audience looked like an art school snob with terrible clothes and hairstyle and I had a hard time believing most of them genuinely like Merzbow and noise or PE, for example

I was at the same show, and fully agree.

These are just a few of the reasons I will eagerly miss the concert in Helsinki next October. After listening to Pornoise/1KG cassettes through and thinking, "Well, it's not going to be ANYTHING like this!", and realizing every art fag within a 200 kilometer radius will attend, I just gave up on the idea of going.

[MT]

I was thinking the exact same thing. Full of art fags and such. I am going just because it is Merzbow. And because MK9 is in Finland on the same week, might aswell go to south for both.

[cipher chris]

That's a bit short-sighted, I feel.  I could care less who else was there - it's not like I could hear them or they were being nitwits to my face or anything.  It's disappointing to think that most everyone seeing Merzbow probably has no greater interest in noise/etc., but that's their stupid loss.  It doesn't affect whether or not he put on a good show.

So did he?  Well.... it was OK.  Quite dense, reasonably loud, soothing more than it was attacking - but in a genuinely noisy way.  Largely analogue layers, some digital prodding which stuck out at times but became assimilated as things went along.  Played a bit over an hour, and I wasn't bored, didn't hate it, and left with a smile on my face.  I've had FAR worse Friday nights.

[Zeno Marx]

If the people were talking or holding their phones in your line of sight to take photos or video, I definitely share the disdain for fellow attendees.  If they aren't directly disrupting the performance for anyone, so the mere presence of them clouds your cognitive process or pleasure, then you have the problem, not them.  I'll take a respectful, curious hipster arty over an adolescent, socially inept person of bravado.

[Henrik III]

These are just a few of the reasons I will eagerly miss the concert in Helsinki next October. After listening to Pornoise/1KG cassettes through and thinking, "Well, it's not going to be ANYTHING like this!", and realizing every art fag within a 200 kilometer radius will attend, I just gave up on the idea of going.

Oh dear...the metal dudes attending the noise and PE gigs in search of something "sick" are at least equally repulsive (and the females of the kind are WAY less attractive).

[enmity]

I have always been a fan of Electric Salad, Rainbow Electronics, Flesh Metal Orgasm, Pulse Demon, Venereology, and Music For Bondage Performance. I havent listened to many of the newer releases besides the ones from the Blossoming Noise Label. I will however be checking out all the others that you guys have mentioned. I have only heard the Batztoutai With Material Gadgets (De-Composed Works 1985~86) from RRR but must find that original 2xLP

[Zeno Marx]

Oersted:

So many great sounds on this album, many of which are deep and rich.  Plenty of movement, but until a few points in track 4, it isn't annoyingly squibbly or erratic.  Keenly aware of flow and warmth.  The 3rd track, the shortest, is so subdued and powerful.