MERZBOX owners? - question!

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Anyone checked their Merzbox recently? I took a listen to first disc with 1979 recording, and for my horror, when I tried to get the disc out from plastic wallet.. it seemed stuck there. As if plastic AND the fabric supposedly to protect it from damages would suck into the disc. Well, I did get it out, but ALL 50 discs look like 2nd hand copies. Micro scratches on every disc. More or less. I can't remember was it like this when it came out, or is it something what has happened over years of storage. Anyone checked the set, if discs are nearly stuck in their wallets and with surfaces damaged? If these were silver CDR's, I'm 100% sure few of discs silver surfaces would have simply ripped apart while trying to remove them.
Well... while listening the disc, which is pretty horrid noise monster, re-packaged whole set into better protective sleeves...

[ImpulsyStetoskopu]

Anyone checked their Merzbox recently? I took a listen to first disc with 1979 recording, and for my horror, when I tried to get the disc out from plastic wallet.. it seemed stuck there. As if plastic AND the fabric supposedly to protect it from damages would suck into the disc. Well, I did get it out, but ALL 50 discs look like 2nd hand copies. Micro scratches on every disc. More or less. I can't remember was it like this when it came out, or is it something what has happened over years of storage. Anyone checked the set, if discs are nearly stuck in their wallets and with surfaces damaged? If these were silver CDR's, I'm 100% sure few of discs silver surfaces would have simply ripped apart while trying to remove them.
Well... while listening the disc, which is pretty horrid noise monster, re-packaged whole set into better protective sleeves...

I re-packed all short time after buying it, as almost records which was issued in this way. But my friend had similar to your problems with MERZBOX.

[P-K]

wow, got mine what 2 or 3 years ago and everything looks neat, mint disc surfaces, and the discs don't stick......but i CAN image that this type of sleeves (vinyl?) tends to get stuck on the discs after some storage (i open my set quite frequently) and especially because of the pressure when you close the zipper, it feels thightly packed......

maybe rehouse them anyway :-/

[blackoperations]

i don't own the merzbox. maybe one day.

one early tape release i was surprised wasn't in it is 'aka meme'. it's such a great solid release - really weird industrial sounding with alot of analogue synth and slow rhythms, etc. it's possible it was too 'musical' to be included. ha. i'd probably see about reissuing it myself if i ran a label.

if you haven't heard it i totally recommend it, even if your're not into merzbow but are into early industrial.

here :
http://433rpm.blogspot.com/2007/12/merzbow-aka-meme-tape-v2-archief-1985.html

or here (click picture for download link) :
http://merutsubau.blogspot.com/search/label/Aka%20Meme

according to the 433rpm blog, part of the tape was 'recycled' on the 'red 2 eyes' 10", but you'd never really know!

download 'red 2 eyes' here (again, click picture for download) :
http://merutsubau.blogspot.com/search/label/Red%202%20Eyes

i remixed the track 'mantra tendai' for some merzbow remix comp. if interested, check it out on my page, here :
http://www.myspace.com/blackoperationsmusic

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Also, revisiting it has reminded me about quality and how great early Merzbow is and how I barely need any recent noise bullshit, sad how he's degraded, but that happens to lots of musicians, a totally indirect example would be someone like Paul McCartney, a Beatle and pop genius or whatever ,and now simply a boring old man.  Of course Merzbow is totally cool compared to that, I just can't get into the textures and pacing on all the stuff since, what 2000?  Merzbox remains a monument.

I just listened Ecobondage CD couple days ago. There is short review in "playlist" topic. Listening that, inspired me immediately to start checking out Merzbox for more oldies. For way too many times I have complained about modern day Merzbow, so I need to try stop doing so. It seems irrelevant, when alternative could be about learning and promoting what actually is amazing about his... 100 nice releases!

One could hope that perhaps they should have pressed couple hundred extra of each box set discs to be packaged in individual covers and let them into sale once box version was sold out? At least the most relevant ones. I would belive set of 50 CD's is way too big to anyone with some sense. And they will probably miss many of the amazing noise CD's simply not willing to get 50 at the same time.

One could imagine complete VOD catalogue being re-issued as CDOD as single cd's instead of boxes. Could pick up affordable + your favorite recording in slim cardboard cover with inserts / original art. Instead huge set of multiple discs or vinyl? I'm sure some would rather like the idea of box set than individual disc. In case of suddenly 30 releases of Hijokaidan or just 1 release, which seems to make sense? Probably latter, but nevertheless I could lean towards possibility to buy them little by little than sacrificing entire several months music budget to box.

I guess boxes in general are another topic...