The Merzbox: Two Decades and Counting

[Balor/SS1535]

Over the summer I received a copy of the Merzbox and spent the following few months listening to every disc in order while reading through the book and its liner notes.  To me, this compilation seems to be so many different things.  Most importantly, though, it is a testament and monument to the scale and magnitude of Merzbow's noise---in regards to his willingness to evolve, his longevity as an artist, and his sheer productiveness.

In regards to the Merzbox itself, what do you think of it now almost 23 years after its release?  How does it compare with the new, and larger 10x6=60CDBox?  Does it actually serve as an adequate retrospective of Merzbow's first decades of existence?  Is anything missing?

Secondly, I also think that the Merzbox can serve as an interesting benchmark by which other noise projects can be compared.  It feels that in a genre that often seems to place such an emphasis on productivity that Merzbow has been the only artist to have received such a large-scale retrospective (not to mention that it was released in an edition of 1000 copies).

With this in mind, are there any contemporary noise projects that could or should be given the opportunity to release their version of the Merzbox?

In answering the second half of my questions, I would venture to suggest that The Rita or Bizarre Uproar might be able to accomplish something of this scale without the project becoming superfluous or self-congratulatory.

[Balor/SS1535]

Thinking about it further, Richard Ramirez would be another obvious contender for an opportunity like this.

[moozz]

Merzbox definitely acts as a great retrospective of Merzbow's earliest decades. It has material from pretty much every year from 1979 to 1997. Some of the earliest ones are not so great but that is how he sounded back then. For me those act as sort of curiosity pieces and are important if one thinks of the complete history of Merzbow. I am a big fan of his material from the '90s, before he started using a computer, and luckily there is plenty of great unreleased '90s stuff in the Merzbox.
If you compare the Merzbox to that massive 60 CD set released on Slowdown the main difference is that this newer set contains only (mainly?) unreleased material from the archives and remixed versions of existing releases whereas Merzbox has plenty of material from earlier releases. Cloud Cock 00 Grand for example exists as its 1990 standalone CD, and can be found in both Merzbox and the 60 CD box. It's great so I'm not complaining. The newer box also extends to the early 2000s computer stuff that I think pales in comparison to what Masami was doing in the '90s (or the second half of the '80s).
Slowdown has also continued releasing computer era Merzbow archival material in those 6xCD sets and there is already a 35 CD set of material from 2006-2019. If you love Merzbow's computer works you're in luck.
In my opinion Merzbox is stronger than 10x6=60CDBox. I bough many of the early Slowdown archival releases as single discs when they came out but have sold many of them (I still have half of the discs that are included in the 60 CD set). Would I have sold some of the Merzbox material if it was not a box set but individual discs? Yes, definitely, but a lot less than half.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Thinking about it further, Richard Ramirez would be another obvious contender for an opportunity like this.

I would not vote for Ramirez 50xCD box. Ramirez is, of course, fantastic, but the thing with MERZBOX is that it is massively diverse. It has huge variety of approaches. As great as Ramirez stuff is, and thinking there are several hundreds of releases to pick from, I wouldn't see necessity of HUGE box. New Forces did Ramirez vol 1 box - 5 CD's. You can easily listen it through in one sessions. No problem. Good stuff. "vol 1" kind of hints that there might be more volumes under work? Another 5 x CD box would be certainly welcomed, but if there would be 50xCD box, I have doubts if it has that kind of variation that all discs feel necessary?

Skin Crime had 20xCD box. Only one CD I didn't like much. Hijokaidan 30xCD has some of the best Hijokaidan stuff. Would have been great as stand alone discs too. While it is killer box set, nevertheless, in style of free-live-noizu there certainly is the element of recycled recipe of doing sort of same thing over and over again. There are discs that break the typical patterns, and keep it interesting. Some of the best ones are Mikawa + Jojo duo sets.

For larger boxes, I would first ask is it necessary. Merzbox came in time before you could download stuff, time before discogs. Also time when a lot of his older stuff was no longer available. In time when just about every single Merzbow release was pure gold. Like Moozz says, the box has couple early discs that work as documentation of earliest recordings, but other than that, just pure gold. Besides that man had vision, visual skills, many things could be said.

Not to downplay other artists, but a lot of artists may not be worthy of hardcover book. Regardless how great their noise is. There are no stories to tell behind a lot of harsh noise and perhaps no history other than very small run was made of good harsh noise tape. All these things change the nature of what huge box set means. For a lot of artists it could be good to be able to pick up handful of greatest recordings and issue those stand alone releases or in box set that actually gets listened through and appreciated for what they are.

Documenting every step of slowly evolving artistic process may not be necessary for that many noise makers.

One project, that could be very diverse, have a lot of hard to get jewels in discography, have a lot of visual presentation to make box or/and its accompanying book nice, but also perhaps lots of insight and things to say about their work, therefore perhaps big-box-worthy, in my opinion:

Prurient
Alfarmania

Most great artists could benefit from trying to keep it at 5-10 disc sets, heh...

[Balor/SS1535]

Thinking about it further, Richard Ramirez would be another obvious contender for an opportunity like this.

I would not vote for Ramirez 50xCD box. Ramirez is, of course, fantastic, but the thing with MERZBOX is that it is massively diverse. It has huge variety of approaches. As great as Ramirez stuff is, and thinking there are several hundreds of releases to pick from, I wouldn't see necessity of HUGE box. New Forces did Ramirez vol 1 box - 5 CD's. You can easily listen it through in one sessions. No problem. Good stuff. "vol 1" kind of hints that there might be more volumes under work? Another 5 x CD box would be certainly welcomed, but if there would be 50xCD box, I have doubts if it has that kind of variation that all discs feel necessary?

Skin Crime had 20xCD box. Only one CD I didn't like much. Hijokaidan 30xCD has some of the best Hijokaidan stuff. Would have been great as stand alone discs too. While it is killer box set, nevertheless, in style of free-live-noizu there certainly is the element of recycled recipe of doing sort of same thing over and over again. There are discs that break the typical patterns, and keep it interesting. Some of the best ones are Mikawa + Jojo duo sets.

For larger boxes, I would first ask is it necessary. Merzbox came in time before you could download stuff, time before discogs. Also time when a lot of his older stuff was no longer available. In time when just about every single Merzbow release was pure gold. Like Moozz says, the box has couple early discs that work as documentation of earliest recordings, but other than that, just pure gold. Besides that man had vision, visual skills, many things could be said.

Not to downplay other artists, but a lot of artists may not be worthy of hardcover book. Regardless how great their noise is. There are no stories to tell behind a lot of harsh noise and perhaps no history other than very small run was made of good harsh noise tape. All these things change the nature of what huge box set means. For a lot of artists it could be good to be able to pick up handful of greatest recordings and issue those stand alone releases or in box set that actually gets listened through and appreciated for what they are.

Documenting every step of slowly evolving artistic process may not be necessary for that many noise makers.

One project, that could be very diverse, have a lot of hard to get jewels in discography, have a lot of visual presentation to make box or/and its accompanying book nice, but also perhaps lots of insight and things to say about their work, therefore perhaps big-box-worthy, in my opinion:

Prurient
Alfarmania

Most great artists could benefit from trying to keep it at 5-10 disc sets, heh...

It took me a few days to think of a reply!

The main reason that I thought of Ramirez as an "obvious" contender is the simple fact that he is one of the few people in noise who is actually capable of filling up 50 CDs (and then having lots of material left to spare).  While I agree that a box of his material would not, at face value, be as interesting as Merzbow's, I do wonder whether assembling such a box set would perhaps give a new perspective on his output---maybe even justifying itself in the end?  That's only if it is compiled in the right way, though!

I think the idea of a large box set being "necessary" is an interesting criterion to hold.  I had always thought of the Merzbox as being some sort of almost purposely excessive release, but I never considered the fact that it was released in a world where easy downloads of discographies were not available.

That being said, I personally think in terms of "appropriateness" for getting a release like this.  Almost taking it as a way to honor a project that is, as you say, both prolific and interesting.

Also, could you say more about suggesting Alfarmania?  I would not have considered that project, but the idea of a big box set of his work now sounds really interesting to me.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Also, could you say more about suggesting Alfarmania?  I would not have considered that project, but the idea of a big box set of his work now sounds really interesting to me.

Well, first of all, CD box on label who can handle shipping and maybe people will get the stuff they wanted to hear, haha!
Some of the CD's have decent distribution out there, but a lot of tapes, have been hard, if not impossible to get. His artwork would fill great book. Material is diverse enough, but there is this dark and suffocating feel to it, what makes it fairly easy to lump together big pile of stuff, without feeling it would be going all-over-the-place so to say.

[accidental]

Served it's purpose at the time. Just someone releasing a 50CD box at the time got so much publicity and spread the word of Merzbow. Which had a bigger impact than the content itself. This and the word of the "CD in a car" was probably among the first i heard of the word. Also the fact that it was in the making years prior really spread the word.

Still not sold out from label. Absolutely hilarious that this thing was done in 1000 copies.

The box itself is pretty shite. Alot of stuff previously released and worthy of standalone releases or hunting originals. Almost half of it rejected outtakes and scattered comp tracks. Not much completely new material that had not previously been released in a preferred version.

For $500 i would expect more than a bunch of CDs in bag without original artwork. A dump of music stripped of all it's identity and individuality.

Doesn't matter that fourth tier Merzbow should put all of you guys in retirement. It's like buying that 7CD box of The Stooges Funhouse sessions. There's pills for that stuff you know? I guarantee your life will be better if you go for a carefully selected travel instead.

(yes i eventually bought it, suggestions for pills are welcome)

[Bloated Slutbag]

Served it's purpose at the time. Just someone releasing a 50CD box at the time got so much publicity and spread the word of Merzbow.

That may be true but it also got a lot of flak the other way per suggestions that the label was cashing in on the Merzcraze, with one well known noise label head expressing a hope they'd "default on their bank loan", heh. I confess to have counted myself among the then-skeptics but in retrospect I'd say for fans entirely worth it. Far from fourth tier, rather possibly the last statement just before the massive glut of fourth tier.

[accidental]

Was not aware of or didn't remember that quote. Fourth tier was not meant to be taken literaly. Definitely a closing chapter of two decades output. Or maybe the final bullet into the tissue of NOISE.

Some e.g. with scattered comp tracks mixed in:
#38 outtakes from another release
#39 raw material for other releases
#42 raw material from other releases
#43 Rejected Flying Testicle material
#44 Supposedly part of a trilogy but was never released...
#45 Rejected material from 3 releases
#48 different mix used as raw material
#49 Ten mins on comp, we get full version here

One approach would be the more the merrie. Consider yourself an addict. Another would be to question why some of this stuff was rejected. And is there a need for 5 different mixes etc. People would benefit of actually listening to the stuff they got, than hunting for yet another mix or raw material partly used elsewhere. Especially with a price tag of $500. Stop chasing the dragon. It's an illusion. But an addict is always looking for and scoring the next hit.

I'd say for fans not worth it. If you're an addict i can't help you...

[Zeno Marx]

I don't know about all that.  I'm unashamedly a Merzbaby.  Maybe I should be paying more attention to the endless glut of new noise, but I'm not.  I feel little need when I can listen to a fifth remix, or whatever, of a Merzbow track or album and be perfectly noise satisfied.  No gamble.  All pleasure.  No guilt.  And that remix is REALLY FUCKING GOOD.  It's not as if you're dropping your standards or just playing some game of nostalgia.  The proof is in the pudding.  And as was said, I like that it is all so confusing.  Why are there remixes or multiple edits?  What kind of archive does Merzbow keep?  Like fashion collectors or the Grateful Dead, does Merzbow rent out warehouse space and employ an assistant or interns to keep track of his library?  Probably not, but the fact that all these boxes and tracks continue to pop up pang the imagination.  It's fascinating and fun.