The name "Merzbow" comes from German artist Kurt Schwitters' artwork, Merzbau. This was chosen to reflect Akita's dada influence and junk-art aesthetic. In addition to this, Akita has cited a wide range of influences from various progressive rock artists such as Frank Zappa and King Crimson to Japanese bondage.
In 2000, Extreme Records released the 50 CD box set known as the Merzbox. From 2004 onwards, he has been a supporter of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) which has influenced a number of animal-themed releases as well as Akita becoming vegan. Akita's work has been the subject of several remix albums and at least one tribute album. Akita is a prolific musician and has produced over 400 releases since 1980. This, among other achievements, has helped Merzbow to be regarded as the "most important artist in noise music".
Woodpecker No. 1
Merzbow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
eEeEeeEeEeEeEEeEeEeeE
eEEEeEEEEEEEeeEeeeeEe
eEeEEEeEeeEeEeEeEEeEe
eEEEEEeeEeEeEeEEeeEe
eEeEeeEeEeEeEEeEeEeeE
eEEEeEEEEEEEeeEeeeeEe
eEeEEEeEeeEeEeEeEEeEeeEEEEEeeEeEeEeEEeeEe
eEeEeeEeEeEeEEeEeEeeE
eEEEeEEEEEEEeeEeeeeEe
eEeEEEeEeeEeEeEeEEeEe
eEEEEEeeEeEeEeEEeeEe
eEeEeeEeEeEeEEeEeEeeE
eEEEeEEEEEEEeeEeeeeEe
eEeEEEeEeeEeEeEeEEeEe
eEEEEEeeEeEeEeEEeeEe
eEeEeeEeEeEeEEeEeEeeE
eEEEeEEEEEEEeeEeeeeEe
eEeEEEeEeeEeEeEeEEeEe
eEEEEEeeEeEeEeEEeeEe
eEeEeeEeEeEeEEeEeEeeE
eEEEeEEEEEEEeeEeeeeEe
eEeEEEeEeeEeEeEeEEeEe
eEEEEEeeEeEeEeEEeeEe
eEeEeeEeEeEeEEeEeEeeE
eEEEeEEEEEEEeeEeeeeEe
eEeEEEeEeeEeEeEeEEeEe
eEEEEEeeEeEeEeEEeeEe
eEeEeeEeEeEeEEeEeEeeE
eEEEeEEEEEEEeeEeeeeEe
eEeEEEeEeeEeEeEeEEeEe
eEEEEEeeEeEeEeEEeeEe
eEeEeeEeEeEeEEeEeEeeE
eEeEEEeEeeEeEeEeEEeEe
eEEEEEeeEeEeEeEEeeEe
eEeEeeEeEeEeEEeEeEeeE
eEEEeEEEEEEEeeEeeeeEe
eEeEEEeEeeEeEeEeEEeEe
eEEEEEeeEeEeEeEEeeEe
eEeEeeEeEeEeEEeEeEeeE
eEEEeEEEEEEEeeEeeeeEe
eEeEEEeEeeEeEeEeEEeEe
eEEEEEeeEeEeEeEEeeEe
eEeEeeEeEeEeEEeEeEeeE
eEEEeEEEEEEEeeEeeeeEe
eEeEEEeEeeEeEeEeEEeEe
eEEEEEeeEeEeEeEEeeEe
eEeEeeEeEeEeEEeEeEeeE
eEEEeEEEEEEEeeEeeeeEe
eEeEEEeEeeEeEeEeEEeEe
Merzbow's song Woodpecker No. 1 has no lyrics in the traditional sense, as it consists entirely of electronic noise. Despite having no discernible melody or beat, the song is evocative in its own way, with its frenzied eEEEEeEEEeEeEeEeEEeeEe sounds conjuring images of a woodpecker rhythmically pecking at a tree. The repeated pattern of sound creates a feeling of tension and release, as if the woodpecker is gradually chipping away at the bark until it breaks through. The staticky quality of the noise suggests the presence of an unseen electrical force at play, adding an eerie element to the overall soundscape.
Overall, Woodpecker No. 1 is an experimental and abstract piece of music that can be interpreted in a multitude of ways. It's a testament to the fact that music need not fit into preconceived boxes of structure or genre in order to be evocative or interesting.
Contributed by Henry H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@APuzzle1
Lyrics:
[thousands of people screaming and drowning in lava]
[radio tuning]
[Krakatoa eruption]
[front row of a rock concert]
[girls when the lights go out in class]
[Dream's intro music]
[windstorm]
[large hadron collider gradually destroying the universe]
[robot factory exploding]
[keyboard solo]
[evil-infested laughter of Satan himself]
[fingernails on a blackboard]
[soccer players when they get tapped on the shoulder]
[Taylor Swift]
[Justin Bieber fans during concert]
[babies crying on planes]
@relapserecords
Relapse presents a remastered reissue from the undisputed king of Japanese noise-MERZBOW. "Pulse Demon" is one of the most celebrated releases of Masami Akita's storied 4 decade long career. Composed entirely by live noise concrete and the use of a fuzz box, "Pulse Demon" eschews all overdubs and studio trickery, laying MERZBOW bare. What follows in these recordings is the pure essence of unfettered noise. The rawness in "Pulse Demon" is palpable; praised as "genuinely extreme, downright torturous sounds that are strangely compelling in their shredding intensity." (A.V. Club) upon its original release in 1996.
Remastered by James Plotkin (ISIS, ELECTRIC WIZARD, FULL OF HELL, and more,) the "Pulse Demon" reissues features "Extract 1", a never-before released track that was recorded as part of the original "Pulse Demon" sessions.
"simply pure sound, viciously unadulterated static" - Pitchfork
@noisepollution6761
Mezzanine
@wardulens7607
bro this is ProlapseRecords at this point
@r.s.dissendissen6752
Its broken...should label it as :broken music
@vinstual9830
Eeh, this is just screaming and scraping. It needs more Bass to actually be considered pure Sound but other than that: its amazing.
@nahuezubi4475
Lo-fi beats to study and relax
@motro1301
HI-FI BEATS TO BE HYPERACTIVE AND ERRATIC
@trevorwills1600
If you're trying to fail all your classes and murder your professors then yes.
@meltingcolorsthatdontblend1982
well Ironically actually listen to this album when I'm doing home. to me the pure white noise hell keeps my mind distracted from what I'm actually doing. Because
with normal sounds and music I tend to loss track of my work and pay more attention to the music. But yeah it's kinda hard to pay attention to this lol
@todessehnsucht
More like, lo-fi beatings! hahaha