title: Merzbox
text: Merzbox is a box set compilation by the Japanese noise musician Merzbow. It consists of 50 CDs spanning Merzbow's career from 1979 to 1997. 30 discs are taken from long out of print releases, while 20 are composed mainly of unreleased material. The box also contains two CD-ROMs, six CD-sized round cards, six round stickers, a poster, a black long-sleeve T-shirt, a medallion, and the Merzbook, all packaged together in a "fetish" black rubber box. It is limited to 1000 numbered copies. A Merzbox Sampler was released in 1997.
  
  The Merzbook, subtitled The Pleasuredome of Noise, is a 132-page hardcover book written by Brett Woodward with over 100 images. It contains an extensive biography, culled from previous interviews and articles, a new interview, and essays by Achim Wollscheid, Jim O'Rourke, Damion Romero, Eugene Thacker, and Jonathan Walker. Masami Akita provides extensive liner notes for each disc. The book was also released separately with the Merzrom included.
  
  The Merzrom is an interactive multimedia CD-ROM, designed by Troy Innocent. A second CD-ROM contains various Extreme press and a catalog. The "Merzdallion" medallion was designed by Marcus Davidson. Art direction and design were by Doriana Corda. Audio mastering was by François Tétaz.
  
  History
  Extreme's original plan was to reissue Collaborative, their only vinyl release, for the label's tenth anniversary. There was then discussion of reissuing other early releases, with talk of a ten disc box, the number was finally set at 50 discs. The Merzbox was originally scheduled for release in late 1997, and available for pre-order, but kept getting delayed until it was finally released in 2000. It was officially launched on June 16, 2000 at Sónar, Barcelona, where Merzbow also performed.
  
  Those who had pre-ordered received a two CD album called Decomposition with remixes of Eugene Thacker and Shane Fahey followed by the original tracks, the Merzbox Sampler, and two posters. These were then made available with purchase of the Merzbox for extra money.
  
  The Merzbox was exhibited at Kunsthalle Wien, Vienna from April 4 to April 7, 2002. Merzbow performed opening and closing concerts. All 60 hours were webcast live.
  
  In December 2002, Georgia Tech's student-run radio station WREK broadcast the entire 50-disc Merzbox without interruption. An article in Creative Loafing described the Merzbow Marathon as "what may be the most obscure and counterintuitive move in the history of radio."
  
  Between the final recordings of the set and its release, Merzbow switched to using a laptop, having first acquired a Macintosh to work on the artwork for the set.
  
  Masami Akita has stated in a 2009 interview that he has enough unreleased material for another 50 CD box. Between 2010 and 2013, he released four 10 box sets of unreleased raw material recorded from 1987 to 1997; Merzbient, Merzphysics, Merzmorphosis, and Duo. 2012 also saw the release of Lowest Music & Arts 1980–1983, a 10 LP box set that included some full-length albums only partially released in the Merzbox.  Since 2018, further archival recordings have been released through Japanese label Slowdown Records, including the 60 CD boxset 10×6=60 in 2021.
  
  Album listing
  
  OM Electrique
  
  The first noise recordings of Merzbow. Previously unreleased.
  
  Personnel 
  Masami Akita – tape recorder, percussion, meditation, guitar, Merztronics, taped drums, voice, water
  
  Metal Acoustic Music
  
  Earliest Merzbow recording available until the release of the Merzbox.
  
  Notes 
  Side one of the Metal Acoustic Music cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1981
  
  Personnel 
  Masami Akita – Merztronics, tape recorder, recorded percussion
  
  Remblandt Assemblage
  
  First work using tape manipulation. Only a few copies distributed.
  
  Notes
  Mixed at Lowest Music & Arts, 1980
  All tracks from Remblandt Assemblage cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1981
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – tapes, prepared acoustic guitar, noise, tabla, percussion, microphone, voice, radio, concret sounds, egg cutter
  
  Collection Era Vol. 1
  
  The three Collection Era discs are compiled from the ten volume Collection series. The first five volumes were recorded for Ylem and consist of studio sessions with Kiyoshi Mizutani. However, Ylem went out of business before they could be released. Masami Akita then released them himself and recorded five more at home using previous Collection session recordings mixed with new material and effects.
  
  Notes
  Mixed at Ylem/Gap Works, Tokyo, 3 June 1981
  Tracks 1–2 from Collection 001 cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1981
  Track 3 from Collection 002 cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1981
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – tapes, ring modulator, violin, tabla, voice, guitar, percussion, drums, radio
  Kiyoshi Mizutani – drums on track 1, percussion on track 2, organ on track 3
  
  Collection Era Vol. 2
  Note: The contents of CD 5 and CD 6 were switched (5 has eight tracks and 6 has seven), the info below is as it appears in the Merzbook.
  
  Notes
  Mixed at Lowest Music & Arts, 1981
  Tracks 1–4 from Collection 007 cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1981
  Track 5 from Collection 009 cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1981
  Tracks 6–7 from Collection 010 cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1982
  Merztronics tape used on tracks 6–7
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – taped drums, tabla, guitar, tapes, Synare 3, percussion, ring modulated recorders, voice, endless tape, noise, rhythm box
  Kiyoshi Mizutani – wood bass on track 6
  
  Collection Era Vol. 3
  
  Notes
  Tracks 1–7 from Collection 008 cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1981
  Track 8 from Tridal Production cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1982
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – guitar, tape, damaged tape recorder, bass guitar, Dr. Rhythm, ring modulator, percussion, rubber guitar, violin, tape loops, Synare 3, tabla, drums, synthesizer
  Kiyoshi Mizutani – guitar on track 1, piano on track 4, violin on tracks 7–8
  
  Paradoxa Paradoxa
  
  The first Merzbow live performance.
  
  Notes
  Mastered from original live recording
  Track 1 from Paradoxa Paradoxa cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1982
  Track 2 previously unreleased
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – Merztronix, tape, solar organ on track 2, violin, Dr. Rhythm, alto saxophone, radio, feedback
  Kiyoshi Mizutani – solar organ on track 1, violin, tape, piano
  Masahiro Kurose – live recording
  
  Material Action for 2 Microphones
  
  "Material Action" was a term for using household objects to make quiet sounds, which were then amplified, inspired by John Cage's "Cartridge Music". The term itself was taken from Otto Muehl. This recording was used as raw material for other works such as Material Action 2 N.A.M.
  
  Notes
  Mixed at Lowest Music & Arts Studio, 1981
  Tracks 1–2 from Material Action for 2 Microphones cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1981
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – condenser microphone, environmental percussion, scratched sound, tapes, turntable, radio
  Kiyoshi Mizutani – condenser microphone, percussion, additional synthesizer
  
  Yantra Material Action
  
  Originally intended to be the first Merzbow LP, but it went unreleased. Six months later the label then asked again to release the LP, but Akita decided to record new material – which became Material Action 2 N.A.M. Includes reworks of past recordings with added effects and new instrumentation. The liner notes were to have been written by Fred Frith, who heard the tape and liked it.
  
  Notes
  Mixed at Junktion Music Works, 1981
  All tracks from Yantra Material Action cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1983
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – tapes, junks, noise, percussion, radio, drums, guitar
  Kiyoshi Mizutani – percussion, guitar, keyboards, synthesizer, tapes
  H. Kawagishi – sound engineering
  
  Solonoise
  
  Solonoise means "Solar-Noise", inspired by Georges Bataille's The Solar Anus.
  
  Notes
  Tracks 1–2 from Solonoise 1 cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1982
  Track 3 from Solonoise 2 cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1982
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – electronics, ring modulator, violin, voice, treated tapes, acoustic guitar, Nil Vagina tape loop, treated percussion, Synare 3, TV, styrofoam
  Kiyoshi Mizutani – violin, electric piano on track 1
  
  Expanded Music
  
  Conceptual works manipulating various inputs using feedback processed audio mixer. Inspired by Stan Brakhage's scratched films.
  
  Notes
  Tracks 1-8 from Expanded Music 2 cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1982
  Track 9 from Musick from Simulation World cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1983
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – TV test signal, feedback mixer, damaged tape recorder, Dr. Rhythm, tapes, percussion, synthesizer
  
  Nil Vagina Tape Loops
  
  Featuring a four track tape recorder found in the street. A different sound was recorded on each track, and then played back randomly.
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – Sony 464 tape recorder, Nil Vagina tape loop, treated tapes, percussion, Synare 3, Dr. Rhythm
  
  Notes
  Track 1 from Solonoise 2 cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1982
  Tracks 2–3 from Lowest Music 2 cassette, Lowest Music & Arts, 1982
  
  Material Action 2 N.A.M
  
  The first Merzbow LP. The 2 in the title refers to Yantra Material Action, which was meant to be the first LP. Sounds include styrofoam and a typesetting machine (Kiyoshi Mizutani worked at a typesetting company at the time). Includes raw material from Material Action for 2 Microphones.
  
  Notes
  All tracks from Material Action 2 N.A.M. LP, Chaos, 1983
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – tapes, junk percussion, electro-acoustical noise, organ, tape collage, recording, mixing
  Kiyoshi Mizutani – tapes, synthesizer, violin, machine noise
  H. Kawagishi – engineering
  
  Mechanization Takes Command
  
  First release on ZSF Produkt. Akita changed the name of his label since he wanted to release other artists. Featuring the Synare 3, which was later destroyed by Bara on stage in the late 90s.
  
  Notes
  Mixed at ZSF Produkt Studio, Asagaya March 1983
  All tracks from Mechanization Takes Command cassette, ZSF Produkt, 1983
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – Pearl drum kit, various percussion, tapes, TV, Synare 3, voice, tabla, Dr. Rhythm, ring modulator, guitar, feedback, synthesizer, recorder, scrap metals, devices
  
  Dying Mapa Tapes 1-2
  
  Title inspired by the Nyingmapa school of Tibetan Buddhism. Made with different equipment and instruments than other recordings of the same period. Featuring instruments recorded on tape, then slowed down or played backwards.
  
  Notes
  Produced by Lowest Music & Arts, 1982
  Tracks 1–4 from Dying Mapa I cassette, Aeon, 1983
  Track 5 from Dying Mapa II cassette, Aeon, 1983
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – tapes, radio, ring modulator, percussion, noise, rhythm box, guitar
  Kiyoshi Mizutani – violin, percussion
  
  Dying Mapa Tapes 2-3
  
  Notes
  Produced by Lowest Music & Arts, 1982
  Track 1 from Dying Mapa II cassette, Aeon, 1983
  Tracks 2–3 from Dying Mapa III cassette, Aeon, 1983
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – tapes, radio, ring modulator, percussion, noise, rhythm, junk electronics, TV, guitar, bass
  Kiyoshi Mizutani – violin, percussion
  
  Agni Hotra
  
  Originally intended to be the second Merzbow LP, but it went unreleased. Includes outtakes from Ushi-tra, which is from the same period. Loops were included on Loop Panic Limited.
  
  Notes
  Tracks 1–4 from first Agni Hotra master
  Track 5 from second Agni Hotra master
  Track 6 appeared with different mix on Ushi-tra cassette, Cause & Effect, 1985
  Track 7 from Ushi-tra recording session
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – distorted tape loops, metals, recorder, tapes, tape reel, percussion, shakujo, bells, noise
  
  Pornoise 1kg Vol. 1
  
  In the 80s Masami Akita had a mail art project called Pornoise, in which he made collages using discarded magazines – in particular pornographic magazines – taken from the trash. These were then sent along with his cassettes, the idea being that his art was like cheap mail order pornography. Pornoise/1kg was released as part of these activities; the 1 kg refers to the total weight of the original package. The voice on "Night Noise White" is taken from the "Halt Tape".
  
  Notes
  All tracks from Pornoise/1kg cassette box, ZSF Produkt, 1984
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – distorted Sony 464, feedback mixer, radio, loop tapes, Synare 3, rhythm box, ring modulator, devices
  Kiyoshi Mizutani – taped typesetting machine noise and taped synthesizer on tracks 2–4 with distorted process
  
  Pornoise 1kg Vol. 2
  
  Field recordings on "Dynamite Don Don" include street sounds recorded from a moving bicycle, and a house being demolished across from Akita's apartment.
  
  Notes
  All tracks from Pornoise/1kg cassette box, ZSF Produkt, 1984
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – distorted Sony 464, feedback mixer, loop tapes, Synare 3, ring modulator, field recording tapes, devices
  
  Pornoise 1kg Vol. 3
  
  The voice on "UFO vs British Army" is taken from the "Halt Tape". Some other samples are from horror films.
  
  Notes
  All tracks from Pornoise/1kg cassette box, ZSF Produkt, 1984
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – distorted Sony 464, feedback mixer, loop tapes, Synare 3, ring modulator, devices
  
  Pornoise Extra
  
  Additional tracks from the Pornoise 1kg sessions. Original release had different track titles.
  
  Notes
  All tracks from Pornoise/Extra cassette, ZSF Produkt, 1985
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – feedback mixer, radio, loop tapes, Synare 3, rhythm box, ring modulator, distorted Sony 464, devices
  Kiyoshi Mizutani – sampled electric piano
  
  Sadomasochismo / Lampinak
  
  Includes unused tracks for Batztoutai with Memorial Gadgets
  
  Notes
  Tracks 1–3 from Sadomasochismo cassette, ZSF Produkt, 1985
  Tracks 4–6 from The Lampinak cassette, ZSF Produkt, 1985
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – various metal percussion, chain, loops, noise electronics, Synare 3, tapes
  
  Mortegage / Batztoutai Extra
  
  Original recordings for the Batztoutai with Memorial Gadgets album. Includes samples from François Bayle, Conlon Nancarrow, Ivo Malec, Luc Ferrari.
  
  Notes
  Track 1 appeared edited on Batztoutai with Memorial Gadgets LP, RRRecords, 1986
  Track 2 previously unreleased
  Track 3 appeared in different order on Batztoutai with Memorial Gadgets LP
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – tapes, voice, electronics, scrap metals, percussion, field recordings
  
  Enclosure / Libido Economy
  
  First of two cassettes made with raw material from Ecobondage, Vratya Southward being the second.
  
  Notes
  Tracks 1–3 from Enclosure cassette, ZSF Produkt, 1987
  Track 5 from Enkele Gemotiveerde Produktiemedewerkers compilation, Midas Music, 1990
  Track 6 from Network 77 compilation, Network 77, 1990
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – bowed instruments with piano wires, ring modulator, tapes, feedback mixer, effects, percussion, turntable
  
  Vratya Southward
  
  Second cassette made with raw material from Ecobondage. "Electric Red Desart" includes a field recording of the  festival at the Goryō shrine in Kamakura. Masami Akita posted photos of the procession on his blog in 2010.
  
  Notes
  Tracks 1–2 from Vratya Southward cassette, ZSF Produkt, 1987
  Track 3 previously unreleased
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – cymbals, various percussion, electronics, paper pipe, tapes, plastic, voice, flute, toy marimba, scratch records, electric violin on tracks 1–2; feedback mixer, piano strings on metal box on track 3
  
  Live in Khabarovsk, CCCP – I'm Proud by Rank of the Workers
  
  First two of three performances. First performance was stopped for being "too wild", so they then played more conventionally. Includes Batztoutai material on backing tape, and Russian radio.
  
  Notes
  Recorded live at Jazz-on-Amur '88, Khabarovsk, Russia
  Live PA recordings by Russian staff
  Remastered from original live recording
  Different versions appeared on Live in Khabarovsk, CCCP LP, ZSF Produkt, 1988
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – electric bowed instruments, tape, radio on track 1; drums, tape on track 2
  Kiyoshi Mizutani – piano, low feedback US MP guitar on track 1; piano, guitar on track 2
  
  Storage
  
  Due to issues with sound quality, the recording was edited for the LP release. The full-length recording is released here for the first time. The working title for the album was War Storage, which is now used for the track titles.
  
  Notes
  All tracks from Storage LP, ZSF Produkt, 1988
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – bowed instruments with piano wires, percussion, tapes, effects, guitar
  Kiyoshi Mizutani – submitted raw material on track 2
  
  Fission Dialogue
  
  Unreleased tracks from Ecobondage and Storage period.
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – cymbals, various percussion, electronics, voice, byan, bowed instruments, paper pipe on tracks 1–2; noise electronics, turntable, scrap metals on track 3
  
  Collaborative
  
  Essay by Jonathan Walker from the original LP is reprinted in the Merzbook.
  
  Notes
  Track 1 recorded at ZSF Produkt on 8 March 1988
  Track 2 produced 1988
  Track 3 recorded at ZSF Produkt (live) on 1 May 1988
  All tracks from Collaborative LP+7″, Extreme, 1988 [Note: The S.B.O.T.H.I. solo track from the 7″ is not included in the Merzbox]
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – tapes, metals, scratch, guitar, mixing on track 3
  Kiyoshi Mizutani – samples, guitar, balalaika, byan on track 3
  Achim Wollscheid – raw materials on track 1, production on track 2
  
  Crocidura Dsi Nezumi
  
  "Unplugged noise" made using household objects; violin sound is violin bow on plastic cassette case or wood, acoustic guitar is a rubber band, Tibetan trumpet is a toilet paper tube, electrical sounds are made with metal. "Environmental drums" are the floor, gas stove, the spring of a table lamp.
  
  Names are taken from the Latin names of the Dsinezumi shrew, Japanese stoat, and Japanese least weasel. Other titles were inspired by Frank Zappa's song "The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet" and Sun Ra's album Strange Strings.
  
  Notes
  Tracks 1-2 from Crocidura Dsi Nezumi cassette, ZSF Produkt and Banned Production, 1988
  Track 3 previously unreleased
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – environmental drums, bowed instruments, paper pipe, plastic, woods, flute, insects, effects on tracks 1–2; bowed instruments, motor, noise electronics on track 3
  
  KIR Transformation
  
  From a concert with Achim Wollscheid: first Merzbow played, then Wollscheid played using a recording of Merzbow's set, then Merzbow and Wollscheid played together.
  
  Notes
  Edited by Achim Wollscheid, 1997
  
  SCUM Vol. 1
  
  SCUM was project to create new works out of previous Merzbow sessions using cut-ups, effects, and mixing. Name taken from the SCUM Manifesto. The track titles influenced by American post-war art. This was last LP record on ZSF Produkt.
  
  Notes
  Order of this CD is same as the original master tapes
  Tracks 2–5 previously unreleased
  All others from Scissors for Cutting Merzbow LP, ZSF Produkt, 1989
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – electronics, tapes, bowed instruments, percussion, metal junks, motor, piano wires, noise generator, drums, guitar, radio
  Kiyoshi Mizutani – junks, effects on raw materials
  
  SCUM Vol. 2
  
  Notes
  Order of this CD is same as the original master tapes
  Track 4 previously unreleased
  All others from Scissors for Cutting Merzbow LP, ZSF Produkt, 1989
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – electronics, tapes, bowed instruments, percussion, metal junks, motor, piano wires, noise generator, guitar, electric shaver, radio, effects
  Kiyoshi Mizutani – guitar, junks, effects on raw materials
  
  Severances
  
  Includes two covers, "Deaf Forever" by Motörhead and the Jimi Hendrix version of "Wild Thing".
  
  Notes
  Drum track of "Rap the Khabarovsk" was recorded live in Russia
  All tracks from Severances cassette, Discordia/Concordia, 1989
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – tapes, turntables, electronix, drum kit, percussion, voice, metal percussion, bowed instruments, electro-shaver, motor, self-made junk
  Kiyoshi Mizutani – tape materials: guitar on tracks 1 and 3; keyboard, computer rhythm on track 2
  
  Steel CUM
  
  The EP on Vertical Records was remixed and released without permission, with the cover made using one of Masami Akita's collages. "But a result of EP was fine. So, I'm agreed. But EP is still bootleg."
  
  Notes
  Mixed at ZSF Produkt Studio 1989
  All tracks from Steel Cum cassette, ZSF Produkt, 1990
  Some parts appeared on Steel Cum 7″, Vertical, 1992
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – guitar, drums, tapes, electronics, metal bowed instruments, feedback mixer, turntable
  Kiyoshi Mizutani – drums, guitar on some parts
  
  Cloud Cock OO Grand
  
  During the European tour in 1989, Masami Akita could only bring simple equipment, and created a new live electronics style, different from his acoustical and tape based studio work, leading to the harsh noise Merzbow became known for in the 1990s. Cloud Cock OO Grand was the first example of this style, Merzbow's first digital recording, and the only CD on ZSF Produkt.
  
  Notes
  Mixed at ZSF Produkt Studio 17 April 1990
  Track 4 includes live recordings at V2, 's-Hertogenbosch, and Diogenes, Nijmegen, September 1989
  All tracks from Cloud Cock OO Grand CD, ZSF Produkt, 1990 [Note: "Modular" is about five minutes longer here than on the original CD]
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – tapes, noise electronics, metals, distorted DBX, turntable, loops, bowed instruments, metal harp, short wave
  Reiko Azuma – bowed instruments on track 4
  Peter Duimelinks – original live recordings
  
  Newark Hellfire, Live at WFMU, USA
  
  Radio session from Merzbow's first American tour.
  
  Notes
  Live recording by WFMU
  Remastered from original recording at ZSF Produkt Studio
  An excerpt appeared on Great American Nude / Crash for Hi-Fi CD, Alchemy, 1991
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – feedback audio mixer, metals, electronics, electric shaver
  Reiko Azuma – metals, bowed instruments
  
  Hannover Cloud
  
  Features outtakes from Hannover Interruption and Cloud Cock OO Grand. "Rocket Bomber" uses raw materials from Sadomasochismo.
  
  Notes
  Tracks 1–2 outtakes from Hannover Interruption LP, Dradomel, 1990
  Track 3 outtake from Cloud Cock OO Grand CD, ZSF Produkt, 1990
  Track 4 different mix appeared on Cloud Cock OO Grand
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – noise electronics, metals, tapes
  
  Stacy Q, Hi-Fi Sweet Leaf
  
  Originally made as raw material for "Crash for Hi-Fi", "Wing Over", and "Another Crash for High Tide". Includes the use of a scratched Cloud Cock OO Grand CD.
  
  Notes
  All tracks no editing
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – noise electronics, tapes, scratched CD, radio, sound effect records, guitar
  
  Music for True Romance Vol. 1
  
  Backing tracks made for True Romance, a performance art project with Seido and Bara.
  
  Notes
  Tracks 1–4 made for Blood Orgy of the She Dolls soundtrack, 1992
  Track 5 made for "Isis and Secret Army Hyper Vivisection" performance at MOMA, Kyoto, 1993
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – tapes, electronics, disks
  
  Brain Ticket Death
  
  Track 4 samples Brainticket's self-titled song from their album Cottonwoodhill. It's also a reference to Nurse with Wound, who used the same bit on Brained by Falling Masonry.
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – noise electronics, metals, turntable, bass, guitar
  
  Sons of Slash Noise Metal
  
  Tracks 1 and 3 were made as raw material for recordings of the same period. Track 2 is a remix of a fragment.
  
  Notes
  All tracks remastered from original mother tape, no editing
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – metals, noise electronics, scratched CD, radio, tapes
  
  Exotic Apple
  
  Includes Arthur Lyman samples. Yuuri Sunohara is a director, producer, model etc. for Kinbiken/Right Brain. "Apple Rock" includes unused material originally made for Flying Testicle.
  
  Notes
  Track 1 from Melt compilation, Work In Progress, 1992
  Track 2 from Land of the Rising Noise compilation, Charnel House, 1993
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – tapes, noise electronix, metals, guitar, EMS Synthi A, Roland TR-606
  
  Liquid City
  
  Originally intended to be part of a CD+CD-ROM called Scatologic Baroque, but it was canceled. The material for the CD-ROM was use for the book Anal Baroque. Part of the "World Trilogy" with Magnesia Nova and Green Wheels. "Liquid City 17-1-95" was recorded on the same day as the Great Hanshin earthquake. "Tiabguls" is a Throbbing Gristle tribute.
  
  Notes
  Track 3 from Entertainment Through Pain compilation, RRRecords, 1995
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – noise electronics, metals, EMS, voice
  
  Red Magnesia Pink
  
  Outtakes from Red 2 Eyes, Magnesia Nova, and Pinkream.
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – EMS Synthi 'A', noise electronics, metal, filters, voice
  
  Marfan Syndrome
  
  "Marfan Syndrome for Blue" is Akita's first track to use the EMS synthesiser. Track 2 is a reference to Claes Oldenburg, who creates oversized sculptures of everyday objects, including soft sculptures.
  
  Notes
  Track 1 appeared with different mix on Eternal Blue Extreme compilation, Somnus, 1994
  Track 4 appeared edited on Coruscanto by Reiko Azuma, Nekoisis, 1995
  All others previously unreleased
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – noise electronics, EMS, Synare 3, metals, rubber bass guitar, telephone signal, tape, voice
  Reiko Azuma – voice on tracks 1 and 5
  
  Rhinogradentia
  
  Named after a fictitious order of mammals. Masami Akita performed solo twice as Zecken, playing this style.
  
  Notes
  Remixed in 1997
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – noise electronics, EMS, audio generator, filters
  
  Space Mix Travelling Band
  
  Tracks 1–2 are based on four channel tape: two channels recorded in 1994 and used on tracks of the same period, and two channels of EMS recorded in 1996. Additional EMS and Moog overdub and final mix in 1997.
  
  Notes
  Raw materials of tracks recorded during 1994–1996
  Track 3 different mix used as raw material for Brisbane–Tokyo Interlace with John Watermann, Cold Spring, 1996
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – noise electronics, EMS, Moog, metals, voice, tapes
  
  Motorond
  
  Track 1 was the most recent live performance when the Merzbox was compiled.
  
  Notes
  All remixed at ZSF Produkt Studio, April 1997
  Track 2 last 10 minutes appeared on Non Stop Noise Party, Hond in de Goot, 2000
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – noise electronics, Novation Bass Station, metals, pressure pedal
  Bara – voice
  
  Annihiloscillator
  
  Selection of recent tracks when the Merzbox was compiled. Track 3 is a reference to Marguerite Yourcenar's Dark Brain of Piranesi, an essay about Giovanni Battista Piranesi's Carceri prints.
  
  Notes
  Raw material for track 2 recorded live in California, 1995
  Track 4 appeared on Merzbow/Kadef split 10″, Dreizehn, 1997
  
  Personnel
  Masami Akita – metal, noise electronix, EMS on tracks 1–2, Theremin on tracks 1–4, Moog on track 4
  Reiko Azuma – noise on track 2
  Bara – voice on track 2
  
  References
  
  Merzbow compilation albums
  2000 compilation albums