New Arrivals / Last 4 weeks
Wa
These recordings represent the very beginning of Merzbow's laptop style - the birth of a new methodology that would reshape the project's sound and process. The album references "Wa 30.25" from Collapse 12 Floors (Ohm, 2000), including the extended mix alongside previously unreleased re-edited material.
"Wa" carries multiple Japanese associations: harmony, circle, Japan itself - suggesting meditation on identity and continuity at a moment of technological rupture. As Akita traded physical equipm…
Spring Harp-O
The evocative title conjures resonant strings and seasonal renewal - unexpected associations for harsh noise, yet characteristic of Akita's poetic sensibility. The harp represents ethereal beauty and delicate tones; by invoking it in a noise context, Merzbow performs characteristic subversion, finding harshness in beauty and beauty in harshness.
The "Spring" element suggests rebirth, new beginnings - perhaps reflecting Akita's sense that the late 90s represented a transitional moment, the end of…
Medamaya-O
Medamaya-O extends late-90s documentation with 1997-1998 recordings. "Medamaya" evokes eye imagery (目玉屋) - the eye shop or eye house. Akita's engagement with visual perception themes runs throughout his work; despite creating purely sonic art, he frequently invokes seeing and looking. The eye watches, judges, reflects - and can be overwhelmed by excessive input.
These recordings capture Merzbow at the end of the analog era, before digital tools transformed everything. There's a tactile quality t…
Tauro-O2
The "Tauro" albums contain outtakes from the 1998 masterpiece Tauromachine (Relapse/Release) and unused material from the same period - the "O" in the title standing for "Outtakes." While the 10CD box Merzmorphosis (Youth Inc., 2012) previously compiled much unreleased 1996-97 material, it excluded recordings related to 1930 and Tauromachine. This "Tauro" material appears here for the first time.
The equipment list reveals Akita's expanding palette: Moog Rogue, Theremin, Novation Bass Station, T…
Tauro-O1
The "Tauro" albums contain outtakes from the 1998 masterpiece Tauromachine (Relapse/Release) and unused material from the same period - the "O" in the title standing for "Outtakes." While the 10CD box Merzmorphosis (Youth Inc., 2012) previously compiled much unreleased 1996-97 material, it excluded recordings related to 1930 and Tauromachine. This "Tauro" material appears here for the first time.
The equipment list reveals Akita's expanding palette: Moog Rogue, Theremin, Novation Bass Station, T…
Cat Of Shell Vol.2
Volume 2. Cat Of Shell was recorded in 1996 and originally intended for release under the same title, but remained unreleased until now. According to Akita's notes, the DAT master index lists both "Cat Of Shell" and "1930" - indicating these recordings relate to the celebrated 1930 album (Tzadik). The repetitive sounds playing in clever, ear-catching balance suggest techno influences, while cracked sounds reminiscent of metal pronunciation and tremendous sonic depth characterize the sessions.
At…
Cat Of Shell Vol.1
Cat Of Shell was recorded in 1996 and originally intended for release under the same title, but remained unreleased until now. According to Akita's notes, the DAT master index lists both "Cat Of Shell" and "1930" - indicating these recordings relate to the celebrated 1930 album (Tzadik). The repetitive sounds playing in clever, ear-catching balance suggest techno influences, while cracked sounds reminiscent of metal pronunciation and tremendous sonic depth characterize the sessions.
At the time,…
Chameleon Body
Chameleon Body suggests shape-shifting, adaptation, camouflage - apt metaphors for Merzbow's endlessly mutating sonic identity. The chameleon changes appearance while remaining essentially itself; similarly, Akita's work transforms constantly while maintaining recognizable characteristics. The "body" element grounds these transformations in physicality.
This golden-period document captures the project at peak flexibility, demonstrating Akita's ability to shift between approaches without losing c…
Live at Doushisha University
This live recording from Doshisha University captures Merzbow in performance during the Pulse Demon era - a unique document of how golden-period studio work translated to live contexts. The academic setting creates intriguing tension: extreme noise in an institution of learning, challenging assumptions about appropriate sound.
Akita's live performances during this period were legendary - intense, confrontational experiences testing audiences' physical and psychological limits. University perform…
小品集 (Selected Small Works) Vol.2
Volume 2. Unlike earlier Archive installments sourced from cassette masters, this series was remastered from original DAT tapes, ensuring superior audio quality. These volumes collect shorter pieces - concentrated bursts of Akita's most celebrated period. The decision to release "small works" separately reflects curatorial sensitivity; these pieces might otherwise be lost as bonus tracks.
They demonstrate that Merzbow's genius operates at any duration - brevity concentrates rather than diminishe…
小品集 (Selected Small Works) Vol.1
Unlike earlier Archive installments sourced from cassette masters, this series was remastered from original DAT tapes, ensuring superior audio quality. These volumes collect shorter pieces - concentrated bursts of Akita's most celebrated period. The decision to release "small works" separately reflects curatorial sensitivity; these pieces might otherwise be lost as bonus tracks.
They demonstrate that Merzbow's genius operates at any duration - brevity concentrates rather than diminishes impact. …
Untitled 1991 Vol. 3
Volume 3. The fifth chapter focuses intensively on 1991 - a transformative year for Merzbow. New sampling delay effects from Next and Digitech enabled more rhythmic, cut-up approaches, marking decisive evolution from previous decade's collage techniques. These sessions were originally produced by mixing multiple 4-channel cassettes, but for this release appear largely unedited - raw material preserved without typical layering and processing.
New mixes were created using a TASCAM MFP-01 to replac…
Untitled 1991 Vol. 2
Volume 2. The fifth chapter focuses intensively on 1991 - a transformative year for Merzbow. New sampling delay effects from Next and Digitech enabled more rhythmic, cut-up approaches, marking decisive evolution from previous decade's collage techniques. These sessions were originally produced by mixing multiple 4-channel cassettes, but for this release appear largely unedited - raw material preserved without typical layering and processing.
New mixes were created using a TASCAM MFP-01 to replac…
Untitled 1991 Vol. 1
The fifth chapter focuses intensively on 1991 - a transformative year for Merzbow. New sampling delay effects from Next and Digitech enabled more rhythmic, cut-up approaches, marking decisive evolution from previous decade's collage techniques. These sessions were originally produced by mixing multiple 4-channel cassettes, but for this release appear largely unedited - raw material preserved without typical layering and processing.
New mixes were created using a TASCAM MFP-01 to replace the unav…
Travelling
Travelling suggests movement through sonic landscapes - each passage a journey into unknown territory. The title invites traveler's mindset: openness to unfamiliar sounds, acceptance of discomfort, willingness to be transformed by the journey. This 1990 recording captures Merzbow testing new configurations in preparation for the decade's major works.
The traveler enters foreign territories without expectation of comfort or comprehension. Similarly, listeners approaching Travelling should abandon…
Crash For Hi-Fi Tapes
A wry commentary on audiophile culture, Crash For Hi-Fi Tapes revels in deliberate destruction of fidelity. While enthusiasts pursue ever-more-transparent reproduction, Merzbow embraces distortion, clipping, and overload as expressive tools. The title suggests violence directed at the medium itself - tapes crashed, pushed beyond design parameters.
High-fidelity recording promised perfect reproduction; Akita responds by demonstrating that imperfection and degradation carry their own aesthetic val…
Cloud Cock OO Grand (Another Mix)
This alternate version of legendary Cloud Cock OO Grand material offers fresh perspective on one of Merzbow's most celebrated early-90s works. The title's surrealist absurdity reflects Akita's Dadaist engagement - language pushed beyond sense into pure sonic evocation. "Cloud," "Cock," "Grand" - the words resist logical combination, instead creating irrational poetry.
The existence of multiple mixes raises questions about identity and authenticity in experimental music. If noise is supposed to b…
Ecobondage (Another Mix)
The provocative title merges ecological and fetishistic imagery - characteristic Merzbow juxtaposition refusing easy interpretation. "Ecobondage" suggests nature constrained by human activity while carrying erotic connotations connecting to Akita's longtime engagement with transgressive sexuality through his Pornoise label and BDSM-influenced imagery.
Ecological themes would become increasingly central following his veganism adoption, but even here, years earlier, Akita demonstrates awareness of…
Material H2
Material H2 strips Merzbow's sound to elemental components - pure sonic matter awaiting transformation. The "H2" designation evokes hydrogen, the simplest element, suggesting return to first principles. Just as hydrogen combines to form more complex molecules, these basic sonic elements combine to create Merzbow's elaborate constructions.
Akita works with sonic substance like a sculptor with clay - shaping, texturing, building structures from raw matter. The "Material" series title acknowledges …
ODRZ100
** Edition of 250** Here it is, the big 25 year celebration of ODRZ's performances and recordings. 100 guests and a 100 tracks. Available as a USB-card housed in a 7" fold-out sleeve. Among the various artists: Francisco Meirino, Deison, Lyke Wake, Sshe Retina Stimulants, Enten Hitti, Bruno Cossano, Simon Balestrazzi, Officine Schwartz, Andrea Marutti, Maurizio Bianchi, Iugula-Thor, Maurizio Marsico, KK Null...