
Merzbow (メルツバウ, Merutsubau
?) is a
noise music project created in
Tokyo,
Japan in 1979 under the direction of musician Masami Akita (秋田 昌美, Akita Masami
?). Since 1979, he has formed two record labels and has contributed releases to numerous
independent record labels. As well as being a prolific artist, he has also written a number of books and has been the editor of several magazines in Japan. He has written about a variety of subjects, mostly about
art,
avant-garde music and
post-modern culture. His more renowned works have been on the topics of
BDSM and
fetish culture. Other artforms Akita has been interested in include
directing and
Butoh dance.
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.
[5] 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 200 releases since 1980.