Merzbow: Masami Akita

Date: Friday, May 17, 2002

Artist: Merzbow: Masami Akita (Japan)

New music — solo acoustic series

Merzbow is considered by many to be the undisputed "King of the Extreme Noise Genre," which is believed to have originated in Japan. Influenced by the surrealist and Dadaist movements, Akita took his "Merzbow" pseudonym from German artist Kurt Schwitter's pre-war architectural assemblage, The Cathedral of Erotic Misery, also known as "Merzbau." He has been releasing noise recordings since 1980. Merzbow performed work at Open Space that continues to remain unable to be categorized, since it doesn't fit neatly into the "music" category for most people. His unpredictable, at times chaotic sounds usually test the limits of any stereo system.