简介：MasamiAkitaakaMerzbowisoneofthemostprolific“noisicians”intheHarshNoisegenre,withover300releasessince1979thatrangefrom5cassettesetspackagedinsideVHSboxesandlimitededitionCD-R’stothe50CDMerzboxandtheULTRA-limitededitionofNoiseEmbryothatcomespackagedinsideaMercedes.MerzbowtakeshisnamefromDadaanti-artistKurtSchwittersandhishouse-sizedinstallation,Merzbau.　　AsidefromcreatinghissymphoniesofcacophonyMasamiAkitahasalsowrittenbooksandarticlesonextremecultureandSadomasochism,lendshisservicesasafreelancewritertoavarietyofpornographymagazinesandhasdirected/actedasconsultantonvariousHarakiriandKinbakufetishfilms.HealsoscoredthefilmDeadman2forthedirectorofthisdocumentary,IanKerkhof.　　OvertheyearsIhavemanagedtoamassafairamountofMerzbow’soutput,butIhaveneverreallyknownmuchaboutthemanhimself,otherthanthefactthathedigsbondageandanimalrights.SowhenIdiscoveredIanKerkhofdirectorofthebrilliantTokyoElegyandNicetoMeetYou,PleaseDon’tRapeMe!,hadmadeadocumentaryonthisJapaneseenigma,Ihadtofindandviewitimmediately.　　Theopening20minutesorsoofthefilmisbasicallyfootageofMasamihangingoutwithsomepigeons,walkingthestreetsofTokyo,putteringaroundwithhiselectronics,etc.withsomedatedvisualeffectssuperimposedontopofitwhileasampleofhisdissonancethrobsonthesoundtrack.Thenhebeginstospeakabouthowhegotintothenoisesceneinthelate70s/early80s,howasayouthhewantedtomakemusic“sodreadfultolistentothatitwouldn’tbeconsideredmusic”,andhisobsessionwithcollectingvariouseverydaysoundsandincorporatingthemintohiswork.　　AsthedocumentaryprogressesitisclearMr.KerkhofisattemptingtotranslatetheideasofMasamiandhisheroes,theDadaiststothefilmmedium;theflowisrelentlesslyinterruptedbycuts,splices,inserts,samplesandseizure-inducingstrobesmakingitsomewhatofatasktoendure,whichI’msureiswhathehadinmind.AlthoughformethesegmentswherethesedisruptionsarekepttoaminimumasMasamienlightensusonhisinspirationsandfixationswerethemostintriguing.　　ThroughoutthefilmsruntimeTheMerzwaxesphilosophicalonsuchsubjectsaspreandpost-WWIIpornography,Japan’suniformfetish,thenationalsignificanceofSepukku/Harakiriandthedistinctionbetweenthetwo,Bataille’sconceptsoferoticism,Gothicarchitectureandmuchmore.Wealsoaretreatedtosomeliveperformanceswhereherockshisbizarronoisemachine-cum-guitarcontraptionandsomeexcerptsfromhisHarakirifetishfilmLostParadise,overwhichheexplainsthatincertainarchaicreligiousceremonies,totestifytheirutterdevotion,womenwouldofferuptheirentrailstothegods.　　AroundhalfwaythroughthedurationMasamipronouncesmyfavouritequoteofhis:“Ifmusicwassex,Merzbowwouldbepornography”-forme,thatprettymuchsumsuphisworkinanutshell.…