MERZBOW
『MERZBOW 108 CD BOX』
€560.00 VAT exempt
SDRSW-161
Release date：Oct 30, 2026
https://www.soundohm.com/product/merzbow-108-cd-box
<Release Information>
In 2018, Slowdown Records approached Merzbow with a proposal to chronologically release his works, beginning with out-of-print cassettes and other archival materials from the past. However, since multiple overseas labels were simultaneously pursuing reissues of 1980s cassettes at that time, Slowdown determined to establish a distinctive identity by diff erentiating itself from these concurrent eff orts. The direction evolved toward creating deeper, more esoteric material that only Slowdown could release.
The series followed a structured approach: a sequence of six distinct compact discs was subsequently issued, then compiled into a six-disc box set. Each box carries a title symbolic of t he musical character of its respective period.
With the exception of box sets such as “Early Cassettes Box” and “Enclosure,” “Crosier Dsi Nezumi” and other reissues, rare releases including “1633+” and “Gman +,” and the compilation titled ” 小品集” (Shōhin-shū) [note: literally “small pieces collection”; a compilation of works previously appeared on various releases], the archive contents consist almost entirely of previously unreleased material.
The audio materials are categorized as follows: unreleased albums such as “Agni Hotra,” “Mighty Mice,” “Tensinkaku,” and “Cat Of Shell”; alternate mixes of offi cially released albums including ” 抜刀隊 with Memorial Gadgets” [note:”The title “Battōtai” derives from the use of the historical theme song “Battōtai”（ associated with the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877）incorporated into the album’s material.], “Antimonument,” “Ecobondage,” “Cloud Cock oo Grand,” “Tentacle,” “Arijigoku,” and “Coma Berenices”; album outtakes such as those from “Tauromachine” and “Medamaya”; and additional material derived from live rehearsals.
Due to the constraints of chronological release order and the fi xed requirement of six CDs per installment, the availability of unreleased material varied considerably across diff erent periods. For example, “Double Beat Sequensor” consists of six discs of uniformly characteristic material, demonstrating the abundance of unreleased sources available for that particular period.
These past recordings have a complementary function to what has been released so far. While reissues of material from the 1980s and 1990s have been extensively undertaken by overseas labels, only recently have reissues from the 2000s begun to emerge. Slowdown’s archive contains numerous previously unreleased materials from the 2010s and beyond.
Concurrent with the archive releases, new works̶”Kaoscitron,” “Kaerutope,” “Indigo Dada,” ” 雀色 1″ (Suzume-iro 1) [note: “Sparrow Color,” a reference to traditional Japanese aesthetic color naming which is like the head color of sparrow], and “雀色 2” (Suzume-iro 2)̶were previously compiled in a fi ve-disc box titled “2017-2020.” With the addition of the 2025 new work “Mimesis,” these are now packaged as a six-disc set. This brings the total of all CDs released by Slowdown Records to 108 titles.
From 2024 onward, Slowdown’s Merzbow releases have entered a new phase of distribution through Bandcamp and subscription services. Fifteen works have already been released digitally, with emphasis on new material. The label continues to release both new works from other labels lacking digital distribution and previously unreleased archival material.
I recall Nakamura of Slowdown Records mentioning his desire to “release works numbering 108̶the count of 煩悩 (bonnou, worldly desires in Buddhist philosophy)” [note: In Buddhist tradition, 108 represents the number of human affl ictions or worldly desires that bind individuals to the cycle of suff ering]. In this sense, the original intention has been realized with this box set.
(Text by Akita Masami)
For detailed information on individual titles, please refer to:
http://studiowarp.jp/slowdown/
https://slowdown-records.bandcamp.com/
〈CDBOX list〉
6CD BOX-1 Early Sessions
6CD BOX-2 Early Cassettes Box
6CD BOX-3 Loop & Collage
6CD BOX-4 Strings & Percussion
6CD BOX-5 Tapestry Of Noise
6CD BOX-6 Metallic
6CD BOX-7 Green & Orange
6CD BOX-8 Laptop Noise
6CD BOX-9 Go Vegan
6CD BOX-10 Ship Of Chicken
6CD BOX-11 Arrangement
6CD BOX-12 Drum & Noise
6CD BOX-13 Horizon
6CD BOX-14 Double Best Sequencer
6CD BOX-15 2017-2020+Mimesis
6CD BOX-16 After Hours
6CD BOX-17 New Ear Control
6CD BOX-18 Fantail Vision