Merzbow stands as the most important artist in noise music. The favorite moniker of Japan's Masami Akita appears on more than 500 albums. His name is taken from German artist Kurt Schwitters' Merzbau, and his choice of name reflects his fondness for junk art and his fascination with ritualized eroticism. Akita began self-releasing work in 1980. Early outings, including 1981's Remblandt Assemblage, combined tape manipulations, metal percussion, and found objects. Influenced by death metal and grindcore, he began using live industrial electronics at the end of the '80s. 1994's V...