Merzbow: Influences
Noisy as Masami Akita's punishing output as Merzbow can be, it has roots in rock, jazz, and 20th-century composition. Merzbow's relentless squalls and lashing feedback echo Jimi Hendrix's napalmed take of “The Star Spangled Banner” and the purifying fire that Albert Ayler lights on “Bells.” Composer Iannis Xenakis' “Mycenae-Alpha” pushes its high electronic frequencies to their breaking point.