Merzbow Tape Loops 1981-1989 - A Chronological Playlist

This playlist of Merzbow’s work explores his use of tape loops. The tracks are chronological by recording date from 1981-1989 to give an impression of his evolution during this period. The first true tape loop in his work seems to have been recorded during his early Musique Concrete phase in 1981, and this playlist ends at the very beginning of his iconic noise sound of the 90s. With those landmarks as start and end points, following these loops takes the listener through his 80s drum machine sound (I call these tracks Concrete Jams), the Junk Noise of the mid 80s, and the Industrial of the last half of the 80s. It’s interesting to watch how his notorious 90s style took shape during this time, moving from relative minimalism to rich density. Why tape loops? They happen to map well to the near-full continuum of his 80s catalog. I find that when you close your eyes, let go of concepts of “good“ and “bad“ sound, and really immerse yourself in the experience, these works