Mimesis (CD + 80-Page Art Book)

Product Description

CD + Art Book featuring an 80-page full-color hardcover with 189 AI-generated images. This work combines sound and visuals by Merzbow, bringing together images used as concert projections at Merzbow Free Noise, held on January 6, 2025 at WWW in Shibuya, Tokyo. The use of this kind of visual presentation is rare in recent Merzbow performances, and this marked the first attempt to use AI-generated imagery live.

The concert was presented in two parts. The CD opens with Peacock Analogy, a rehearsal recording of one piece performed in the first half, created through a live mix of Sonicware TextureLab, Oscilator, and computer audio recorded to CD. Track two, Tenbyo Caterpillar 1, is one of Merzbow's most recent studio recordings, built from layered overdubs of noise electronics and computer sound.

The book also explores the concepts behind the imagery, including how peacock reference images unexpectedly shaped ruined cityscapes into peacock-like buildings and metallic structures, and broader reflections on mimesis, imitation, originality, authorship, and the artistic meaning of AI-generated images. Text by Masami Akita, with part of the text created with AI assistance from Gemini by Google.