*2026 stock* A precious documentary capturing Otomo Yoshihide Special Big Band’s (OSBB) first European tour. It’s their first live release in ten years.

Formed in 2013, OSBB has performed concerts and live shows, contributed scores for productions including Ama-chan and Idaten, and taken part in many unique and demanding projects—most notably the Bon Odori that began in Fukushima. For this tour they undertook 12 performances across seven European countries. Prior to the tour, the band changed the approach to Otomo’s previously solo, improvisational conducting: every member took on conducting responsibilities. They adopted a method that lets any member freely conduct any section of any piece at any time, so multiple conductors sometimes overlap and the same composition can produce completely different soundscapes on each performance. The band grew into an ensemble capable of creating wholly distinct versions of the same tune every night.

Shows sold out nightly. At Cafe OTO in London—a longtime home for Otomo and an established avant-garde venue—the group performed three consecutive nights with completely different sets each night. The second night, which is included in this recording, is arguably the peak of the tour; it was an unforgettable day that even featured John Paul Jones (who has played with Otomo before) in the audience. This album captures that particularly fired-up performance.

The release also includes rarely performed Ground-Zero–era numbers given new arrangements—“The Right to Live in Peace + Shin Shino 3/4” and “Elegy for Men + A Small Wish”—and features a guest appearance by London improviser Steve Beresford (one of Otomo’s major influences), who sits in on “Rokuchan,” the soundtrack piece from Kankuro Kudo’s drama The Town Without Seasons. In short, the album is packed with highlights.