Keiji Haino

Hören presents Who knew that so many blues should reside here too... by Keiji Haino. Metallic tones struck or stroked, while Haino wraith-like surf-rides the rising and receding waves of tonal decay he’s just generated. Close up, Haino’s sound choices now appear far less tentative. They’re intuitive, sure, but in the act of repeat listening the music feels that much more composed, with Haino spontaneously improvising ways to realise it, like the creator had a masterplan all along. Recording：25th Nov, 2007, Osaka University of Arts Information Center Art Hall, Japan.

Keiji Haino's almost 50-year career has encompassed a dizzying range of approaches from wild, guitar-led ensemble rock and near-Neolithic drumming; live electronics, untutored explorations of lute and flute, to voice experiments and extended performances for gamelan and other percussion. He has also collaborated widely with the likes of Derek Bailey, Merzbow, Jim O'Rourke and Tony Conrad. Throughout, Haino has retained a visionary focus upon temporary suspension through noise (and silence) whilst refining a mercurial, highly distinctive method and an arrestingly dramatic on-stage presence that borrows the raiments of performance art.

Production & Direction : Music of New Reference [Hiroyuki Tomiyama, Ryoji Noumi, Takeshi Azuma], Hören [Satoru Higashiseto]. Recording Direction & Mastering : Yasushi Utsunomiya. Assistant Recording Engineer : Kiyomi Utsunomiya, Yukiyo Hamano. Liner Notes : Biba Kopf. Translation : Akiko Hada (Liner Notes), Alan Cummings (Album Title). Photography : Tatsuhiro Haraji. Design : Masahiko Ohno.

"Metallic tones struck or stroked, while Haino wraith-like surf-rides the rising and receding waves of tonal decay he’s just generated. Close up, Haino’s sound choices now appear far less tentative. They’re intuitive, sure, but in the act of repeat listening the music feels that much more composed, with Haino spontaneously improvising ways to realise it, like the creator had a masterplan all along." - Chris Bohn, The Wire