Two adventurous, experimental, and powerful musicians at Athletic Sound in Halden, Norway, create wild, genre-defying music. Legendary Japanese guitarist-vocalist-multi-instrumentalist Keiji Haino has an unmistakable aura, power, and depth, a monumental and uncompromising body of work, and continues to amaze and challenge audiences and listeners and never stops experimenting. Haino is a musical hero of Norwegian bassist Guro Moe and her rock band MoE has collaborated with Haino a few times in its tours in Japan.
In this potent session at Athletic Sound Haino chose to play the drums, shenai, and harominum. Moe played the giant octobass that plays one octave below the double bass and the accordion. But the instruments were only the starting point for this wild, free improvised musical endeavor. Haino and Moe play with the instrument to force each other from any possibility of comfort zones and to force each other out on a journey that seems to have no harbor in sight.
The three, open and free-form pieces are titled in a typical cryptic-poetic manner of Haino, «Flower which is pink, small and resistant», «Flower which is orange and very strong-willed», «Flower which is a small river, which is a yellow sparrow». The music is strangely beautiful like flowers are, but also resistant, strong-willed, and soars like a sparrow. It reflects a sense of vulnerability, mystery, and freedom, stresses deep listening, and flows naturally but refuses to surrender to familiar genres or styles. The expressive voices of Haino and Moe intensify the emotional essence of this meeting and even bring back memories from Haino’s legendary solo album Watashi Dake? (originally released in 1981 by Pinakotheca, re-released in 2017 by Black Editions).
Drums & Octobass is released in a vinyl edition and a download option. The double CD version contains a bonus disc where Haino and Moe explore the dynamics of the drum and bass constellation, moving into even more uncharted territory. The cover artwork is by SUMAC’s guitarist Aaron Turner hints about the complex atmosphere of this meeting.
Eyal Hareuveni
Keiji Haino (drums, shenai, harmonium, vocals), Guro Skumsnes Moe (octobass, accordion, vocals)
