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As part of a three night festival in collaboration with the Whitney, ISSUE Project Room hosts a rare performance by this original, unrecorded Fushitsusha lineup from the 1970s with Keiji Haino and founding member, New York-based saxophonist Tamio Shiraishi. One of most widely recognized and legendary guitarists to come out of Japanese underground rock scene of the 1970s, Keiji Haino is well known for his harsh blues-inspired solo guitar performances and torrential walls of sound with his band Fushitsusha. The band, formed by Haino in 1978, has taken on numerous lineups over decades, but initially consisted of Haino on guitar and vocals, and Tamio Shiraishi on synthesizer.
Keiji Haino’s work has included rock, free improvisation, noise, singing, songwriting, solo percussion, psychedelic, minimalism and drone styles, and covers. Performing since the 1970s, he is known for intensely cathartic sound explorations. Much of his work bears an insular singularity, but his varied output eschews a signature style. Haino cites a broad range of influences, including troubadour music, Marlene Dietrich, Iannis Xenakis, Syd Barrett, and Charlie Parker. He has had a long love affair with early blues music, particularly the works of Blind Lemon Jefferson, and is heavily inspired by the Japanese musical concept of “Ma,” the silent spaces in music. For the last 40 years Haino has been prolific in his output and collaborations, working with everyone from Faust, Boris, Derek Bailey, Loren Connors, Stephen O'Malley, Oren Ambarchi, Jim O'Rourke and John Zorn.
Founding member of the legendary noise unit Fushitsusha, saxophonist Tamio Shiraishi has had a storied career performing alongside some of the most significant contemporary musicians. In USA, he has performed with Crash Worship, No Neck Blues Band and many more. He currently performs in subway stations after midnight.
