What we wrote at the time
Haino is without a doubt one of the most coruscating and urgent performers in music today and a unique and hugely influential figure in the underground scene; in many respects it’s his intense gravitational pull around which the Japanese psychedelic rock scene orbits. Although some in the West may have noticed when he first broke cover in 1971 with the legendary noise-rock unit Lost Aaraaff, real notoriety came with his power trio Fushitsusha (“the greatest power trio in the world” claimed the Melody Maker in the late 90s).
Over the last thirty odd years, Haino has honed a direct and sprawling catalogue of intensely realized conceptions – often as beautiful as they are jarring – stretching far beyond the rock cannon, and encompassing great dynamic range, numbing power and devastating emotional depth. For this unique and specially conceived four-hour solo performance, Haino is bringing an eclectic collection of more than forty exotic instruments from all over the world to combine with his impassioned vocals and trademark incandescent guitar. It promises to be one of the key musical highlights of the year.