April Update: Jim ORourke & Carlos Giffoni, Tabata Mitsuru, Suicidal 10cc, JUNKO of Hijokaidan

Sunday, May 8, 2011



Here are a few photos of recent happenings in the last couple of weeks. It was unfortunate that I had to miss a few performances (I mean, interviews and shootings) but the other day I was able to have a great, long dinner with Tabata Mitsuru, an original founding (through briefly departing) member of The Boredoms as well as Hanatarashi. Currently Tabata plays in the Steve Albini-produced trio Zeni Geva with Yoshida Tatsuya and KK Null (who also appear in this film). Small world isn't it.



Earlier in the month, Carlos Giffoni flew over to Tokyo (despite all the post-quake aftershock paranoia) and toured the West with Jim O'Rourke. Despite a very noticeable earthquake hours before, the show went on and we talked about setting up a chat to discuss Giffoni's work with Hiroshi Hasegawa (ASTRO) and the one and only Masami Akita (Merzbow) who both appear in this film. That's scheduled to happen down the line.

Also, last week I was able to spend some time with Hijokaidan's better 1/3, JUNKO. Such a pleasure to hear her unwavering stance on performance and music as well as her stories- she really helped capture a certain energy in her anecdotes. Equal parts charming and insightful. The Hijokaidan performance that ensued was nothing short of one of the most wild and intriguing performances I've ever seen and it's all on camera. JOJO Hiroshige taping a microphone to a baseball bat and swinging it into the crowd left me speechless- only because I was laughing too hard. Everyone was. The playful and riotous dimension which Hijokaidan's performance take on instantly consumes everyone, about as fast as everyone jumped back on upon the first chords. Other notables were L?K?O's [experimental] DJ set, Jim O'Rourke with Masaya Nakahara as Suicidal 10cc, Atsuhiro Ito playing with OFFSEASON accompanied by a remarkable performance dancer although her name escapes me now. I also purchased a few rarities at the Hijokaidan pop up merch shop.

So now it's into the editing room to keep chopping up the trailer as well as moving into the next series of interviews this week with a few media and industry types who have been active and influential since the 'early days.' Also, moving to the new domain soon.

A few photos:
Above: JUNKO of Hijokaidan followed by Tabata Mitsuru, April 2011.
Below: Masaya Nakahara with Jim O'Rourke followed by Carlos Giffoni and Jim O'Rourke, then fans at DeNoise event while watchin Suicidal 10cc, followed by Atsuhiro Ito and his Optron.




A talk with Hisham Bharoocha aka Soft Circle

Thursday, December 23, 2010





I sat down with musician, artist and friend Hisham Bharoocha a little over a month ago while he was in Tokyo for a few shows and fresh off a Boredoms performance in Australia. You may know Hisham through his solo music project, Soft Circle (myspace here), and you may know he's been a key creative partner of EYE- increasingly in recent years- with creative direction and co- production of the mammoth Boadrum perfomances in New York (7/7/2007) and Los Angeles (8/08/2008). I thought I'd ask Hisham for a few comments about his long relationship and experiences of working with EYE as well personal thoughts on the artist, some of which I'd like to consider appending to the rise of The Boredoms.

EYE and Hisham recently spoke together at the ICA in London where Soft Circle (with its new member, Benjamin Vida) performed. Check it out here:
http://www.ica.org.uk/26459/Talks/Boadrum-in-Conversation.html
and here:
http://www.ica.org.uk/26457/Music/Soft-Circle-EYE-Boredoms-Nedry-Baths.html

We're approaching another sit down with EYE Yamataka in the coming year and I'll be heading to Osaka for a few days for another couple of interviews with some artists and key figures (but don't want to mention them just yet!).

More later.

Posted by Vicente Gutierrez at 10:43 PM  

A talk with Shinro Ohtake of JUKE/19, Puzzle Punks

Monday, October 18, 2010



A couple of weeks ago I sat down with experimental musician and mixed-media artist Shinro Ohtake. Ohtake, now 55 years old, is known for his epic body of work (his retrospective at the new national museum a couple of years of ago occupied the entire museum; the first artist to do so). We conversed about the atmosphere of the music "scene" around the time which JUKE/19 came together as well as how they scrapped together the resources for a recording, which Ikeezumi (of PSF) got behind early and released. Nice how that ties together. Ohtake went into some more details of how he first met a younger Yamataka EYE and formed Puzzle Punks. Ohtake's influence on a then somewhat impressionable EYE is measurable- both in his artwork and later musical activities. Aside from great stories, Ohtake's comments on EYE as well as the Japanese avant garde music "scene" at large were fascinating additions.



Posted by Vicente Gutierrez at 2:26 PM  

Keiji Haino DJ Set

Saturday, October 2, 2010



Last Wednesday we stepped out to the unlikeliest of venues, Module, for a three-hour DJ set by Keiji Haino. To say it was an intense and eclectic traversing 180 minutes of music streaming through the speakers would just save you from making an understatement. Everything from cold minimal, Ethiopian jazz (Mahmoud Ahmed from the Ethiopiques 7: Erè Mèla Mèla Record), Turkish and Byzantine parading instrumentals, The Ramones to KRS-into were among the identifiable in a perpetual and aurally affronting whirlpool of genre and chronology.

Posted by Vicente Gutierrez at 8:46 PM  

PSF Records 30th Anniversary Show at Showboat

Wednesday, September 22, 2010




PSF Records, the record label overseen by Hideo Ikeezumi, is celebrating its 30th anniversary on September 25th with a show at Showboat in Koenji, Tokyo. Details as follow.


Ishihara Hiroshi with Friends, Marble Ship and Hasegawa Shizuo.
Ishihara Hiroshi (vocals and guitar), Kitada Tomohiro (bass) and Arakawa Yasunobu (drums).

Doors at 6:30, starts at 7:00

Advanced tickets: ¥2,800. Available at Showboat, Lawson Ticket and e-plus (search by date).
At the door: ¥3,300 (drink included)

Venue and Contact:Tel 03-3337-5745, info (at) showboat.co.jp, http://showboat.co.jp


Posted by Vicente Gutierrez at 4:34 PM  

Title decided but to be announced


What's a director's blog if it's never updated?

I've been away, busy writing and researching, actually working, in and out again, and still managing to continue writing towards finishing the film and going to select performances (Keiji Haino and Jim O'Rourke on the Hara Museum lawn showed me a few things I've never seen before). We're still in the deeper trenches but the light at the end of the tunnel has cracked into sight. We're excited. Mainly because one of the key hurdles is out of the way. By that I mean I've finally decided on a title for the film which while I feel more than adequately resounds conceptually, I'll announce it in the coming month(s). It'll be more appropriate when we move everything over to the new domain online. With the final push, a new site will be designed, host more video clips, a more in depth bio on the film, premise and characters, the ACTUAL TRAILER along with a more dedicated consistency of updates.

Another item I'd like to share is work on an extension of the film. As we progress, a short nonetheless in-depth portrait on one of our key characters will follow this film.

Towards the end of the month I'll be sitting down with Shinro Ohtake, the intense and epic visual artist and musician behind Juke 19 (1978-1983, actual original release limited to 1000 copies I believe) and the Puzzle Punks (was sold out the last time I stopped by PSF), a collaborative act Ohtake started in 1995 with Yamatsuka EYE.

More later.


Posted by Vicente Gutierrez at 3:38 PM  

Nakahara Masaya Birthday Performance

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Nakahara Masaya is going to have a Birthday event and we're all invited. There's going to be live performances by Hair Stylistics, Suicidal 10cc (which is Nakahara Masaya with Jim O'Rourke), as well as a solo performance by Jim O'Rourke and then what appears a collaboration with Hair Stylistics, Eiko Ishibashi, Tatsuhisa Yamamoto (profile in Japanese) and AyA (of ooioo), kayo, GJ (from lastdaybikini) / DJ: kayo, GJ (from lastdaybikini).

Opens at 19:00 and starts at 20:00 and ¥2000 gets you in.

Posted by Vicente Gutierrez at 3:14 PM  

The Boredoms and Friends Live on May 28th

Monday, May 10, 2010



The Boredoms will stop by Tokyo for a now sold-out performance with the following collaborators. We're looking forward to being back in Tokyo, catching the show and talking closely with EYE and Hisham of Soft Circle. The line up is as follows: EYE, YOSHIMI, YOJIRO, Hisham Bharoocha (Soft Circle), Zach Hill (HELLA), Butchy Fuego (Pit Er Pat, NA FUEGO), Kid Millions (Oneida), Jeremy Hyman (Ponytail) and Shinji Masuko (DMBQ).

The Boredoms will also be playing this years Sense of Wonder Festival too.

Thanks to Jason Bergman for the photo of The Boredoms at Terminal 5.

Posted by Vicente Gutierrez at 4:08 PM  

Hair Stylistics- Four Hour Multi Speaker Performance

Saturday, September 19, 2009



Masaya Nakahara will perform with a multi-speaker arrangement for four hours, as listed. Nakahara will team up with Yoshio Kuge of Flying Rhythms and Atsuhiro Ito of Optrum, certainly no stranger to this blog.

Here is what you need to know:
Venue: Super Deluxe
Time: opens at 17:00, starts at 17:30
Price: 2500円

Atsuhiro Ito performs at The Hara Museum

Wednesday, September 9, 2009



Reservations are currently being accepted for a solo performance at the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art. Ito will perform in The Hall, a uniquely shaped space rarely opened to performances to be followed by a talk by the artist. For those who may not know, Ito also makes time to work as a university professor of sound art, theory and approach; one of the many reasons why I always enjoy our interviews.

Information:
Sunday, September 13th in the Museum's Hall at 6:30 PM (doors at 6:00).
¥3000 for General Admission, ¥2,500 for Museum Members (with a guest).
Includes one drink and admission to the ongoing exhibition (so you can check it before the performance).
Reserve via telephone at 03-3445-0669 or info (at) haramuseum.co.jp

Posted by Vicente Gutierrez at 3:38 PM