Event

Keiji Haino Solo

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. Cutting across his body of work is a deep connection to the French poet and playwright Antonin Artaud. Haino's unaccompanied wordless screamed vocal performances mark the clearest influence of Artaud's obsession, with a voice violently severed from the body. Opening a three night festival in collaboration with the Whitney, ISSUE Project Room presents Haino in his first ever solo vocal concert in New York.

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.