One of the most prolific artists of the Japanese experimental / noise scene, KEIJI HAINO teams up for his 2nd album with the critically acclaimed ensemble ZEITKRATZER. Frenetic musical material, wild and beautiful.

On his second release with ZEITKRATZER, the enigmatic icon of the Japanese noise / experimental scene KEIJI HAINO concentrates solely on his voice. No electronics are used except for amplification. Nevertheless, this live recording is even more radical than the first one (“Electronics”, 2008). Radical is the concentration on the very limited but frenetic musical material, worked out in detail, which is rarely heard in the noise context – enabling Keiji Haino to sit on it, fly over, to merge or just to oppose. ZEITKRATZER’s amplified instruments, played with extended techniques as developed by the group and its outstanding musicians over more than a decade and Haino’s incredible richness in voice timbres and noises complement each other perfectly. It’s one of the closest and most natural cooperations zeitkratzer ever had. Wild and beautiful.

Shouting, scratching, screaming, piping, chattering, crying, rumbling, oscillating, roaring, clashing, juttering, tinkling, singing, … and at the end it’s one hilarious powerful music, pure noise and pure melody! As the Chicago Reader noted: “The supernova finally occurs!” and The Wire agreed: “A real highlight, with ZEITKRATZER enfolding KEIJI HAINO in its grasp like some tentacular kraken of the deep. HAINO effectively becomes another member of the group.” Rock-a-Rolla cheered: “Forcefull and utterly compelling!” Nothing left to say than: listen!


zeitkratzer directed by Reinhold Friedl

Frank Gratkowski, clarinets / Hild Sofie Tafjord, french horn / Hilary Jeffery, trombone / Reinhold Friedl, piano / Marc Weiser, acoustic noises / Maurice de Martin, percussion / Burkhard Schlothauer, violin / Anton Lukoszevieze, violoncello
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Keiji Haino, voice


Recorded live at Jahrhunderthalle Bochum, Ruhrtriennale
Recorded & mixed by Martin Wurmnest

Mastered & cut by Rashad Becker at D&M, Berlin


Press quotes:
"Combined with their [zeitkratzer's] scratchy melodies, off-kilter rhythms, abrasive textures and raucous intensity, Haino’s screams, theatrical growls, plaintive squeals, jabbering and guttural stuttering have the expected direct and physical impact ... exceptional collaboration. “ The Wire (oct. 2014)