Description
Japanese legend Keiji Haino meets two of Belgium's most active and valued musicians: Jozef Dumoulin- keyboards (Lilly Joel) and Teun Verbruggen - drums (Othin Spake).
'The Miracles Of Only One Thing' is a deep and intense testimony of this meeting. Keiji Haino - without any doubt one of the most important musicians from the Japanese underground scene, is at his best !
Teun Verbruggen (drums & electronics) and Jozef Dumoulin (keyboards & electronics) did a 3-week tour in Japan in Sept 2015 playing concerts in duo, but also solo and with local musicians. One of those musicians was hero Keiji Haino, whose work has included rock, free improvisation, noise, percussion, psychedelic music, minimalism and drones. Besides his legendary bands Fushitsusha and Lost Aaraaff, he has worked with artists and bands like Boris, The Melvins, Jim O'Rourke, Oren Ambarchi, Peter Brötzmann and Steve Noble.
As for Dumoulin and Verbruggen, they are both known for their always refreshing and groundbreaking work that breaks up the barriers between free improvisation, electro, jazz and more. Jozef Dumoulin is part of the duo Lilly Joel appearing recently on Sub Rosa (SR416).
The three teamed up for a studio recording and a recorded live-show. Out of all the material, they distilled an album that reflects both the excitement of the new bond as well as the deep and vast sonic landscapes that their joined forces laid bare.
Keiji Haino : guitar . vocals . flute . gongs / Jozef Dumoulin : fender rhodes / Teun Verbruggen : drums . electronics
Titles
01 Non-Dark Destinations 25'47
02 Hotel Chaika 19'22
03 Snow Is Frequent, Though Light, In Winter 05'09
04 Tonight 8'37
Press
Vital Week (EN · DM · 14/03/2017)
During their Japanese tour in September 2015, Jozef Dumoulin and Teun Verbruggen, both from
Belgium, performed with Haino and decided to do some recordings in the studio. And now there is a
cd documenting this collaboration. We hear Jozef Dumoulin playing Fender Rhodes and electronics,
Teun Verbruggen doing drums and electronics and Keiji Haino guitar, vocals, electronics. Haino
needs no introduction here. For decades now he is a leading force of the Japanese underground,
an avant-garde musician and artist, known for his noise, drone, improve, etc. projects and
collaborations. Dumoulin is a Fender-Rhode specialist, expanding the sound world of this instrument
in unheard directions. Like Teun Verbruggen he has a background in jazz. Verbruggen is a multi-
sided drummer you may know from the Flat Earth Society or his collaborations with Arve Henriksen,
Trevor Dunn and Dirk Serries. I don’t know much of Haino’s work. So I can’t judge whether this is
more of the same or an interesting next step. The CD totals four tracks, two recorded live, and two
others in the studio and it is radical music of massive and heavy electronics. They go with full force
and without hesitation. Their interaction bursts of propellant energy. I’m not sure however if they
always know where they are heading. They navigate uncompromising their way through. Sometimes
it just a hell of noise. They keep things rough and unpolished. Especially in the first two extensive
tracks. I enjoyed most the sounds that Dumoulin generates from his Fender Rhodes. But also the
guitar work by Haino in ‘Non-Dark destinations’. Track three and four show another side. ‘Snow is
Frequent, Tough Light, in Winter’, has Verbruggen in a leading role. In the closing track things calm
down, and Haino opens with a long solo on flute, before he starts to sing and scream. It has
Dumoulin and Verbruggen in a servant role adding dark and abstract textures. Interesting trip. (DM)
