"Keiji Haino (灰野 敬二 Haino Keiji) born May 3, 1952 in Chiba, Japan, and currently residing in Tokyo, is a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter whose work has included rock, free improvisation, noise music, percussion, psychedelic music, minimalism and drone music. He has been active since the 1970s and continues to record regularly and in new styles.

Haino's initial artistic outlet was theatre, inspired by the radical writings of Antonin Artaud. An epiphanic moment came when he heard The Doors' "When The Music's Over" and changed course towards music. After brief stints in a number of blues and experimental outfits, he formed improvised rock band Lost Aaraaf in 1970. In the mid 1970s, having left Lost Aaraaf, he collaborated with psychedelic multi-instrumentalist Magical Power Mako.

His musical output throughout the late 1970s is scarcely documented, until the formation of his rock duo Fushitsusha in 1978 (although their first LP did not surface until 1989). This outfit initially consisted of Haino on guitar and vocals, and Tamio Shiraishi on synthesizer. With the departure of Shiraishi and the addition of Jun Hamano (bass) and Shuhei Takashima (drums), Fushitsusha operated as a trio. The lineup soon changed, with Yasushi Ozawa (bass) and Jun Kosugi (drums) performing throughout the 1990s, but returned to a duo with Haino supplementing percussion with tape-loops.

Haino formed Aihiyo in 1998, principally playing a diverse range of covers (including The Rolling Stones, The Ronettes, and the Jimi Hendrix Experience), transforming the original material into Haino's unique form of garage psychedelia.

NHK, Japan's national broadcaster, banned him from broadcast from 1973 to 2013.

Other groups Haino has formed include Vajra (with underground folk singer Kan Mikami and drummer Toshiaki Ishizuka), Knead (with the avant-prog outfit Ruins), Sanhedolin (with Yoshida Tatsuya of Ruins and Mitsuru Nasuno of Korekyojinn, Altered States and Ground Zero) and a solo project called Nijiumu. He has also collaborated with many artists, including Faust, Boris, Derek Bailey, Joey Baron, Peter Brötzmann, Lee Konitz, Loren Mazzacane Connors, Charles Gayle, Earl Kuck, Bill Laswell, Musica Transonic, Stephen O'Malley, Makigami Koichi, Ayuo, Merzbow, Oren Ambarchi, Jim O'Rourke, John Zorn, Yamantaka Eye, John Duncan, Fred Frith and Charles Hayward.

His main instruments of choice have been guitar and vocals, with many other instruments and approaches incorporated into his career's work. Haino is known for intensely cathartic sound explorations, and despite the fact that much of his work contains varied instrumentation and accompaniment, he retains a distinctive style.

Haino cites a broad range of influences, including troubadour music, Marlene Dietrich, Iannis Xenakis, Blue Cheer, Syd Barrett, and Charlie Parker. At a young age, he had an epiphany through his introduction to The Doors. His recent foray into DJing at Tokyo nightclubs has reportedly reflected his eclectic taste. 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 (see Taiko for more information). In a 2012 interview with Time Out Tokyo, he described his approach as "defying the notion that you can't create something from nothing." He also has a keen interest in Butoh dancing and collecting ethnic instruments.

Haino's distinctive style extends to his lifestyle: he has sported the same long hair, black clothes and sunglasses throughout his career, and is a strict vegetarian who has refrained from alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs for his entire life."

"Pianist Jozef Dumoulin (Belgium) redefined the Fender Rhodes keyboard through a scope that is at the same time fully contemporary, eclectic and highly personal. He is the first to present a full solo program featuring the instrument. Furthermore he is known for his open and luminous approach to the piano and to music in general, always anchored in tradition without being burdened by it. Besides the Fender Rhodes solo, his own projects include The Red Hill Orchestra (a trio with Ellery Eskelin and Dan Weiss) and a duo with Benoît Delbecq.

Highly-demanded as a sideman, Jozef Dumoulin has recorded and toured with the finest of musicians in the domain of jazz, improvised music, rock and traditional music. He currently lives in Paris."

"Teun (April '75) first picked up the drums by the age of eight. After two summer courses with drummer Dre Pallemaerts he went to the Conservatory of Brussels where he was taught by Hans Van Oosterhout. Since graduating from this school in 1999, he became one of the most in demand sideman in lots of different bands and musical styles in no time. His search for a personal touch and wanting to explore all possibilities of playing music and drums, his lack of boundaries and styles and trying to find fresh sounds and freedom in collective improvisation made him work (as sideman)with:

Alexi Tuomarila 4tet and Trio (signed WARNER MUSIC)
Jef Neve Trio (signed: UNIVERSAL)
FES (IPECAC ; CRAMMED) Fes did the first part of Mike Patton's Fantomâs during 10 Europe dates.
VVG trio
Karanova (featuring Hilmar Jensson, Johann Johannssonn from Iceland and Mauro Pawlowski from Belgium), Molo Trio, Jambangle, Rackham, Pascal Schumacher 4tet, "4", JojoBa, Streams, Silent Song, Jozef Dumoulin Trio,...

He worked as a sideman and leader with musicians such as Paolo Fresu (with Jef Neve trio), Uri Cain (With FES), Erwin Vann, Jean Phillippe Viret, Hilmar Jennson, Ernst Reyseger, Jimi Tenor, Toots Thielemans (with FES), Fred Vanhove, Trevor Dunn, Magic Malik, Shelley Burgon, Andrew d'Angelo, Fred Vanhove, Marc Helias, Giovanni Mirrabassi, Edouard Ferlet, Eric Vloeimans, Benny Lackner, Anton Goudsmidt, Harmen Fraanje, John Watts (Fischer Z), Matts Eilertsen, Michel Hatzi (aka moon),Louis Clavis (with FES), Peter Hertmans, Natalie Lorriers, Diederik Wissels, David Lynx, Bart Defoort, Kris Defoort, Arif Durvesh (Knitting Shawney), Kevin Armstrong (Iggy Pop), Pierre Vervloesem, Bart De Nolf, Manu Hermia, Sal La Rocca, Erik Vermeulen, Antton Walgraeve, Tom Wolf, Monsoon, Pieter Embrechts, Point Zéro, Cesarius Gadzina, Marco Locurcio,jacques Pirroton, Steve Houben, Melanie de Biasio, Toine Thys, Nic Thys, Hein Van de Gein ... Teun goes on tour with some of these bands a lot.

He has played on Festivals in Scandinavia, Australia, Mexico, Spain, Italy, South Africa, Portugal, Iceland, Canada, Japan, Austria, Bermuda's, England, Tunisia, Morocco, France, Venice, Bermuda Islands, Holland, United Kingdom, Greece, Cyprus, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Russia, Poland, ...
He played at the EuroJazzfestival in Greece with Alexi Tuomarila, Jef Neve, "4" and Pascal Schumacher and played on the same festival in Mexico City with Jef Neve.
He played a lot at big festivals such as North Sea, Vancouver, Blue Note, Jazz Middelheim, April Jazz, Gexco Jazz, Kaamos Jazz, Montreal Jazz, Dour,...

Teun was also invited by Jazz Middelheim to open their 25 Jubilee Festival with the program called "Around a Drummer" and he also got a "carte blanche" at the 2005 Time Festival, Ghent.


Did support acts for bands as :
Elvin Jones Jazz Machine, Brad Mehldau Trio, John Zorn's Moonchild, Paul Bley, Brandford Marsalis 4tet, Joey Baron's Killer Joe, Mike Patton's Fantomâs, John Zorn's Electric Masada, Charley Haden Band, John Abercrombie 4tet, Andrew d'Angelo Trio,..."