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Phew (singer)

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Phew
Birth nameHiromi Moritani
Born12 September 1959
Osaka, Japan
GenresElectropunk
Avant-garde
Experimental
Occupation(s)Singer, composer
Instrument(s)Vocals, electronics, synthesizer
Years active1978–present
LabelsBereket
Mute Records
Pass Records
Alida
Mesh-Key
Felicity
WebsiteN/A

Phew is a Japanese singer and analogue electronics improviser working in the areas of experimental and avant-garde music.

Music career

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Her career began as a member of post-punk group Aunt Sally, who released a self-titled album on Osaka’s Vanity Records in 1979.[1]

After the break-up of Aunt Sally, she released the "Finale"/"Urahara" single produced by composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, followed by the Phew album recorded at Conny Plank's studio in Cologne, with Holger Czukay and Jaki Liebezeit.[2] This was followed by a series of albums that included Our Likeness, recorded with Plank and Liebezeit, featuring Einstürzende Neubauten's Alexander Hacke and D.A.F/Liaisons Dangereuses's Chrislo Haas.[3]

After 1995's Himitsu No Knife, she remained active in various groups, including the jam rock ensemble Novo Tono featuring Otomo Yoshihide, a collaboration with electronic musician Hiroyuki Nagashima called Big Picture, and the punk group Most with Boredoms guitarist Seiichi Yamamoto.[4] In 2010, she returned to her solo career with the covers album Five Fingered Discount on her own Bereket label, featuring Jim O'Rourke.[4]

From 2012 she began to work in electronic music and home recordings which gave rise to a prolific series of records, starting with 2015's A New World and continuing with 2017's Light Sleep and 2018's Voice Hardcore. In 2018 she also released Island, a collaboration with Raincoats' Ana da Silva.[5]

By the time of 2021's New Decade, she was receiving widespread acclaim for her long career in experimental music.[6]

Discography

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Solo

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  • New Decade (LP/CD) Mute (2021)
  • Voice Hardcore (LP) Mesh-Key (19 Jan 2018 in US)
  • Voice Hardcore (CD) Bereket (1 Nov 2017 in Japan)
  • Light Sleep (LP) Mesh-Key 2017
  • A New World (CD) Felicity 2015
  • Five Finger Discount (CD) Bereket 2010
  • Himitsu no Knife (CD) Alida 1995[7]
  • Our Likeness (LP/CD) Mute 1992
  • Songs (Maxi-Single) 1991
  • View (LP/CD) 1987
  • Phew(LP/CD) Pass Records 1981[2]
  • Finale c/w Urahara (Single) Pass Records 1980

Aunt Sally

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  • Self-titled (LP) Vanity Records 1979 - Reissued on Mesh-Key (2022)

Most

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  • Most. P-Vine, PCD-25010, 2003
  • Most. P-Vine, PCD-5647, 2001
  • Most. 2000.11.26. CD-R. 2001

With bands and projects

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  • Patience Soup with Jim O'Rourke and Oren Ambarchi (LP) Black Truffle 2019
  • Island with Ana da Silva (LP) (28 September shouting out loud! 2018)
  • Island with Ana da Silva (CD) only (5 September NEWWHERE MUSIC 2018)
  • Project Undark Radium Girls 2011 with Erika Kobayashi (CD) Bereket 2012
  • Morio Agata. Norimono Zukan. Bridge BRIDGE-078, 2007
  • Morio Agata. Norimono Zukan. Vanity 0005, 1980
  • Big Picture. Big Picture. Little More, LMCA-1002, 2001
  • Big Picture. Big Picture. CD-R
  • Blind Light. The Absence of Time. Alida, ALIDA-001, 1994
  • Anton Fier. Dreamspeed/Blind Light 1992–1994. 2-CD set Tzadik, TZ 7609 2003
  • Anton Fier. Dreamspeed. Avant, AVAN-009, 1993
  • Novo Tono. Live. CD-R. 2001
  • Novo Tono. Panorama Paradise. Alida/Creativeman, CMDD-00038, 1996
  • Otomo Yoshihide's New Jazz Ensemble. Dreams. Tzadik, TZ 7238, 2002
  • Otomo Yoshihide. Otomo Yoshihide Plays the Music of Takeo Yamashita. P-Vine, PCD-5804, 1999
  • The Unknown Cases, and Phew. Koyasan. Fünfundvierzig, MCD 45122, 2001
  • Phew and Seiichi Yamamoto. Shiawase no Sumika. Tokuma Japan Communications, TKCH-71454, 1998

Compilations

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  • Pass No Past. 2-CD set Pass/P-Vine, SSAP-004/5, 2005
  • Improvised Music from Japan. 10-CD set. Improvised Music from Japan, IMJ-10CD, 2001
  • Mottomo Otomo: Unlimited XIII. Trost, TR076, 2000
  • Megabank Presents Tribute to New Wave. Megabank, MB-2.507CD, 1995
  • Rebel Incorporated. 2-LP set, Wax, 17WXL-3001/3002; CD, Wax, 32WXD-101

References

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  1. ^ Pelly, Jenn. ""New World" review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  2. ^ a b "DeLorean: Phew - "Phew" (1981)". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  3. ^ Pothast, Emily (June 2022). "New Day Rising". The Wire. No. 460. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  4. ^ a b Phares, Heather. "Phew Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  5. ^ Geffen, Sasha. ""Island" Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  6. ^ Phares, Heather. ""New Decade" Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  7. ^ ""The thing I care the most about is tone"September 1995: An interview with Phew from G-Modern #9 3 album reviews - BLACK EDITIONS". 1 May 2019. Archived from the original on 1 May 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
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