Boredoms performing at the Starlight Ballroom in Philadelphia, April 2, 2008, with the Sevena in foreground. Photo: Hisham Akira Bharoocha. All photos courtesy of Boredoms and Hisham Akira Bharoocha.

I first saw Eye perform in the early ’90s in Tokyo, where I grew up. He was opening for the metal crossover band Helmet with his hardcore punk side project, Concrete Octopus. Eye came out of the audience screaming “Concrete! Concrete!” with a knit beanie covering his face. Once onstage, he shoved the microphone into his mouth and over the hat, screaming along to the band’s 30-second songs. I was mesmerized by his electric presence. Later I found out that he was one of the leaders of the avant-garde rock band Boredoms. I became obsessed with Boredoms and went to see them whenever they’d travel from their hometown of Osaka to play in Tokyo. Even after moving to the States in the mid-’90s, I made it to every Boredoms-related show in every nearby city.

Eventually, I became friends with Yoshimi, one of the drummers, and opened for her all-girl band OOIOO with one of my bands, Pixeltan, when they came through New York.

Later, a gallery in Tokyo called Trees Are So Special invited me to play solo music at the opening for Eye’s show. When I got there, Eye stood staring at me intensely while I went through my sound check. He was excited by Soft Cirlce, my solo music project, and agreed to do a jam session with me after our performances. That was one of the best moments of my life. I had dreamed of collaborating with him. As if that weren’t enough, we too became friends.

When Boredoms began thinking of doing a large-scale project in New York, we came up with the idea of creating a performance with 77 drummers for one of their compositions. Thanks to many people’s help, we were able to make it happen in Brooklyn on July 7, 2007, and called it 77 Boadrum. This was another one of the best days of my life. We were able to create a one-of-a-kind experience that connected countless people in a public place outdoors.

This interview happened in March while I was opening for Boredoms as Soft Circle on their latest U.S. tour. Anyone who reads this will get a sense of what motivates the power of their artistic vision: a mix of ancient rites, Japanese folklore, nature, and even cosmic disco.

 

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Get the inside scoop on Boredoms member Yoshimi P-We’s side projects in an exclusive outtake from the print issue, including her clothing line and her band OOIOO.

 

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