Keiji Haino & SUMAC reminisce about their audience intimidation days, prep new live album on Trost

Hey, what’s this? Didn’t Keiji Haino and SUMAC collaborate for a thoroughly improvised studio album just last year? I was under the impression that the former only did repeat meetings if Tatsuya Yoshida, Jim O’Rourke, or Oren Ambarchi were involved — or if Haino’s ghostwriter came along and wanted to suggest an additional 20 words per track title over coffee. That verbosity has certainly existed on a plethora of Haino collaborations over the years; and in 2018, Haino got wordy with SUMAC, the sludge metal band from the PNW, which is also the latest band of choice for proverbial doom vagabond, Aaron Turner. (Apparently, aspiring monogamists can only dream of the chemistry on display during the original recording session at Tokyo’s Goksound in June 2017.)

Shortly after that, Haino and SUMAC performed at Fever in Tokyo, and that set is what comprises a new LP on Trost, entitled Even for just the briefest moment Keep charging this “expiation” Plug in to make it slightly better. The album was mixed by Randall Dunn in Seattle and mastered by James Plotkin.

Feel free to read that title again if you absolutely insist on some degree of comprehension, though we might just be witnessing an ongoing ode to James Joyce here. Watch the album trailer and have a listen to, uh…the second track below. Oh, and here’s where you can buy the thing. It’s out this Friday, June 28!

Even for just the briefest moment Keep charging this “expiation” Plug in to make it slightly better tracklisting:

01. Interior Interior Interior Interior - Space - Disgusting Disgusting Disgusting
02. Now I’ve gone and done it I spilled holy water (just water) over that thing called healing music……………………………. / There was a faint “Tsk”noise
03. Even for just the briefest moment / Keep charging this “expiation” / Plug in to making it slightly better
04. (First half) / Once, twice, thrice / When you press the third time / Carve esteem and despoliation into your heart (Second half) / Every historical scar / Has been lined up at regular intervals but / Their permeation is different / Beautified with a loss spray

More about: Keiji Haino, Sumac