This disc is part of a 4-CD box set from 1995 called The Sou’ls True Love that chronicles the first decade of Keiji Haino’s career: from Lost Aaraaff in 1971 on through solo home recordings and eventually to the birth of an early version of Fushitsusha near the end of that decade. It contains 58 minutes of music featuring two long tracks of live mayhem from Keiji Haino’s very first group, the free-jazz-inspired Lost Aaraaff. The vocals / keyboards / drums approach here is very similar to their lone effort reissued by PSF, just way more lo-fi and obviously recorded live in front of a festival audience, as a few screams, shouts and catcalls are flung back toward the stage by the restless mob. But it’s no match for the hyperactive haunt-screech of Lost Aaraaff, as the trio offer their skittering, drifting, exploding, spontaneous wares to the Gods of cacophony. And the clouds nod in approval. Label: Purple Trap Catalog Number: PT 001 Format: CD Packaging: Jewel case inside a box set Tracks: 2 Total Time: 58:17 Country: Japan Released: 1995 Related Artists: Fushitsusha, Keiji Haino More: Forced Exposure, Official, Poison Pie, PSF, Wikipedia

Back we go to the very beginning of Keiji Haino’s “professional” career: 1971 and his first group, Lost Aaraaff. This free jazz-inspired ensemble scarved out a vicious splash of crazed piano, slop-o drumming (credits are not given) and Haino’s most toasted, gargled, feedback microphone vocals ever: groaning, growling, shrieking, screaming and kicking his way through 64 minutes over three long tracks. Ah, youth. Someone additionally squawks away on sax for a bit near the end of the 38-minute track two, plus Haino performs some low key pick-to-string guitar hits in the first part of track three, as well.

Although the band does get kind of “bluesy” at times, this music is definitely the sort of thing that makes most people perk up and politely request, “Turn that crap off!” From explosive, acoustic improv with screeching voice to ambient tinkling and ghostly vocal murmurs, it’s amazing that someone had a tape recorder rolling—especially then and there and for this kind of thing. All in all, it’s a very impressive set of pushed rawness. A vintage, color cover photo shows a blurry, youthful Haino onstage shaking a guitar around. It’s probably not from the same session, but who knows for sure?

Label: PSF Catalog Number: PSFD-18 Format: CD Packaging: Jewel case Tracks: 3 Total Time: 61:32 Country: Japan Released: 1991 Related Artists: Fushitsusha, Keiji Haino More: Forced Exposure, Official, Poison Pie, Wikipedia