Maher Shalal Hash Baz
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Maher Shalal Hash Baz is the artistic alter ego of Tori Kudo, a Japanese naivist composer and musician. The name is taken from Maher-shalal-hash-baz in the Book of Isaiah, and translates roughly as "Hurrying to the spoil, he has made haste to the plunder."
Tori Kudo has been cagey about details of his life before MSHB. He was once a member of a shadowy, revolutionary political party in Japan, although he has dissociated himself from politics since becoming one of Jehovah's Witnesses. He also works as a ceramicist.
He claims to have played classical and jazz piano, as well as playing organ in a Protestant church. His other musical influences included T. Rex and saxophonist Steve Lacy. He and his wife Reiko Kudo joined a band called Worst Noise when they moved to Tokyo; other members dropped out, leaving Tori and Reiko as a duo, known simply as Noise. Under this name they released an album called Emperor.
The impetus for Maher Shalal Hash Baz came when Tori met euphonium player Hiroo Nakazaki on a building site, and found that they shared an interest in the music of Mayo Thompson and Syd Barrett. Apart from the core trio (Tori on guitar and vocals, Reiko as vocalist, Hiroo with his euphonium), the lineup has always been fluid.
After a couple of self-released cassette albums, the Japanese Org label released Maher Goes To Gothic Country (1991) and the 83-track box set Return Visit To Rock Mass (1996).
The group's profile outside Japan became much higher when Stephen McRobbie of The Pastels signed them to his Geographic label. They have released two albums on Geographic: the compilation From A Summer To Another Summer (An Egypt To Another Egypt) (2000) and the 41-track Blues Du Jour (2003); plus a number of EPs on various labels, including 'Souvenir De Mauve' (Majikick, 1999), 'Maher On Water' (Geographic, 2002), 'Faux Depart' (Yik Yak, 2003) and Live Aoiheya January 2003 (Chapter Music, 2005).
Tori Kudo has resisted defining the sound of his band, although in an interview with Tim Footman in Careless Talk Costs Lives magazine (August 2002) he declared "I am punk." There are also elements of folk, psychedelia and free jazz; the band's tendency to ask members of the audience to join in adds a sense of danger in live performance. Perhaps the best description comes from his own sleevenotes to From A Summer To Another Summer: "Error in performance dominates MSHB cassette which is like our imperfect life."
[edit] Discography
- Maher Shalal Hash Baz - "Maher Goes To Gothic Country" (Org; 1991)
- Maher Shalal Hash Baz - "Return Visit To Rock Mass" (Org; 1996; 83 Track Box-Set)
- Maher Shalal Hash Baz - "Souvenir De Mauve" (Majikick; 1999; EP)
- Maher Shalal Hash Baz - "From A Summer To Another Summer (An Egypt To Another Egypt)" (Geographic; 2000; 2-LP)
- Maher Shalal Hash Baz / The Curtains - "Make Us Two Crayons On The Floor" (Yik Yak; 2000; CD)
- Maher Shalal Hash Baz - "Maher On Water" (Geographic; 2002; 10-inch / Cd-Single)
- Maher Shalal Hash Baz - "Blues Du Jour" (Geographic; 2003; CD / LP)
- Maher Shalal Hash Baz - "Open Field" (Geographic; 2003; CD-Single)
- Maher Shalal Hash Baz - "Faux Depart" (Yik Yak, 2004)
- Maher Shalal Hash Baz - "Ethiopia" (life affair trust music, 2004; cdr single)
- Maher Shalal Hash Baz - "These Songs" (incerta, 2004; cdr)
- Maher Shalal Hash Baz - "Live Aoiheya January 2003" (Chapter Music; 2005; Mini-CD)
- Maher Shalal Hash Baz - "Maher Kunitachi Kibun Live 1984-85" (PSF; 2006; CD)
- Maher Shalal Hash Baz - "How's Your Bassoon, Turquirs" (Geographic; 2006; 7-inch)
- Bill Wells and Maher Shalal Hash Baz - "Osaka Bridge" (Karaoke Kalk; 2006; CD / LP)
- Maher Shalal Hash Baz - "L'Autre Cap" (K; 2007; CD)
