ä¸å¤±è€… or Fushitsusha is a seminal Japanese psychedelic post-rock band formed in Tokyo in 1979. Formed by members Keiji Haino, Jun Kosugi and Maki Miura, Fushitsusha has become one of the most influential and revered acts in the underground Japanese music scene.
Born in 1952 in central Tokyo, Keiji Haino began playing music and writing songs through teenage bands and solo performances. After high school, he furthered his musical studies as a professional where he met and formed a friendship with Maki Miura, then a music student, who he convinced to join Fushitsusha on guitar. The final member of the band, bassist Jun Kosugi was a childhood friend of Haino's from Tokyo. Miura and Kosugi would play secondary roles to Haino, setting up his amps and calmly conducting during performances.
The trio’s first record came in 1979 in the form of a self-titled EP on Jugafu Records. The title track laid the foundation for their music to come, a nine-minute electric jam rooted in traditional Japanese music with intense guitar and occasionally robotic vocals—driving an avant-garde sound unlike anything heard before.
By the 80s, Fushitsusha had become an influential underground band in the Japanese social and musical landscape, completing national tours and playing in thousands of local venues. The band quickly followed the EP by a vinyl LP, ‘The Record of 1980’ in 1981, featuring re-recorded versions of many of their earlier songs. It would be their first album and the first release of many over the next several decades.
Over the next decade, Fushitsusha released more than 15 recordings, including albums, EPs, and compilations. All of these include a mix of psychedelic rock, ambient experimental and post-rock. Each of these albums are notable for their unique sound, environment and atmosphere, created by each member’s commitment to prolonged improvisations and true sonic intensity. Amidst the noise and guitar solos, the mixture of composed pieces and live experiments featured on each album seamlessly melt together.
Haino’s voice became a central figure in these recordings, employing layers of high-pitched yelps, whimsical nonsense and expressive sounds alongside airy synthesizer solos. This vocal performance, along with Haino’s individualistic experimental principle, created a process of discovery drawing listeners and musicians alike into the world of Fushitsusha.
In the early 2000s,Haino had become for a short period linked with French music, playing acoustic solo shows with experimental electronic composer Christian Fennesz—also leading to two album release with 2006’s An Unreleased Chronicle. However, Fushitsusha still remains active—calling for packed hometown performances, limited vinyl pressings, and even a 2017 collaboration with Slovakian artist Vladislav Vancula.
Since its origins four decades ago, Fushitsusha has resonated with their fanbase and musical communities worldwide through a series of stunning and mesmerizing recordings. Each of these collections continues to reveal aspects of Japanese culture—as Haino explores sounds equal parts emotional, expressive, and surreal throughout the repertoire of one of the most daring and inventive groups in music.