Oren Ambarchi of Nazoranai is bringing his most powerful collaborators to Melbourne.
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Oren Ambarchi of Nazoranai is bringing his most powerful collaborators to Melbourne.

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For Ambarchi, playing with Haino is an honour. “I remember seeing Haino for the first time in 1991 in New York and I’ll never forget it. It completely blew my mind because it was unlike anything. Seeing something so powerful and otherworldly and confusing, it was intriguing for me.

 

“Just seeing Haino play. He is the real deal. He is absolutely unique, he’s absolutely committed to what he is doing, and there’s no denying when you see the guy whether you like it or you don’t,” Ambarchi says. “He is so committed to what he is doing and really throws himself into it. He isn’t a young man, but he’s got more energy than most people that I know. It’s quite phénoménal.”

 

Nazoranai doesn’t follow any typical music structure. “Everything is completely improvised. There’s nothing predetermined whatsoever. I’ll show up at a gig and I won’t even know what Haino’s going to bring as an instrument most of the time. It keeps things interesting and keeps things alive. It’s different from going and seeing a rock band that’s rehearsed everything to a T and just playing what they’ve rehearsed in front of an audience. It’s much more on the edge and risky, and therefore, in a way, it’s much more alive.

 

“It’s almost like [Haino] subverts what’s going on so things keep moving all the time. He doesn’t like things to be comfortable, not only for the other players but himself as well. So he is constantly challenging himself and pushing himself, but it’s unmistakably Haino. When you see him or hear his music, it really has his personal stamp on it.

 

“I look at my role when I work with Haino – and I love his music and I want him to flourish and shine onstage when he is playing. So on the one hand, I’m accompanying him because he’s got such a strong personality musically. But on the other hand, the three of us are shaping what’s going on equally. So it’s really connected too. It works.”

 

Ambarchi has become an important part of the international experimental music scene, both on his own and in collaboration with others. Now, he spends most of his time in Europe or the US performing and collaborating. “There’s a small community of like-minded people all over the world and it’s like a little family. It feels normal,” he says.

 

“I don’t even know where I live anymore. I know that I’m Australian but I’m barely here and working with lots of people from all over the place. It just feels normal to do that. It’s a stimulating, challenging thing to sometimes work with someone who doesn’t even speak the same language as you. But you play music together.”

 

For Ambarchi, his favourite place to play is Japan. “I love playing there and I love how the audiences there are very knowledgeable and enthusiastic in their likes. But they are like cultural sponges. I relate to that, so I love being there.”

 

Spending time in Japan has also helped him understand the way Haino works. “I’ve known him for many years and I’ve probably been to Japan 30-35 times now. I’m there very often. There is a particular way. I feel from going there often that I can relate to him and speak to him in a certain way where we get along and things work smoothly.

 

“You never know what he is going to do or bring with him. Especially when you play with him in Tokyo, he’s got such a huge instrument collection. It’s really fun working with him there because you never know what he is going to bring.”

 

“It’s fun working with him in Tokyo because we can always mix up what we’re going to do, we don’t necessarily do guitar bass and drums all the time.”