John Harte is an Australian photographer who lives in Osaka. Since moving there in the 90s he has become intertwined with the Osaka music scene, eventually settling up Cafe Q with his wife Yuka and friend Yoko who is also a contemporary dancer, as well as touring many Western musicians to Osaka. John and Yuka also write music and perform as Pig & Machine, a noisy sample-based electronic punk duo.
Misono Days is a collection of 30 A5 sized postcards in a book that document the last few years of crazy performances and happenings at Cafe Q, with a CD neatly stuck inside the back cover featuring some of the many bands who appear in the photos. John’s photography captures the completely otherworld experience of some of these bands and the anarchic and comic atmosphere that permeates the scene. The vivid dayglo colours of some of the photos match the bright noisy hyperactive red cordial music that is on the CD. Splatterings of chipcore, breakcore, noise and gaudy samples frenetically mashed in a way that only Osaka-based musicians seem to be able to do – without seeming concern for the original source material – and simultaneously celebrating and parodying melodies and chaotic beats. Amongst the acts featured include the reasonably well-known like Ove-Naxx, Gulpepsh and DoDDoDo through to those you need to hear like Pig & Machine, Zuinosin and the amusing Ichi Bang Boshi Crew.
Pick up a copy via Amazon Japan before its strictly limited print run disappears. (yes, they will deliver outside of Japan if you can blunder your way through the language issues)
Sebastian Chan
