Authority control databases
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
Phew | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Hiromi Moritani |
| Born | 12 September 1959 Osaka, Japan |
| Genres | Electropunk Avant-garde Experimental |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, composer |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, electronics, synthesizer |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Labels | Bereket Mute Records Pass Records Alida Mesh-Key Felicity |
| Website | N/A |
Phew is a Japanese singer and analogue electronics improviser working in the areas of experimental and avant-garde music.
Her career began as a member of post-punk group Aunt Sally, who released a self-titled album on Osaka’s Vanity Records in 1979.[1]
After the break-up of Aunt Sally, she released the "Finale"/"Urahara" single produced by composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, followed by the Phew album recorded at Conny Plank's studio in Cologne, with Holger Czukay and Jaki Liebezeit.[2] This was followed by a series of albums that included Our Likeness, recorded with Plank and Liebezeit, featuring Einstürzende Neubauten's Alexander Hacke and D.A.F/Liaisons Dangereuses's Chrislo Haas.[3]
After 1995's Himitsu No Knife, she remained active in various groups, including the jam rock ensemble Novo Tono featuring Otomo Yoshihide, a collaboration with electronic musician Hiroyuki Nagashima called Big Picture, and the punk group Most with Boredoms guitarist Seiichi Yamamoto.[4] In 2010, she returned to her solo career with the covers album Five Fingered Discount on her own Bereket label, featuring Jim O'Rourke.[4]
From 2012 she began to work in electronic music and home recordings which gave rise to a prolific series of records, starting with 2015's A New World and continuing with 2017's Light Sleep and 2018's Voice Hardcore. In 2018 she also released Island, a collaboration with Raincoats' Ana da Silva.[5]
By the time of 2021's New Decade, she was receiving widespread acclaim for her long career in experimental music.[6]
