Active in the 1960s, Zero Jigen (Zero Dimension) were known for their ‘ritual’ street performances (gishiki), surreal imagery and public nudity. Making use of dada-esque satire, they explored radical themes that expressed urban critique through ritualistic walks through crowded streets and other acts of ‘artistic terrorism’ on the environment. Zero Jigen collaborated with a number of artists from diverse media, culminating in The Joint Struggle Faction for Crashing Expo ’70 (Banpakuhakai Kyoto-ha). Founder Yoshihiro Kato will be on hand for a special performance ceremony and agitation.

Joining Tatsumi Hijikata’s legendary Ankoku Butoh Troupe in 1961, Mitsutaka Ishii became one of butoh’s greatest international proponents after his relocation to Europe in 1971. Initially drawing inspiration from Jean Genet for his mystifying works (with the notable inclusion of Kazuo Ono and Hijikata himself for many performances), he continues to take the enigma of butoh around the globe.

Graduating from the Tama University of Arts with a degree in sculpture, Yoshihiro Ogura discovered butoh while investigating human form in his studies. Touring Russia with Tsuruyama ‘ZULU’ Kinya and TOMO (from Tetragrammaton) in 2007 brought his work increased profile overseas. He continues to work with sculpture while also collaborating with visual artists and sound creators for butoh performance.

Japanese free psych/drone unit Tetragrammaton is one part 70s free improv (from the school of Kaoru Abe and Masayuki Takayanagi) and one part new millennium blissed-out drone/noise (a la Hototogisu and Vibracathedral Orchestra).
Mixing hurdy-gurdy, soprano saxophone, drums, percussion and (tabletop) guitar, the instrumentation might be well-suited to the folk-music of Eastern Europe, but falls more decisively into the camp of Fushitsusha or Borbetomagus.
The band has supported Keiji Haino on several occasions, and frequent guest spots have included Chie Mukai, Mitsuru Tabata (Acid Mother’s Temple, Zeni Geva), Damo Suzuki (ex. Can), Hiroshi Hasegawa (aka ASTRO) and improvising cellist Yasumune Morishige.
The three members, TOMO, Cal Lyall, and Ken Nobunaga are also involved in a number of other projects, ranging from harsh noise to world folk music to electronica.
Forming in 2006 with a bare-bones free improv lexicon, the band has moved towards dense drone-based structures and an increasingly multi-layered approach to thematic development, most evident on their most recent double-CD release from Subvalent, Elegy for Native Tongues.