European premiere

At Rewire, two experimental masterminds present a new live collaboration: Oren Ambarchi and Phew. With bonafide punk origins and collaborations under her belt with the late composer and pianist Ryuchi Sakamoto and krautrock legends Holger Czukay and Jaki Liebezeit of Can, Phew’s oeuvre spans a vast array of underground sounds: from the no-wavey synth-hymns of her 1981 self-titled debut; to the poppy, shoegazing, industrial undertones of Our Likeness (1992); and the eerie, incandescent drones of her more recent works Vertigo KO (2020) and New Decade (2021). During these decades of music making as Phew, two things are constant: Moritani’s dynamic, compelling voice, and her commitment to unfettered experimentation. Although far removed in time from her origins in 70s punk outfit Aunt Sally, the turbulent punk spirit of music as resistance flows through Phew’s compositions and performances as she yells and whispers in equilibrium, always leaving the audience with something to consider. Ambarchi is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, and improviser whose work traverses modern electronics and processing; laminal improvisation and minimalism; hushed, pensive songwriting; and the physicality of rock music. He has released on labels such as Touch, Editions Mego, Drag City, PAN, and Southern Lord, and has performed and recorded with artists including Fennesz, Charlemagne Palestine, Jim O’Rourke, Alvin Lucier, John Zorn, and fellow Rewire 2024 artists SUNN O))) and Annea Lockwood, to name but a few.