Ai Aso - The Chamomile Pool Show (DVD, 2006)

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Ai Aso - The Chamomile Pool Show (DVD, 2006)

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Japanese female singer-songwriter whose work has a whisper-thin acid-folk quality to it. Various connections with Tokyo underground rock bands like Boris and The Stars.

The Japanese underground has a reputation for extremities of emotion, usually harsh: the dark emotional landscapes of Keiji Haino and Fushitsusha, the twisted prog spasms of Ruins, the sheer sonic brutality of Boris. On the opposite extreme is Ai Aso, a Tokyo based singer / songwriter whose music hardly rises above a whisper.

That whisper has caught the attention of some important people: she collaborated with the aforementioned Boris on the epic "You Were Holding An Umbrella" from the assorted permutations of "Smile," appeared on the split single "She's So Heavy" with Boris guitarist Wata, and guested on White Heaven / Ghost / Stars / etc. guitarist Michio Kurihara's solo album "Sunset Notes." She also caught the ear of one Hideo Ikeezumi, head of the legendary PSF Record label, who released "Aida," her most recent album, in February of this year. Oh yeah, she released a DVD too: "The Chamomile Pool Show," a live document featuring performances with the above musicians and more. Whew.

Despite all this exposure, the woman herself has remained a somewhat mysterious figure: precious little information has found its way to the internet, even in Japanese (which has resulted in some imaginative rumors, like Aso's supposed marriage to Kurihara. Not true, unfortunately.) Recently, Jrawk tracked her down, meeting her in a Shinjuku izakaya to discuss silence, self consciousness, and…hardcore punk.