Maher Shalal Hash Baz is the artistic alter ego of Tori Kudo, a Japanese naivist composer and musician. The name is taken from
Maher-shalal-hash-baz in the
Book of Isaiah verses 8:1 and 8:3, and translates roughly as "Hurrying to the spoil, he has made haste to the plunder." Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz is also mentioned in the Book of Mormon in verses 2 Ne 18:1 and 18:3.
Tori Kudo has resisted defining the sound of his band, although in an interview with
Tim Footman in
Careless Talk Costs Lives magazine (August 2002) he declared "I am punk." There are also elements of folk, psychedelia and free jazz; the band's tendency to ask members of the audience to join in adds a sense of danger in live performance. Perhaps the best description comes from his own sleevenotes to
From A Summer To Another Summer: "Error in performance dominates MSHB cassette which is like our imperfect life."
GET IT HERE!Peace. Out.
