Max Devereaux, Hiro Ugaya, and Arata Ogawa - Blood Wires (血液ワイヤー) (Cassette)

Blood Wires (血液ワイヤー) is a powerful two-part experimental project led by guitarist and composer Max Devereaux. The project features a Tokyo-based rhythm section with Hiro Ugaya on bass and Arata Ogawa on drums. Together, the trio explores the intersections of noise improvisation, free jazz, and heavy, textured minimalism.

The music is a cinematic exploration of tension and physical resonance, balancing sharp collective improvisation with dense, structural songwriting.

This album is a two-part work recorded across Tokyo and San Diego, reflecting years of artistic and philosophical exploration in sound. Drawing heavily from Japanese aesthetics, body and breath- work, and free improvisation, the music functions as a kind of sonic essay.

The pieces are entirely improvised but highly structured in their flow, delivering a dense, patient, and deeply textural listening experience. The project intentionally defies easy categorization. It moves outside traditional genre boundaries, proving too ambient for jazz, too abstract for rock, and too melodic for noise.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Max Devereaux (Guitar / Composer)
Max Devereaux is an interdisciplinary artist, musician, and filmmaker based between Minneapolis and Southern California. Largely self-taught, he approaches painting, film, and music as one continuous dialogue. Devereaux is remarkably prolific, with a diverse catalog of over 90 releases spanning experimental electronics, indie country, and free jazz guitar improvisation. Operating with a strong international presence, his music is released on independent labels across North America, Europe, and Asia. His deep ties to Japan include a 2024 tour and a solo exhibition of his abstract paintings in Tokyo, reflecting the cross-cultural chemistry that drives his collaborative work.

Hiro Ugaya (Bass / Synthesizer)
Hiro Ugaya (born 1963 in Kyoto) is a Tokyo-based bass player, music critic, and freelance photojournalist. A graduate of Kyoto University and Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, Ugaya built a distinguished career as a foreign correspondent and staff writer for major outlets like Asahi Shimbun and AERA magazine, covering major global events, international security, and ongoing documentary photography in Fukushima. Also widely recognized for his work as a music critic, Ugaya brings this deep, analytical understanding of structure and sound to his bass playing, providing a powerful, intuitive foundation in Tokyo’s rich improvisational underground.

Arata Ogawa (Drums)
Arata Ogawa is a Tokyo-based drummer and percussionist specializing in experimental, jazz, rock, and avant- garde music. Highly active in Japan’s underground live music scene, Ogawa is a frequent performer at prominent Tokyo experimental venues like Cafe Flying Teapot. Known for his atmospheric, improvisational drumming, his style bridges the gaps between ambient rock, jazz fusion, and noise. He has a long history of collaboration with Max Devereaux, including co-creating the full-length release And The Dawn Comes Sneaking Up When It Thinks I'm Not Looking, bringing a deep, familiar chemistry to the rhythm section.