Phew is renowned as an avant-garde artist working with voice and electronics. Described by Pitchfork as a "Japanese underground legend", she was a founding member of Osaka punk band Aunt Sally, who broke up in 1980. Since then she has worked solo and collaborated with musicians such as Ryuichi Sakamoto, Jim O'Rourke, Ana da Silva (The Raincoats), Seiichi Yamamoto (Boredoms) and Holger Czukay (Can).