Some Cats From Japan
By VNMS on September 4, 2007 - 10:58am
Vancouver New Music presents
Some Cats from Japan
Curated by Aki Onda; featuring Atsuhiro Ito, Kanta Horio and Fuyuki Yamakawa
21 September 2007; 8pm
Scotiabank Dance Centre, 677 Davie Street
$12 regular /$8 students and seniors; available at the door and Tickets Tonight http://www.ticketstonight.ca
Electronic musician, composer, producer and photographer Aki Onda curates this no-holds-barred sound art extravaganza, featuring three of the most urgent, inventive performers now operating in Tokyo’s notorious underground electronic art and music scene. You won’t be experiencing an evening of sound creation like this again any time soon. Trust us.
ATSUHIRO ITO (Japan) OPTRON, electronics
Ito describes his performance as an "Extreme Optical Noise Core Sound that consists of Anomaly Hardcore Punk approach.” His original optical sound instrument, OPTRON, is a fluorescent light tube stuffed with small microphones that is then plugged into an amplifier and played like a guitar, OPTRON generates both discordant, epileptic noises and brightly flickering lights to create a truly unique audio-visual experience. Through manipulation of the OPTRON, Ito simultaneously creates both discordant sounds and visuals resulting in a live performance that proves itself a vehement test to the eyes and ears.
www.japanimprov.com/aito/
KANTA HORIO (Japan) handmade audio-visual device
Horio performs with his custom made device EM2, a large electromagnet connected to an audio amplifier used as an electric power amplifier. The audio signals input into the amplifier cause a significant rise in the magnetic field. A large number of paper clips are set under the electromagnet, which is dangled on a microphone stand, and audio signals actuate the paperclips. Various patterns of paperclip motion are generated by different frequencies of the audio signal. The activity of the paperclips is recorded with a video camera and projected in real time.
www.media.t-kougei.ac.jp/~horio/
FUYUKI YAMAKAWA (Japan) throat singing, heartbeat, electronics, guitar
Fuyuki Yamakawa picks up and amplifies the sound of his heartbeat with an electronic stethoscope. At the same time, this triggers the lighting of a series of light bulbs which oscillate simultaneously with the heartbeats, themselves cadenced to the rhythm of his 'Khoomei', a form of popular Tuvan (central Asian) overtone singing in which Yamakawa excels, characterized by diplophonia, which is the contemporary emission of two sounds requiring total control of one’s breathing. Through his vocalization, he controls his heartbeat’s speed and velocity. Says Yamakawa: "My physical body’s phenomena is output as sound and light and it gives perceptional stimulations to the eyes, ears, and skins of audiences. Eventually, the venue transforms into [an] extended part of my body. Sometimes it stops my heart for seconds."
http://fuyuki.org/
