As one can easily guess from this event’s title, it’s going to be a very REALTOKYO-like crossover affair that doesn't really fit in any of our categories. While being forced to choose one specific genre for posting such events usually causes us headaches, this time it probably wasn't too hard (for the organizer) to pick the "music" section. That’s because all performances, exhibits and workshops included in this festival’s program deal in one way or another with "sound".
A selection committee made up of composer Ichiyanagi Toshi, jazz pianist Yamashita Yosuke, ICC curator Hatanaka Minoru, pianist/conductor Nakagawa Kenichi and Tokyo Wonder Site program director Kayoko Iemura chose a number of artists that explore unique ways of presenting sound - both acoustically and optically. Formats at this festival range from piano performances to so-called sound art installations to dance performances involving sound. Even though ideas such as "performing" on computers by editing data in real-time (Computer Quartet); manipulating sound according to transformations in the environment (+LUS); or improvising on a piano to a silent movie (Kozaki Eri) aren't exactly new, together with several performances highlighting aspects of sound in truly innovative and inventive ways, those rather orthodox presentations complete a well-balanced program showcasing a variety of different approaches to this festival’s central subject matter.
Sound artist Mamoru utilizes various commodities, whereas the often microscopic sounds he extracts from such items as straws, cellophane wrap or ice come across with surprising impact. His performance using melting ice will perhaps remind art fans of the "gradually disappearing works" of naphthalene artist Miyanaga Aiko. Azumaru + Takuya introduce an electric guitar to butoh, while Nakagawa Toshimitsu builds his own "electric instrument" using a pencil (!). Focusing on the electrical properties of pencil lead, he draws "circuits" for what the artist himself calls "DIY electronic instruments". Visitors to this festival can witness a performance on one of those. Another artist who introduces a pretty odd sounding concept is Tamatsu Takahiro, using training tools used in martial arts as musical instruments!
In addition to those mentioned above, there are about a dozen other artists appearing at this festival, but for none of them there is much information available on the Internet (most hits in search engines link to this event). In other words, all artists on the bill are aspiring young talents in the fields of music, art and/or performing arts, and there are no celebrities appearing, so be prepared for a disappointment or two, but even more than that, for many exciting discoveries. Assuming that the festival will take place again next year, a committee including more non-musicians like Hatanaka Minoru, and young individuals with stronger connections to the next generation of sound, visual and performing artists would be desirable. For now, let’s see how the quintet’s selection for this year’s installment works out.