The past couple of weeks have been fairly busy. When you're running around restlessly without any particular reason, a day passes by like a flash. While seeing how other contributors give full scope to their literary talent and originality by writing one interesting text after another, I feel deeply sorry for having been silent since early April. Below are some of the things that happened in the meantime.

 

April 10

I check out "The resurrection", Kami-san’s first solo exhibition in seven years. It’s my first visit to the Point Gallery, and I really like it. It matches nicely the warmth and power of Kami-san’s artworks. Standing in front of one of the larger pieces, for some reason I remember the crayon tree that appeared in "Momoiro no kirin" ("The pink giraffe"), a picture book that I loved when I was a kid, and end up watching the rest of the show in a rather melancholic mood.

 

April 11

I'm in Osaka. It’s my first trip to the city in about ten years. The entire cityscape, from the faces and clothes of the people in the street, to the eye-catching neon signs and the overall energetic vibe, make me feel as if I was in another country. I such situations, I think it’s more fun if you overcome your shyness and play the "country hick" game properly. I can't pass through the shopping mall without stopping at every second food stall to buy some takoyaki and other snacks, just to find myself suddenly standing in the magnificently illuminated Dotonbori district and marveling at the flood of light that is just overwhelming absolutely beyond good or bad taste. In a lighthearted mood I drop by at Sound Channel. The space is filled with a very handmade feel and the sort of music that I like, which has a further uplifting effect on me. Sound Channel is going to close down later in June but reopen at a new location in downtown Osaka, and I really hope they take that pleasant festival atmosphere with them.

 

April 12

Cornelius has added a show in Osaka to his "Ultimate Sensuous Synchronized Show" schedule, which is the primary reason why I came to Osaka in the first place. It rarely happens that I come across "something completely new", neither in design nor in music, plus, the older I get, the fewer I feel are the chances I get to sense real novelty. This concert, however, gives me something that I do experience for the very first time, which makes the trip to Osaka more than worthwhile!
I finally watch the "Sensurround" DVD that I decided to leave untouched until after the concert. My initial plan was to watch only one piece a day so I can enjoy the DVD over a longer period of time, but once the DVD is in the player I just can't stop watching…

May 6

The last day of the Golden Week I spend at Hotel New Otani’s swimming pool. Enjoying the lukewarm water and the green around the pool feels like welcoming summer a little earlier than the rest of the world. This doesn't sound terribly sophisticated I suppose, but for someone who just loves to float in a pool of warm water it’s an absolutely wonderful occasion. I think it would be nice if there were more pools in Tokyo that offer the same kind of casual yet somehow elegant amusement.

May 12

The "+81 Vol.40 London Graphic issue", which we sent off to the printer at the end of April, is finally hitting the bookshops. It seems like an eternity ago that I went to London to work on this edition of our magazine…
Looking at all these individuals bundled together in one magazine makes me admire once again the diversity of London’s creative scene. In particular, I feel like these people have taught me through the interviews and the successive editorial work that elemental kind of balance between "inspiration" and "deliberation".

 

May 15

While the newest issue has just gone on sale, I immerse myself in more or less daily research for the music special in the next issue, +81 vol. 41. Right now I'm examining record labels around the world that are operated by sound creators themselves. Considering the high degree of originality all of these labels share in terms of sound and graphic work, I'm sure we'll put together quite an interesting magazine next time!

 

May 26

The +81 online presence, "plus81.com/plus", has undergone some renovation. We're planning to update the site more frequently, and fill it with even more contents. Don't forget to bookmark it! Later in June, as part of our upcoming music special and for a limited period, we will add an exclusive corner produced in affiliation with the Metamorphose festival. You will find there interviews with artists who appear at the festival, and an archive of graphics from the event.

 

June 10

Still quite impressed by the show I witnessed in Osaka, I meet Cornelius for an interview for our next issue. I feel totally swallowed up by Oyamada-san’s unique tempo… Later I'm planning to interview also video artist Tsujikawa Koichiro and graphic designer Kitayama Masakazu. It’s all part of the journey exploring how in the world they managed to pull something as impressive and deeply moving as that off.