1. •  
     CommentAuthorGumbi
   • CommentTimeJul 1st 2013

    permalink

   Avant d’accueillir Neotropic la semaine prochaine, voici un mix tout en apesanteur d'Hakobune, from Japan....

   https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/1017223_357674527688796_676973073_n.jpg
   http://incongru.org/~gumbi/WordsOnTracks/WordsOnTracks_22/WOT_22_Hakobune.mp3

   Une playlist :

   01 - pale blue sky - someday 0'00
   02 - old softy - bags 4'49
   03 - oh, yoko - seashore 9'43
   04 - nobuto suda - untitled 16'30
   05 - sean mccann - big school 24'33
   06 - hidekazu wakabayashi - unseen sightseers 33'32
   07 - yasei(hiroki sasajima + hakobune) - tropical 39'15
   08 - superskin - jungle juice 50'10
   09 - hisato higuchi - ushi to jujika 55'48
   10 - sint - r8 58'52

   Une interview :

   Hakobune a livré une interview, la voici :

   " Takahiro Yorifuji, AKA Hakobune, makes music by building harmonic layers of guitar reverb. While the vast sonic landscapes intensify and grow more complex with each layer, they never fail to invoke a state of calm and reflection. Yorifuji's approach to composition is uncomplicated and instinctive, resulting in an organic, undulating aural experience. Like many musicians who lean towards the tranquil nature of the ambient genre, the Tokyo-based musician also likes it ultra fast and super loud with his powerviolence band Whales. Releasing his work in limited batches on various labels like Underground Pollution Records, Dronarivm and Constellation Tatsu, or his personal favourite Whispering In Their Presence, which was originally released on Sunshine Ltd, Yorifuji will sell versions of the sold-out albums on his bandcamp page.

   When did you start writing/producing music - and what or who were your early passions and influences?

   I started writing music when I was 15 and my early influences were punk rock and hardcore. But I still like loud music. I'm actually also in a powerviolence band called Whales.

   What do you personally consider to be the incisive moments in your artistic work and/or career?

   That would probably be when my friend's album (Nelvoroth's Calm Sky) was released on Scarbox Records, an Italian label. Even though it didn't have anything to do with me directly, it set a series of events in motion for me. I was in a grindcore band with him at the time and not long before that, we were in our hometown of Kasai, which is a beautiful but rural part of Japan. We really didn't have anything to do so we just basically made music all day. And soon after that is when his album was released. So it got me thinking--if he could release something, why shouldn't I? That's when I decided to get serious and eventually got my first show.

   And that first show is probably the second incisive moment for me. It was my first time to play a show by myself. It was at a club called Sunsui in Osaka and I was opening for Merzbow and Jackie-o-motherfucker. I was really nervous about it, but afterwards I got positive feedback and it helped me become more confident musically.

   What are currently your main compositional- and production-challenges?

   I think my biggest challenge now is finding the time to compose. I truly enjoy writing music but now I have a full-time job and I play shows on most weekends.

   What do you usually start with when working on a new piece?

   I start off by tuning my guitar, sometimes acoustic, sometimes electric, sometimes bass. I don't use a tuner--I just tune it to how I'm feeling at the time. So it's never exactly the same each time.

   How strictly do you separate improvising and composing?

   For me there isn't really much of a distinction. My usual process is improvising one layer at a time and recording as I go.

   How do you see the relationship between sound, space and composition?

   Hmm... that's a difficult concept for me to explain ... I'll try. When I compose, I try to draw out these little, these almost insubstantial memories and feelings I have from when I was younger. They could be from an experience, or even something I saw like beautiful scenery.

   Do you feel it important that an audience is able to deduct the processes and ideas behind a work purely on the basis of the music? If so, how do you make them transparent?

   That's not something I really think about when I'm making music.

   In how much, do you feel, are creative decisions shaped by cultural differences – and in how much, vice versa, is the perception of sound influenced by cultural differences?

   I do think a person's culture can have an effect on both their creativity and perception of sound, but it isn't the only thing that affects them. So for example, the Japanese concepts of zen, minimalism, and wabi-sabi have an almost subconscious influence on me but are not the defining factors.

   The relationship between music and other forms of art – painting, video art and cinema most importantly - has become increasingly important. How do you see this relationship yourself and in how far, do you feel, does music relate to other senses than hearing alone?

   I certainly appreciate other forms of art, particularly film. I majored in film at university. But with music, I like that the same piece can mean different things to different people--that it is a personal thing, conjuring up different mental images and feelings within them.

   There seem to be two fundamental tendencies in music today: On the one hand, a move towards complete virtualisation, where tracks and albums are merely released as digital files. And, on the other, an even closer union between music, artwork, packaging and physical presentation. Where do you stand between these poles?

   For some reason I still prefer physical to the virtual. There's just something about holding it in my hands that appeals to me. To me the packaging, the artwork, the physical format of the album are one entity that should not be separated.

   The role of an artist is always subject to change. What's your view on the (e.g. political/social/creative) tasks of artists today and how do you try to meet these goals in your work?

   Maybe this is selfish but I make music for my own fulfilment.

   Music-sharing sites and -blogs as well as a flood of releases in general are presenting both listeners and artists with challenging questions. What's your view on the value of music today? In what way does the abundance of music change our perception of it?

   I'm ambivalent about it really. On one hand the Internet has indeed flooded us with music but on the other it has helped artists reach more listeners. But I do miss the old days when there were a lot of records stores where people could find new music and communicate with others.

   How, would you say, could non-mainstream forms of music reach wider audiences?

   That's not something I really think about. So in a way ... by definition, non-mainstream music will not reach a wider audience.

   Usually, it is considered that it is the job of the artist to win over an audience. But listening is also an active, rather than just a passive process. How do you see the role of the listener in the musical communication process?

   As I said earlier, it may be selfish but I make music for myself so I'm not really thinking about the audience when I'm performing. I think art ceases to be art when the creator makes it simply to appeal to the audience.

   Reaching audiences usually involves reaching out to the press and possibly working with a PR company. What's your perspective on the promo system? In which way do music journalism and PR companies change the way music is perceived by the public?

   Even if I didn't have an audience I would still be making music but I really appreciate the work that labels do to promote their artists.

   Please recommend two artists to our readers which you feel deserve their attention.

   Nobuto Suda

   HUH"

   Visit Hakobune's website hakobunemusic.jp and buy his music at hakobune.bandcamp.com

   Merci Hakobune, et bonne écoute à tous....

♫