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File under: Abstract70s

Yori-Aki Matsudaira

Obscure Tape Music Of Japan Vol. 25: Night Event At Festival Plaza In Expo '70

€24.00
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At the World Exposition held in Osaka in 1970, many multi-media works such as experimental music were presented at different pavilions. Some of the recordings were released on discs, however, the information was lacking what music was produced for what event held at the Festival Plaza. Although many sound sources were lost, we managed to analyze some part of treasurable recordings that were still available!  tr.1 "Flag, Flag, Flag and Plaza of Light" (music: Yori-aki Matsudaira) The event was a sort of a performance where Gutai members walked around the venue holding various flags that they made by themselves. The music they used was fragments of marches, including The Fairest of the Fair (John Philip Sousa, 1908), and before long it was overpowered by the sound of electronic and modulating music. Eventually the marches were muted, and one could only hear the electronic sound. Yori-aki Matsudaira commented; “they said, we should make marching music because we walk. So, we span a vinyl of marching music while muted the melody parts to leave only the rhythm section and then improvised on top of this with keyboards. Adding to that, we modulated the whole sound.” Kuniharu Akiyama, a music director of the Expo, recorded this sound privately.  tr.2 "Pierced Through by Beam" (composer unknown) The official name of the event was called "Pierced Through by Beam, Mad Computer and Minimal Sound of Rider". According to Masunobu Yoshimura, director, "Pierced Through by Beam" was named after a concept, in which they would beam a searchlight at the bodies of the audience gathered on the gigantic Festival Plaza. Also, according to Hamada, "Minimal Sound of Rider" was a rock-and-roll show combining a motorbike show and a performance of Yuya Uchida & Flower Travellin’ Band. At Matsudaira’s home, there were about three tapes of recorded material for "Pierced Through by Beam" however Matsudaira did not produce this material.

 Although it is unknown how this material was used in "Pierced Through by Beam", Matsudaira might have controlled live electronics using these tapes as a foundation similar to the way he performed for "Flag, Flag Flag and Plaza of Light".

Details
File under: Abstract70s
Cat. number: OPA-025
Year: 2020