The video also showed communication or information problems we currently have. Could you explain it with some concrete descriptions?

In the point of information, there were scenes of real war and fake (game) one in equal rank, which both probably seemed real video at a glance. It was an intentional setting, but we meant a dangerousness in the real world. We can take things happening in the current world as information, but those information can be different depending on how to provide it. We cannot see the real without doubting it all the time.

As an artist, how do you approach these problems in music or art?

I think music is originally abstracted even if the musician brings very concrete problems into it. The abstract is the characteristic and the goodness of music. So basically, I’ve never expressed social problems in music like we did this time. Just I recently got desire for looking into those problems once, and the result was this work.

Including music, various elements such as sound technology, visual image and device technology constitute this work. Are there any episodes by the collaboration linking those fields and making into one work?

As coordinating the whole, it was not that we fixed the idea from the beginning, but for example, we had 16 super tweeters hanging from the ceiling this time, and the idea was from PA’s Mr. Abe unwittingly saying “PA company of my friend has 50 super tweeters”, and we just said let’s use it. (Actually, 50 was impossible in relations with weight and branching.) And then, it might be interesting if the sound of news source come out separately from each 16 super tweeter…like that. There were also many ideas from the stage environment. However, it was intricately linked each other, and we didn’t even know how to start. Almost all the time of the first several months, we couldn’t actually work with concrete ideas, but only had meetings.

The 8-piece strings ensemble and the free vocalization by Yutaka Fukuoka was impressive. What did these two live performances mean?

We had strong meaning to those two live performances, or rather to sounds mainly with noise coming from laptops which took over the first half. Mr. Fukuoka’s voice had especially a strong presence, and we commended him something Shaman-like meaning or primitive pray. As for the strings also, the composition was being conscious of expansivity and an organic presence to the noise of the first half.

Various programs including LED lights were used on the sound and visual direction. What technologies specifically did you use?

LED was controlled by application for DMX signal control, which was able to connect with external signal, but we programmed control pattern of LED and used midi trigger for the timing. As for the visuals, we got it through in real time with Max/MSP. (It actually turned out almost a manual control by Mr.Matsuo as there were troubles in synchronization at the actual performance.) The influence of sounds was almost by the placement of actual speakers, but Uwe was working on real time effect for Yutaka Fukuoka’s voice and the strings.

How did you get a response?

The response for this event was most unclear experience ever, well, that is, there were both pros and cons for various parts, but I felt I made resistance. It might be a work being completely different depending on the situation or point of view of the audience. The constitution was never easy to understand, so it could be incomprehensible if seeing the surface layer. There were also lots of things to think as a director. I think I need to build up my experience more and more.

Are you going to continue this event?

I don’t know if we are doing it as Media Opera, but I think the interest fact of making things with many people is where it sprays from the initial or personal blueprint, which is different from making by oneself. At the same time, it’s appealing that there’s a lot of possibilities which cannot be drawn by oneself. In that sense, I’d definitely like to continue the project like this.

Let’s keep a watchful eye over Hideaki Takahashi (mjuc) who makes a new challenge as a musician.

Media Opera <h />our<br />link
Date: November 17th and 18th 2007
Place: Asahi Art Square Hall
Address: 4F Super Dry Hall, 1-23-1 Azuma-bashi, Sumida-ku, Tokyo
https://www.aiding.jp