Vintage Electronic Music from Japan, Part 1

Vintage Electronic Music from Japan, Part 1

Western Influence to Eastern Identity: Electronic Music in Japan from 1953 to 1963.

Playlist:

1. Toshiro Mayuzumi, “Les Œuvres Pour La Musique Concrète X, Y, Z” (1953).
2. Makoto Moroi and Toshiro Mayuzumi, “7 Variations” (1956).
3. Toru Takemitsu, “Vocalism AI (Love)” (1956).
4. Group Ongaku, “Metaplasm Part 2” from Music of Group Ongaku (1961, SEER Sound Archive). Live performance, 1961, at Sogetsu Kaikan Hall, Tokyo.

• Cello – Mikio Tojima
• Cello, Drums, Tape – Shukou Mizuno
• Guitar – Genichi Tsuge
• Piano – Chieko Shiomi*
• Saxophone, Tape – Yasunao Tone
• Violin, Saxophone, Tape – Takehisa Kosugi

5. Tadashi Mori (conductor), Akira Miyoshi (composer), opening excerpt to Ondine for orchestra, mixed chorus and electronic sounds. (1961, Time).
6. Joji Yusa, Tracks 1-4 (1963). Incidental music for NHK Radio, based on Andre Breton's "Nadja". "The actual chart of constellations was played by three players (violin, piano, vibraphone) which was supposed as the music score. And birds' voices, electronic sound, sound generated from inside piano, through music concrete technique and constructed at the NHK Electronic Music Studio."
7. Michiko Toyama, “Aoi No Ue (Princess Hollyhock) (Music Drama for Tape and Narration)” from Waka and Other Compositions (1960 Folkways).
8. Joji Yuasa ‎– “Aoi No Ue” for voice and tape and based on The Tale of Genji written by Murasaki Shikibu in 11th century. Tape parts realized at NHK Electronic music studio (1961).

 

NHK = Nippon Hoso Kyokai (Japanese Broadcasting Corp.)

 

The Archive Mix in which I play two additional tracks at the same time to see what happens. Here are two more tracks of vintage Japanese electronic music:

1. Kuniharu Akiyama, 'Demonstration' Of Nissei Theater (excerpt). Music for a public demonstration of the stage machinery of the newly opened Nissei Theatre in Tokyo (1963, Edition Omega Point)
2. Toshiro Mayuzumi, “Mandara” for electronic sounds and voices (1969, Philips).

For more information about the history of Japanese electronic music, read my book: Electronic and Experimental Music (sixth edition), by Thom Holmes (Routledge 2020).