Storm Live in Bergen 4th December 2007

１２月４日にノルウェーのベルゲン市でChris WatsonとBJ Nilsenのライブが行われます。二人が手掛けたOle Mads Vevle監督 の'Tanakh Bibelen Al-Quran'という映画のサウンドトラックが演奏されます。

11:00 FILM SOUND: 'Atmospheres above and below the surface'
by Chris Watson & Mike Harding

Part One [1 hour]

Chris Watson – A masterclass on the principles used for recording wildlife in a natural habitat for film. Chris brings his expertise to reveal his own methods of recording in the wild. Recording in a variety of habitats has presented him with a series of unique challenges and in response he has developed his own particular methods... Recording vultures eating a zebra carcass, giant tortoises mating and many other examples of his recording will illustrate his talk. He also may play surround sound examples from the National Geographic Galapagos Series, which recently won the Asian Wildlife Film Award for Sound Recording. [This series was screened on NRK in October 2007.]

Interval [15 minutes]

Part Two [45 minutes]

Mike Harding – Chris Watson also releases his soundworks for CD & vinyl and film soundtracks. He also makes sound installations and live performances from his recordings [for Grieg07, 'Sleppet' in Bergen, September 2007 as part of the Grieg Centenary]. Mike will describe the relationship between Chris Watson, the label, Touch, and the publisher, Touch Music. He will also look at copyright and other practical issues concerning the non-musical aspects of his work. What happens when a copyright system formulated in 1913 comes up against modernist thinking? Mike here fleshes out the issues which for many remain invisible, but often inform and dictate responses to new challenges presented by the modern media.

18:30 Chris Watson & BJNilsen perform live their soundtrack to the film by Ole Mads Vevle 'Tanakh Bibelen Al-Quran'

18:45 Storm

http://www.bjnilsen.com/
http://www.chriswatson.net/
http://www.touchmusic.org.uk/

Against Flyer

Photographer Bryony McIntyre of Arika (www.arika.org.uk) has kindly given permission for deterra to use one of her photographs of Hijokaidan for the Against Festival. When I saw the image for the first time I thought it was perfect for the event. A nice shot of Junko almost emersed in white noise. My friend Fumi of In-Between is helping with the layout of the flyer. Actually, Against was born from an idea I had while talking with Fumi over a coffee in Hakata some time ago. Life in Fukuoka would be very dull without her I'm sure.

ザ外人犯罪ズ

Another late saturday/early sunday get together at IAF Shop. IAF Shop is a gallery space in Yakuin, Fukuoka that has been in operation for about 20 years. IAF is a passionate supporter of young local artists who often congregate there to exhibit their work and converse late into the night with staff, friends and local art enthusiasts. It's a bit of a hang for locals on saturday nights. Last night some foreign friends and I met there to discuss a punk covers band project called The Gaijin Hanzais which roughly translated means 'foreign criminals'. We had a studio booked for today (sunday) and we were drinking and talking well into the morning with other patrons of IAF while listening to Moondog, The Beach Boys and Mayhem. Band members Paul, Jon and I left at around 4:30 am while vocalist Nigel stayed...........and stayed..........and drank.......and drank until the studio session at 2:00 pm. Nigel arrived at the studio hammered and had a hard time standing up, talking and getting off his bicycle. He bailed after 30 minutes. Actually we told him to split because he was so drunk he was singing Motorhead's Iron Fist while we were playing The Exploited's UK 82.
He left and we were told a little while later that he had crashed in front of the studio. It took some effort but he eventually got on his feet and we left him there. The staff at Heacon Base Studio were very helpful and even had a bucket ready just in case he hurled. Poor guy. I like Nigel. He's a sweet guy who likes a drink. Maybe it's the Japan experience getting to him as it does to most.
I don't know what is going to happen with The Gaijin Hanzai's. The short session we played was good but we were all so hungover. We played songs by Wire, Husker Du, Motorhead, The Exploited and Peter and The Test Tube Babies. See what happens.

印度洋 山口

Indoyo. Travelled with Kappa to Yamaguchi for a set that turned into solos and improv's with local musicians. Great night, great staff and people. 印度洋ありがとう。Kappa was awesome. Listened to Taj Mahal Travellers on the way and talked about music in some detail. I might play a set with him again on February 7th at Indoyo on the same bill with Justice Yeldham and Jazkammer. See what happens...

Jazkamer/Justice Yeldham West Japan Tour 2008

Nokoso!

Yesterday, thousands of foreigners entering Japan were fingerprinted and photographed at immigration points across the country. It was because of a new law that has come into effect in order to protect Japan from external terrorist threats. My ass. This law has two main objectives. The first is to put a cap on the number foreign residents in Japan. The second objective is to serve the corporate interests of the companies selling the technology for such identification checks. Concerns about 'Terrorism' ,I believe, were not a main objective when the law for this procedure was passed by the ruling coalition.
As a permanent resident of Japan I find the procedure discriminatory and unnecessary. If there are individuals determined to carry out terrorist acts in Japan then they will find a way into the country regardless of this ridiculous system. It should be noted that the last act of terrorism carried out on Japanese soil was committed by Japanese Nationals.
Japanese celebrities have been appearing in photo-ops promoting the new law. One went as far as to say that it is important to fight the rising level of crime committed by Foreigners in Japan. Bullshit. Compare foreign crime levels with those committed by Japanese Nationals. There is hardly a comparison. And if you want to look at crime in Japan, look no further than than the ruling coalition. The LDP is one of the most corrupt governments in the world.
The national broadcaster NHK has been predictably licking the ass of the government while covering the introduction of the new screening checks at international airports. Whatever.
I am a foreign resident of Japan. I enjoy living in Japan and all the good and bad experiences that go with it. The Japanese government has my personal details. My photos, my fingerprints, my life on their databases. I don't need to be repeatedly photographed and fingerprinted every fucking time I enter the country. I am here to the disgust of reactionary knuckle scrapers. A living, breathing and relatively content contamination in this society.

Sakai Zon Performance film screening & talk

Sakai Zon
Heavy Duty in Venice Biennale + Documenta 2008
Performance film screening & talk
date: 12/2 (sat)
open 18:00
film starts at 19:30 (roughly 30 min)
talk starts at 20:00
party afterwards

venue: modern art bank wald
4-12-2 Chiyo, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka 812-0044

Toya is a student of English. He enjoys dancing. When he dances he looks like he is having an epileptic fit while standing up.

2007/11/18

Fucking cold outside. Heater has made it's debut for winter. I met Kojima last night at Hakata Station for our trip to Saga for the Damage Digital live. Suddenly felt sick after playing the harmonica on the platform. Maybe cause I can't play the harmonica my body was saying 'Blecch'. Kojima is a painter and was almost crippled by a work accident earlier this year. He is lucky to be able to walk at all. He and I share an interest in heavy music. Corrupted, Sleep, Iron Maiden etc. were discussed during the evening.
The venue was both a live space and studio complex called Geils, about a 10 minute walk from Saga Station. Lot's of local kids drinking and jumpimg around, tattoo booths and merch counters. I met Misa and Masayoshi from Damage Digital and had a chat. Unfortunately they can't play the Against festival which sucks. Maybe they will next time if it happens again. All the bands were fun to watch and the enthusiasm of the crowd and musicians was exhilarating.
Damage Digital were awesome. Duel vocal grindcore. They played for only about 20 minutes but they were incredibly intense, full of rage but tight and controlled. Best band in Fukuoka.
After that back to Fukuoka on one of the last express trains, about a 40 minute trip. Sent some corrections to Wayne for the homepage and hoped that he wasn't getting fed up already. Today I met Fumi for lunch, Paul for coffee and then a drum lesson. After that, I met Kumiko for an english/japanese exchange lesson in Maruzen Bookstore which I enjoyed. Test in 2 weeks. Watched Kuroneko by Kaneto Shindo.
I'm thinking, thinking and thinking. Why am I still in this fucking country after 10 years? What's keeping me here? If I didn't have some of these projects I'd go nuts for sure. Nurse Ratchett I asked you a queschun.
It's all revolving around music and pills and art and anxiety about what's not happening. I have no trade, I'm not a musician or an artist but I play and create music. I teach kids English and live in a country that is passively hostile to foreigners. Is anyone reading this crap?
Don't get off the boat? "Fuck it, I'm gonna get some mangoes."

2007/11/17

Another day of kids, endless thoughts, pills, exhaustion. Played a show with Monster Movie last night. We had a guest Butoh dancer on stage with us which was fantastic. Her name was Chiharu. Meeting after the show with Sakaguchi San of Magnet Dub Trio who is playing the Against Fest. We were trying to figure out how we were going to fit him into such a tight schedule but it should work out o.k. New deterra web page is up and slowly coming together thanks to my good buddy Wayne Burns.
Togashi Masahiko's We Now Create has been the soundtrack to my work from home of late. That and a bit of Jeff Simmons.
Always seem to be thinking about these events, shows and how I seem to running out of enough time in the day. I hope to travel to Saga tomorrow to see Damage Digital and maybe drop by IAF Shop afterwards. Yamaguchi show next week with Kappa. Drum lesson sunday. Japanese test in 2 weeks. Press releases, flyers and and escalating phone bills. Wish my buddy Sarah was here.