Fumio Yasuda - On the Path of Death and Life '2013

Tracks list

On the Path of Death and Life At the end of 2010 Stefan Winter asked the
Japanese artist Nobuyoshi Araki to provide photographs for an audiovisual work.
In co-operation with the composer Fumio Yasuda, who has worked with Araki and
with Winter for many years, a new world of sound and image has been developed.
Winter had the vision to combine noise and aural finds – made
specifically for this project – with musical compositions and images.
During the first preparations, the unimaginable takes place. On March 11th, 2011
a gigantic wave rolled over parts of Japan and caused the nuclear disaster of
Fukushima. The tsunami destroyed whole districts, killed thousands, separated
families from one another; friends disappeared to never come back.

This powerful event affected the work of Araki, Yasuda and Winter, as they
created the elements for the installation. In 2011 and 2012, Nobuyoshi Araki,
Fumio Yasuda, Stefan Winter and Mariko Takahashi met several times in Japan. It
so happened that both Winter and Takahashi visited the area of Fukushima and
Sendai shortly before the destruction. After the catastrophe the first
recordings took place. Mariko Takahashi and Stefan Winter collected audio
tracks, recorded sounds and noises on their journey through Japan. They searched
and found specific concrete noises to build the soundscapes. Three main related
elements (the act of baptism, the journey, the big wave) form the unedited
movements. These main parts are broken and altered during the final montage.
Araki created images, portraits, family photos, some of them he scratched to
show scars. He photographed flowers, dragons, landscapes, uncovered women and
oversized blossoms.

In the summer of 2012 Winter recorded Fumio Yasuda and his trio in Tokyo. Yasuda
composed new works for Arakis visual world. His compositions and improvisations
are the musical guideline, and together with the soundscapes build the world for
the listener. The individual parts become one and the trilogy of death and life
arises. It is important for Araki that there is life after death and not the
other way around. Death is not the end as life starts again. Each part has the
same detailed time-frame of 22 minutes. However, each part is independent and
self-contained. 22 is a master number symbolizing that all obstacles can be
overcome and way can be made for clear goals. The number 22 stands for high
energy, which signals shadow and light.

The music of Fumio Yasuda, Stefan Winters soundscapes and the art photographs of
Nobuyoshi Araki form in three episodes the work: On the Path of Death and Life.

Fumio Yasuda, piano
Akimuse, vocals
Nobuyoshi Ino, bass
Stefan Winter, sounsdscapes

Tracklist:
01. Fumio Yasuda - Novellette (8:08)
02. Fumio Yasuda - Blue Era (6:46)
03. Fumio Yasuda - Skyscape (7:21)
04. Fumio Yasuda - Mahoroba (4:24)
05. Fumio Yasuda - Spring Rain (6:38)
06. Fumio Yasuda - Memory and Desire (3:46)
07. Fumio Yasuda - Kiri (7:27)
08. Fumio Yasuda - Ame (6:56)
09. Fumio Yasuda - Lament in the Dunes (7:10)
10. Fumio Yasuda - Red Era (7:54)

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