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Natural Sounds of Japan
The Next Sonic Adventure
 Following
on the heels of the successful Natural Sounds of
Costa Rica, Andrew Roth has picked a second distinctive soundscape to
explore. The four main islands of Japan offer an abundance of interesting
flora, fauna, and beyond, revealing a wide ranging new pallette of sounds.
As with any country around the world, there are distinctive characeristics
and moods that spring forth from the earth--but, Japan adds a new dimension
to normal environmental recording. There is the simple challenge of finding
quiet, unspoiled places in the most industrialized and technologically sophisticated
country on the planet. And, there is the even more profound dilemma of how
to integrate or keep separate a culture (and its man-made sounds) which,
at least historically, has been inseparable from what we call the "natural
world."
 The
initial inspiration for the project came from some well known sources. Buddhism
has been established in Japan for centuries, having made its way across
from China in a slightly altered form known as Zen. The 16th century monk
painter Sesshu Toyo, created some of the most memorable of all sumi-e, or
black ink, paintings. His various landscape scrolls are a testament to both
his beliefs, and the Japanese all consuming love of the changing of seasons--the
passing of things.
Other works have been inspired by such masterpieces as
his "long" and "short" Four Seasons scrolls, but most have resulted in words
to the page. It's hoped that through this forthcoming CD, the changing moods,
seasons, and distinctive Japanese melancholy can be told through the sounds
of the place itself.
 Those
sounds which are famous, yet little known outside of Japan, will be recorded,
including the famous cracklings and moanings of the sea Ice of Hokkaido,
as well as the eerie singing of sand along the coast of Kyoto. Both are
on the cultural registry of the "100 most famous sounds" of the nation.
There will be the snow monkeys of Nagano, who bathe (often with people!)
in the hot onsen of the region, and Japan's intense volcanic activity should
be rich in deep earth shaping (microphone shattering) sounds. Simple sounds
(a gentle wind through reeds, an aural dance between cicadas) are also possibilities.
The jumping off point will be the various moods invoked by Sesshu, Basho,
and others of their sensitivities in dealing with the land--but, in the
end it will be the journey itself that will shape the outcome. This will
require a thorough exploration of the land and a lot of patience (as always).
Armed with Matuso Basho's famous travel journal "The Narrow Road to the
Deep North," a backcountry hiking guide to the country, and an atlas of
the 27 national parks, Andrew Roth, Naoki Nakamichi, and Yasu Yamada hope
to, without causing too much personal injury to themselves, explore the
four islands, from Kyushu to Hokkaido, with a side trip to the sub-tropical
Amami-Oshima, over the course of several months. While every bird, animal,
and geologic sound will undoubtedly be meticulously gathered, the most evocative
may actually come from the sounds of culture.
From the churning of ancient water wheels, to the crackling
flames of a tea ceremony fire, no sound will go unrecorded. It is imporant
for this sound series to maintain its "naturalness" and there is no way
to tell whether these sounds will be successfully integrated into the final
cohesive listening piece. The goal, as before, will be to eventually have
a series of distinct tracks which in some way tell a story--always interesting,
and never repetitive. Hopefully they will take you on a journey that, while
educational and entertaining, will leave even the most cynical listener
wanting more. How the final shape of the project turns out will be discovered
next summer as the sounds are being layed out. In whatever its final form,
"Natural Sounds of Japan" will be as unique and original an environmental
soundscape recording as there has ever been. A sonic journey to another
fascinating part of our world!
Read about Natural Sounds of Japan in the Hokkaido Shimbun or watch a news segment about the project from NHK television
Distribution in the U.S. of "Natural Sounds of Japan" will be handled by:
Natural Sounds, 2380 Vallejo Street, San Francisco, CA 94123-4712
Contact: Andrew Roth (andrew@naturalsounds.org)
TEL: (415) 621-7873 FAX: (508) 462-7975
60 day consignment orders of any size are available for the 7 county San Francisco Bay Area.
For other regions, wholesale is $9 per unit. Secondary distribution and bulk rates negotiable. SRP is $14.99.
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