18 November 2010

GROUP ONGAKU (1960/61) HEAR sound art library




Here's something which is more related to experimental or contemporary classics than to Free Jazz/Improvisation. But it is improvised as well...


Takehisa Kosugi was later co-founding the "Taj Mahal Travellers" and since 1978 he served as the musical director of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company..
He, Yasunao Tone and Chieko Shiomi were also associated with the Fluxus movement.

More information on Takehisa Kosugi > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takehisa_Kosugi &
http://www.lovely.com/bios/kosugi.html & http://www.artpool.hu/Fluxus/Kosugi.html

Yasunao Tone > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasunao_Tone
&
http://www.lovely.com/bios/tone.html & http://www.thewire.co.uk/articles/208/

also > http://www.shukomizuno.net/
and
http://www.fluxus-east.eu/index.php?item=exhib&lang=en&sub=shiomi


GROUP ONGAKU

Track 1 & 2:
performed by
Takehisa Kosugi, Chieko Shiomi,Yumiko Tanno, Yasunao Tone, Shukou Mizuno


Track 3:
Takehisa Kosugi,v,sax,tape
Chieko Shiomi,p
Mikio Tojima,vc
Yasunao Tone,sax,tape
Genichi Tsuge,g
Shukou Mizuno,vc,dr,tape

1. Automatism
2. Object
3. Metaplasm 9 - 15

Recorded :
Track 1 & 2 on May 8, 1960 at Mituno's House.
Track 3 on September 15, 1961 at Sogetsu Kaikan Hall, Tokyo

14 comments:

Ernst Grgo Nebhuth said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
intempestif said...

This looks really interesting! I heard Takehisa Kosugi on a couple of recordings - in Steve Lacy trio and a Peter Kowald trio, but those were much later, 1970's and '80s. I didn't know he was active as early as 1960! I wonder if there already was a scene for this type of music in Japan at that time...

magogiallo said...

I have only read about group ongaku, never have the opportunity to listen them, just some examples but in a very low bitrate that explain me nearly nothing, thank you for this chance and for the last japanese posts

Ernst Grgo Nebhuth said...

As far as I know Takehisa Kosugi "started" already at the end of the 50's.
Wether there was already a scene or not - I have no clue.
Maybe he/they invented one...

intempestif said...

Yeah, they probably did. I always thought groups like AMM and MEV were the earliest free improvisers, but looks like Group Ongaku were doing it 5 years earlier!

Ernst Grgo Nebhuth said...

AMM were founded 1965. But I assume they probably played some time before!?

Who knows which group musicians played in such a manner before 1965 or 1960. They could be lost in history only to be rediscovered tomorrow.

I think free improvisation was always a method for (some) musicians.
In the same way as - for example - these extended saxophone techniques were (partly) used by Honkers & Bar Walkers.
Later in the twentieth century the players "concentrated" on this special area of sound production.

Evan Parker once said in an interview that his way of playing is not his property instead it can be used by everyone. I would add - as long as it is "creative" and no mere copying.

To me it seems that this is not only a question of techniques but also of consciousness/awareness.
Not only for the musicians but also for us - the listeners.

Let's hark...

Anonymous said...

Free improvisation was taking place in San Francisco - Oliveros and others in the late 1950's and a little later Alan Watts projects.

Ernst Grgo Nebhuth said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Superbly, onxidlib!
A huge thank you!

Gabriel Caldirola said...

File has expired and does not exist anymore on this server

Could you please update the link? Thank you very much.

DW said...

onxidlib, would you consider reposting this?

Ernst Grgo Nebhuth said...

Don't find my old rip (or rip from the CD) at the moment.
Will need some time to do a new rip from my LP....

Anonymous said...

new link:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/56c5e5cadpb7v6b/Group_Ongaku.zip

Igor

Ernst Grgo Nebhuth said...

A heartfelt Thank You!, Igor.