Title: The Beginnings of Electronic Music in Japan, with a Focus on the NHK Studio: The 1950s and 1960s
Abstract: This article is based primarily on acoustic experiences associated with the research of sound documents, which is part of my task as an independent multimedia producer. The historical information here derives primarily from interviews I conducted, in many sessions over the period between 1986 and 1995, with the distinguished composers Toshiro Mayuzumi (1986), Makoto Moroi (1992), Minao Shibata (1986, 1987, 1989a, 1989b, 1991, 1993, 1994), Toshi Ichiyanagi (1989), Yori-Aki Matsudaira (1987, 1991), Joji Yuasa (1987), Katsuhiro Tsubono (1987, 1993, 1994), Yuji Takahashi (1987, 1993), Takehisa Kosugi (1993), Mieko Shiomi (1993), Shiuko Mizuno (1993), Keiki Okasaka (1987), Isao Tomita (1993), and Satoshi Sumitani (1992); as well as with former sound engineers at Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK), the national radio and television network of Japan: Hiroshi Shiotani (1988, 1990, 1992), Yoshinori Ando (1988), and Shigeru Sato (1992, 1993); and, finally, with the former director of the electronic music studio at NHK, Wataru Uenami (1986, 1988). Once collected, this information was completed and verified by consulting the documents listed in the References list, among others. It is, however, possible that errors have slipped into the article, because the stories of composers and engineers, on the one hand, and the writings of different periods, on the other hand, sometimes contradict one another, making it impossible to determine which version of the facts is correct. What is more, witnesses of this period are increasingly rare, and objections to existing historical data even more so in a society where debate, discussion, and objection are not recognized social values. Sound documents and interviews are the basis of this article. Besides the tapes preserved in the NHK Studio, few sound documents are available. I have thus kept almost exclusively to works realized in the NHK Studio.
Publication Year: 1997
Publication Date: 1997-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 24
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