Meeting the bamboo

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During a tour of Japan in 2019, I had the chance to play with Japanese musicians, some of whom played traditional instruments: Setsuhi Shiraishi (Japanese calligraphy), Oshun Tsukagoshi (ikebana), Rieko Fujitaka (biwa), Naoto Yamagishi (percussion), Senshi Matsunami (shamisen).

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During that trip, I was invited by the artist Aya Necomura (dance) to play the cello at a family ceremony in the inner courtyard of some low-rise houses on the outskirts of Tokyo. We played alongside two Japanese artists – dancers and shinobue (bamboo transverse flute) players – I was immediately captivated – not by the police, but by the sound of these instruments, their depth and their lightness, the sense of both closeness and distance, but also the presence and attention that the performers and the audience paid to what was happening – a blend of solemnity and simplicity – in this quiet yet vibrant space, half-public, half-secular, where occasionally a neighbour or the postman would walk through the courtyard as if it were nothing out of the ordinary.

 

On the recommendation of my hosts in Tokyo, I was able to get hold of one of these flutes; my first breath into the bamboo – or at least the first time it resonated – was a unique moment for me, each hesitant note took me by surprise, like something blossoming; then the full range of bamboo’s acoustic properties—which I continue to explore—resonated with my research into sound and electroacoustics, leading to further practice and exploration, with the shakuhachi becoming a natural choice.

During my subsequent travels, I discovered the danso in Korea (a vertical bamboo flute), as well as Korean music, thanks in particular to the musicians: Bo-Sung Kim (changgo), Yeji Kim (haegeum), Woojung Sim (changgo), Dasom Baek (daegeum) and Yujin Seong (gayageum), with whom I was also fortunate enough to perform.

 

Through my study of Japanese honkyoku, Korean sanjo and other ancient musical traditions — which feel distant to me — I continually discover parallels with contemporary Western music and improvisation.

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Now

 

Outdoors

Outdoor practices, whether in nature – as in our duo with Yurika Saito, ‘Listening to the Trees’ – or in public spaces, these flutes harmonise with my approach, which seeks to move beyond the studio or concert hall and open up music to external sounds, as well as to diverse and unexpected audiences.

 

Reduction & movement in my work with dance,

air, lightness,

non-motorised. 

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