Fumio Yasuda - On the Path of Death & Life

2013 release

Three Soundscapes

On the Path of Death and Life

From 2011 until 2013 Fumio Yasuda and Stefan Winter create a trilogy of different soundscapes with the title »On the Path of Death and Life«. Each movement gives rise to a specially designed acoustic environment, which surrounds a person at a specific location and is experienced subjectively by each individual listener. Sound director Stefan Winter connects found noise pieces with the musical performances of Fumio Yasuda and images made by Nobuyoshi Araki. »On the Path of Death and Life« is a combination of sounds and musical compositions that form a penetrating sound world. The piece results from the fact that each noise and also its listening experience is absolutely unique. The acoustic surroundings effect who you are and how we feel. Each Pacific wave at Enoshima in Japan sounds different. And on the other side these various tones are not comparable with the sound fields of the Mediterranean Greek island of Lesbos or of the Atlantic coast of Iceland. The traveller experiences – consciously or unconsciously – extraordinary sounds on a train ride to Tokyo which can't be heard in any other place on earth. The Wind – which wafts gently through a pine forest in Japan – gives a specific auditive adventure. However, almost everyone had this experience that noises from childhood, which come to us later again in similar ways, can create inside ourselves a feeling of security and familiarity or fear and anxiety – feelings which often remain unknown and concealed. Although we once subconsciously knew our very first listening experiences, these memories remain hidden. The gurgling of waters inside our mother's womb comes as the primal tone to our ears. Water is life, and water can't die. »On the Path of Death and Life« consists of acoustic elements, noises, screeches and music which overlap. Like in a collage, elements of different sound worlds meet. The composition of Fumio Yasuda with the noises of Stefan Winter build three soundscapes.

Part I : The human being lives in present and primeval times at the same time

At the centre »The act of baptism«

Part II : The human being searches for a faraway land of peace, harmony, and bliss

At the centre »The journey«

Part III : The human being will be drowned by the great wave and arise from the sea foam

At the centre »The big wave«

»On the Path of Death and Life« can be introduced under the term soundmark, or resembles a musical 'still life'. It is a sound and noise collection of major and minor findings. This extraordinary album presents a particular acoustic environment using found noises and sounds of an audible world in conjunction with musical performances. Yasuda and Winter compose with nature sounds, city noises, human voices and music.