MUTEK 2019 Report [Part 1]

Held in Shibuya in December 2019
Report on digital art and electronic music festival "MUTEK.JP".
I will tell you in two parts, the first part and the second part.

What is MUTEK?

A comprehensive festival of digital creativity, electronic music, and audiovisual arts from Montreal, Canada.
Cutting-edge art, technology, live entertainment, and symposiums are fused, and it boasts a global reputation as a place for artists to interact and a showcase for creative knowledge.

About 20,000 people from all over the world visit MUTEK in their home country every year.
It has grown into a huge festival held in major cities around the world, including Mexico City, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Dubai, San Francisco, and Tokyo.

It has been held in Japan since 2016, and this is the fourth time.
This year, it will be held in the Shibuya area for the first time, and the exhibition period will be extended to 5 days.
It was a powerful 5 days where you could feel the power of art and electronic music, receiving the energy of Shibuya, which is undergoing a series of redevelopments.
*Artist names in the report are abbreviated.

Installation that decorates the venue

The evening program for Days 1-3 will be held at SHIBUYA STREAM HALL.
Various installations were also exhibited at the venue, which can be enjoyed between performances.

Vivid art by artist group NOA
"dyebirth_observation"

Using the Life Algorithm (a simple model that reproduces the processes of life's birth, evolution, selection, etc.), the ink is dropped autonomously to create an organic mixture of colors.
The pattern was projected on the wall in real time, making it the most photogenic spot in the venue.

Light and sound booth by the creative unit toe on net
"Rembrandt"

Smoke is lit in a black booth, and variously changing rays and electronic sounds are synchronized.
The experience of sharpening your hearing and entrusting yourself to the light in a limited field of vision was a new experience.

Groove with game music and animation

The evening program "Nocturne2" on Day 2 left an impression on me with its performances related to games and animation.

Composer of the classic video game "Streets of Rage"
Live unit by Yuzo Koshiro and Motohiro Kawashima

Based on the two people's desire to "test the limits of video game music," the sound created more than 20 years ago has been sublimated into dance music. Heavy game sound is played.
In the background of the two people, the play scene of Bear Knuckle was fully projected, creating a nostalgic, yet melodious space that makes you want to dance.

With Kode9, head of London dubstep label "Hyperdub"
Audiovisual set by animation director Koji Morimoto

Koji Morimoto is a big figure in the animator world, working on "Animatrix" and others.
The vivid and smooth images seen on the big screen and Kode9's unique dubstep, UK house, grime, and psychedelic sounds are in perfect harmony.
With Asian-style sounds, animation with Tokyo's neon as a motif is played, further expanding and discovering the interpretation of sound.
When the performance was over, I could hear voices of deep admiration from the audience one after another, just like after seeing a magnificent work of art.

Meet cutting-edge sounds that test the limits of the hall

Playing only plain music in field recording
Yosi Horikawa

Yosi Horikawa focuses on environmental sounds that you don't usually listen to, and creates sounds in a unique style that collects sounds from forests, beaches, cities, and homes, and builds them into one piece of music. He is a creator who also handles a wide range of spatial sound, such as the sound design of the elevator of "METoA Ginza" in Tokyu Plaza Ginza.
At live performances, sounds that can only be heard here, such as the roaring sound of being in a storm, and the characteristic kick sound that mixes musical instruments and electronic sounds, are played out one after another.
At the end, the performance ended with a rhythmic dance sound, and ended with a big cheer.

DJ LIVE by track maker Seiho

It started with the annual Ikebana performance. While interweaving the latest released "Triangle", the audience is fascinated by the pace of development centered on the tracks that he himself worked on.
From deep bass that makes the whole body tremble to light sounds, his ability to change sounds one after another is amazing.
There is also a scene where a visual with his own figure as a motif is projected in the background, and he expresses music with his whole body. It's been an hour where you can fully enjoy Seiho's view of the world.

Live set by world-famous producers Kuniyuki × Soichi Terada × Sauce81

A rare live set featuring talented producers who have performed at world-famous festivals such as Rainbow Disco Club and ADE in Amsterdam.
The excitement of the venue reached its climax with a heavy synthesizer sound that made full use of the venue's acoustic specifications, befitting the end of the day.

The stage for the second half of the exhibition will be LINE CUBE SHIBUYA (Shibuya Public Hall).
We will also report on the only all-night program held at LIQUIDROOM during the exhibition.
Continuing in the sequel.

Overview of the event　*Exhibition period has ended
MUTEK.JP EDITION4
https://mutek.jp/
Date: December 11-15, 2019
Venue: Shibuya area 9 venues (SHIBUYA STREAM HALL, LINE CUBE SHIBUYA, EDGE OF, LIQUIDROOM, etc.)
Organizer: MUTEK JAPAN

Photo: MUTEK JAPAN