INDEX
A rich interplay between Hiroshi Yoshimura’s music and environmental sounds
Moreover, the music by Hiroshi Yoshimura, which was supposed to be “temporary music,” was fortunate enough to remain in the completed version. And while I respect Vreeland’s work, it is my unspoken truth that I am even more strongly attracted to Yoshimura’s music.
Normally, applying for the use of existing music in a theatrical film requires persistent negotiation and research (especially when the original composer is deceased), as evidenced by the fact that there is often a staff dedicated to this task. However, as chance would have it, the licensing of Yoshimura’s music went unexpectedly smoothly, with the Seattle label Light in the Attic, which had been involved in the reissue of Yoshimura’s albums shortly before the film was made, acting as an intermediary with the rights holders.
A total of four of Yoshimura’s songs were used in the film. Asagao” and “Flora” from his posthumously unreleased “Flora 1987” (recorded in 1987 and released in 2006), and “Pier & Loft” from the album “Flora 1987″ (recorded in 1987 and released in 1983). Horizon I’ve Ever Seen Before” and “In The Sea Breeze” from the album Pier & Loft (released in 1983) are used to vivid effect in various places.
Ambient music is not meant to be appreciated statically, as a fixed “work of art” in itself. Rather, it is a dynamic and open music that exists only in relation to the environment that surrounds and mixes with the sound.
As mentioned earlier, the keen sense of “sound” that is evident in the sound design of this film resonates deeply with the idea of ambient music. If you listen carefully when music is played in the film, not only Yoshimura’s music, you will notice that the soundscape created by various sounds, such as wind, footsteps, insect wings, sounds of traffic, and voices coming from somewhere, overlap and blend with the musical sounds in an indivisible way. Ambient music has a joyful relationship with the ear, the body, and the environment. Sound, the senses that perceive it, and the world of the environment. In this work, the rich intersections of these elements can be observed throughout.
