KAZUYA MATSUMOTO : Mujo

'The 3rd album "Mujo" (meaning "transience" in Japanese) by the Japanese sound artist Kazuya Matsumoto.
The album was made from 2014 to 2022. It is an album of improvisation and recording simultaneously, using non-instrument objects along with the sounds that occur from a frosted lake and drifting ice, and recordings made by affecting the environment itself.
This album is comprised of 2 discs. Disc 1 features performing and interaction with sounds that occurs above the ice. Disc 2 features performing and interaction with sounds that occurs below the ice using hydrophones.
It is an album opposed to his first album "Mizu No Katachi (Shape of Water)" confronting the harsh and ever changing environment and he recalls those recording days as "transience", also expressing his feeling towards the never ending explorations.
The recording captures the dynamic and delicate sounds of the ice and nature as well as his soul put into the 9 years. Includes 32 pages full color booklet with photography of the ice and nature taken by Matsumoto at the time of the recordings.

- PROFILE
Musician, sound artist, drummer.
With the percussionist background, Matsumoto uses his experience through playing and listening to environmental sounds, using non instrumental objects such as found objects, nature, body and devices for various sound expressions. He aims to break the boundaries between his output and the surrounding environmental sounds to explore deep listening improvisation expressions.
Previously he has released 3 albums "Mizu No Katachi (2015)", "OchiruChiruMichiru (2017)" and “Mujo (2022)" from the renown SPEKK label. Aside from creating music by improvising with the unpredictable nature, he also compose music for films, visual works, plays and commercial facilities. He also tours throughout Japan for performances including tour “Listen to the sound of people” tour which is aimed to just meet acquainted people without doing any performances
within the COVID-19 situation, space exhibitions and sound installations, site-specific exhibitions (residing and using the sound of that space). He also participates in the performance group Busstrio lead by Yuichiro Konno. He is also the executive committee member of the Ashi No Geijutsu Genya Festival held in Shiretoko Peninsula from 2021, always pursuing expressions based on sounds.'



- (氷上 Above The Ice)
1-1 彼誰 Dawn 1:50
1-2 鐵に花 Winter Flowers On Iron 3:44
1-3 住処 Habitation 3:20
1-4 点 Dot 2:30
1-5 浮舟 Floating Boat 4:43
1-6 氷平線 Frozen Horizon 4:55
1-7 網 Net 2:09
1-8 雨ではない雪でもない Rain Nor Snow 1:01
1-9 白い闇 White Darkness 18:18
1-10 汀 Waterside 2:17
1-11 誰彼 Dim 1:50
1-12 夜は山から風が吹く Wind Blows From The Mountain At Night 4:43
1-13 鐵冱つる On The Center Of The Lake 2:21
1-14 ひとひとひと Hitohitohito 3:32
1-15 根 Root 2:21
1-16 今はもうない Now Gone 5:54
- (氷下 Under The Ice)
2-1 脈 Pulse 2:00
2-2 母胎 Mother’s Womb 2:22
2-3 熱源 Energy Source 4:32
2-4 世界 World 5:23
2-5 漂流 Drift 2:09
2-6 領域 Territory 3:32
2-7 交差点 Node 3:21
2-8 沈潜 Sink Deeply 2:21
2-9 宇宙 Universe 6:05
2-10 鐵冴ゆる Sinking Into The Cold 10:00
2-11 100℃ ↔ -30℃ 2:01
2-12 生き物 Creature 5:54
2-13 風ではない波でもない Wind Nor Wave 1:10
2-14 余白 Space 3:32
2-15 差異 Difference 4:43
2-16 境界線のデバイス Device On The Border 3:32
2-17 回転する時間 Endless Loops Of Time 2:59

Artwork – Mondii
Mastered By – Taylor Deupree
Photography By – Kazuya Matsumoto

Comes with a 32 pages full color booklet in 170 x 140mm size paper jacket with QR code link to video of the recording sceneries.

Kazuya Matsumoto – Mujo