RYOKO AKAMA

 «ACCEPTANCE»

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Proposal (/prəˈpōzəl/) noun 1. A plan or suggestion, especially a formal or written one, put forward for consideration or discussion by others. 2 An offer of marriage.

 

Ryoko Akama: acceptance is a collection of three closely related scores—or rather, as Akama terms them, “proposals”—and their corresponding realizations. The use of this word, “proposal,” is deliberate and crucial. It makes clear that they are suggestions, put forward for consideration and exploration, rather than directives to be obeyed. Each is dedicated to a particular individual, and what each of these performers—Stefan Thut, lo wie, and Johnny Chang (accompanied by Catherine Lamb)—brings to Akama’s proposals is as crucial as what she offers them. The scores themselves occupy an ambiguous middle ground between drawing, poetry, writing, and instructions. Each utilizes a similar formal vocabulary of shaded boxes, arrows, numbers, and fragments of text, yet each varies from the others in subtle ways, and the question of how these elements are to be assembled and understood is left unresolved. Or, rather, it is left to the imagination and understanding of each performer. It speaks to Akama’s faith in her collaborators and her trust in their ability that so much is left for their elaboration. These evocative pieces are invitations to enter into a kind of intimacy, a relationship of equals conditioned on mutual respect. These are proposals in the fullest sense of the word, and it is up to the musicians who perform them—and those who listen—to refuse or to accept.

This release, presented together in a wooden veneer envelope, includes an archival CD-R containing realizations of each piece, one copy of each of the three proposals, and an additional informational sheet providing credits and track listing.

 
1. a proposal - one, for Stefan Thut [18:00]
2. a
proposal - two, for lo wie [9:01]
3. a
proposal - three, for Johnny Chang [18:09]

 

All compositions by Ryoko Akama

 

proposal two._excerptjpg

 

Ryoko Akama is a UK-based composer and performer whose work, ranging from text compositions to sound installations, pursues minimal, reductive, cumulative, and contemplative experiences in sonic art practice. She directs the melange edition label and is coeditor of the independent publisher mumei. http://www.ryokoakama.com.

 

Johnny Chang is a Berlin-based composer and performer who engages in extended explorations of the relationship between sound and listening and the areas of overlap between improvisation, composition, and performance. He is a member of the Wandelweiser composers collective. He currently collaborates with Peter Ablinger, d'Incise, Claudia Garbe, Catherine Lamb, Hannes Lingens, Radu Malfatti, Mike Majkowski, Koen Nutters, Morten J Olsen, Derek Shirley, Rishin Singh, Taku Sugimoto, Takako Suzuki, Stefan Thut, and Manfred Werder. http://www.johnny-chang.tk.

 

Stefan Thut is a composer, cellist, and performer who is interested in processes and scores being relatively determined but still unpredictable in their sonic results. In addition to traditional instrumentation, phonography and everyday materials serve as components in his work. Notably, cardboard and paper play a role in his latest series, beginning with "two strings and boxes." His recent scores have been realized at the Kunstraum Düsseldorf, Spanski Borci Ljubljana, Gez-21 St. Petersburg, and Säulenhalle Landhaus Solothurn, where he curates a concert series. http://www.timescraper.de/stefan-thut.html.

 

lo wie is a member of A.Typist, in which she collaborates with Ryu Hankil, and the writer Kim Taeyong. She organizes the music composition concert series namsan in Seoul. http://lo-wie.blogspot.com.

 

 
1. Performed by Stefan Thut.

 

2. Performed by lo wie. Recorded by Ryu Hankil

 

3. Section 1: First realization. Version for one performer. Performed by Johnny Chang (viola and arrangement). Recorded by Johnny Chang. Section 2: Second realization. Version for live performance, two violas, and mono speaker.Performed by Johnny Chang (viola and arrangement) and Catherine Lamb (viola). Recorded by Adam Asnan.
 
 

 

 

 

“Originally influenced by Sol LeWitt, I began to study the idea of sequences in shape, color, and direction. Each piece includes additional comments to support my proposal for the performer to refuse or to accept.”

 

Ryoko Akama

 

 

“The recorded performance applied architecture and objects of a former mountain farm, precisely three windows and seven wooden volumes. They provided acoustic filtering of the water flowing in the valley. While handling the objects, the wood unexpectedly also amplified the movements of my joints, through the touch between body and wood. The score enabled me to discover sonic aspects that otherwise go unheard.”

 

—Stefan Thut on a proposal - one

 

 

“The instruments are two big windows in the living room of my old flat, which I moved out of last week. As I moved the two windows according to your score, they were sliding from right to left, from left to right. I loved the moments when I could hear the voices or noise from outside when the windows were open.”

 

—lo wie on a proposal - two

 

 

“To Ryoko— Within the paths taken to traverse the landscape of a proposal - three, I discovered possibilities of additional access points and staging areas of departure.

 

a question: I wonder if and how often you encounter this—the struggle to decide between:

 

(1)  staying with an original concept (or line of enquiry)  and realising a score according to the original intent, or

(2) a different version (development?) of the original which seem clearer from a listener's** point of view—more tangible, so to speak.

 

** here, the word "listener" means the audience or even myself, having temporarily stepped outside of the role of composer/performer.

 

I know what I would end up deciding for in the end, as I always have done in the past. However, I am curious to hear of your experiences, so please don't worry that my "environment of encounter", as you put it, would be somewhat compromised by what you decide to write (or not decide to write..).

 

By the way: In fact, my realisation follows your score somewhat literally, even if it may not sound so.”

 

—Johnny Chang on a proposal - three