Kuniharu Akiyama

Kuniharu Akiyama (1929-1996) was well-known as a music critic, mainly of modern and contemporary music. However, his career was not only in the music field -- he was also a very well-regarded avant-garde artist (he especially related to the early Fluxus movement). This release consists of his three unknown tape music pieces. They are very strange. Excerpt from the liner notes: "'Environmental Mechanical Orchestra' (1966) was made for an exhibition called 'From Space to Environment,' carried out at Matsuya department store in Tokyo in November 1966. Akiyama displayed a sound object as part of the exhibit named 'Environmental Mechanical Orchestra.' Although details of this object are unknown, according to some data, it was made from tape recorders, microphones, steel wires and steel plate, as well as modulated environmental sounds. 'Demonstlation' of Nissei Theater' (1963) was made for a new theater designed by architect Togo Murano, which opened at Hibiya in Tokyo in 1963. This recording was for the event called 'Demonstration.' Akiyama composed tape sound, Hiroshi Mizushima recited text (written by poet Syuntaro Tanikawa), and added lighting effects. 'Music for H.Bomb' (1971) -- unfortunately, the details of this work (meaning of this title, concept, making of sounds and others) are unknown."