Imr (Single)
Shuta Hasunuma Philharmonic's new song "Imr" was released on Bandcamp on May 1, 2020.
"Imr" is Hasunuma's first new song under the name Phil in about two years, which he premiered during an Instagram Live on April 22nd. The spread of COVID-19 forced people to refrain from going out, and the song was composed by Hasunuma in early April, with each member recording at their own home, giving the album a sense of the speed of the production process.
The sudden pandemic completely transformed the environment surrounding music. As the 20th century drew to a close, technology lowered the barriers to creating music and broadened the scope of music listening. Music spread via the internet, music engraved on old records, and music performed in front of you were all equally enjoyable. There were also minor conflicts between analog/digital, physical/data, and human/machine, but these now seem insignificant. This was how we spent the first 20 years or so of the 21st century with music.
People gather to play and listen to music, a space is born, and time flows. That scene is now lost, but what remains are the small, real spaces where individuals live, and the vast, virtual spaces where individuals connect. So, what should we do? Can technology still help? I think we need to train and use our imagination, something that music once inspired me to do.
Amidst a string of days where I haven't felt particularly inclined to listen to music, I received "Imr" by Shuta Hasunuma Philharmonic Orchestra. This piece was composed by each of the 14 Philharmonic Orchestra members, each contributing spontaneously in their own individual spaces, and then coming together as a single piece. It was created without the recording process that traditionally presupposes a substantial ensemble, but this piece, which declares that composing, performing, and listening are all forms of communication, embodies the ensemble itself. The dynamism created by the layered harmonies and grooves, with no one or any sound taking center stage, is complex, and seems to celebrate something that is not yet fully formed. I am listening to the new space that begins here.
Masaaki Hara
