Presented as part of REMAIIN, a project that investigates non-European cultural influences in avant-garde and experimental music.
Earlier this month, Berlin concert series Kontraklang screened a new short film on the music of Japanese composer and performer Teiji Ito. Entitled The Cosmic Music of Teiji, the film was created by Japanese musician Michiko Ogawa and Brazilian sound artist and composer Manuel Pessoa de Lima. Following its initial screening, The Cosmic Music of Teiji is now available to view online at no cost.
The Cosmic Music of Teiji was commissioned and presented by Kontraklang as part of REMAIIN. The film’s creators had originally intended to put on a live concert in which Ito’s works would be performed for the first time in the German capital. However, they later adapted the concept and instead opted to present their ideas in the form of an accessible lecture performance.
Ito is renowned for his collaborative work with avant-garde filmmakers Maya Deren and Marie Menken. The Cosmic Music of Teiji references four films from the two directors as well as their Ito-composed soundtracks: Dwightiana and Bagatelle for Willard Maas by Menken, alongside Meshes of the Afternoon and The Very Eye of Night by Deren. The film also weaves together biographical details and background knowledge on the trio, while also considering their influence on mid-20th century experimental art.
Find out more about REMAIIN here, and watch The Cosmic Music of Teiji below.
