Music has always been an important feature of Toshiaki Toyoda's work, notable in his early films "Blue Spring" and "9 Souls", with slow, lingering shots of his casts' various attempts to be the embodiment of cool accompanied by the guitar licks of Thee Michelle Gun Elephant, The Blondie Plastic Wagon and Dip. His new work, "Shiver", is similarly aiming for an aesthetic quality, but here the cast are the band, or more correctly musicians, filmed for what is essentially an extended music video.
Shot on Sado Island - infamous for its past as a place of exile, but also a location where taiko drummers go to learn their craft - cinematographer Kenji Maki lavishly shoots a non-stop selection of musical performances by composer Koshiro Hino and the taiko drum ensemble Kodo. Filmed largely in the night-time, the performances take place in temples, shrines, cliff edges and what appears to be a sports hall. Weaved in are clips of traditionally-masked figures (played by Kiyohiko Shibukawa shoehorning himself into yet another Toyoda work) making their way around the island via its caves and streams.
Little respite is given in-between performances, offering little in the way of context or any sort of real narrative beyond the masked figures representing the island's spirits. So, this is largely aesthetic, with traditional music played in traditional locations. The mood lighting and backdrops create a haunting atmosphere, much like Neil Cantwell and Tim Grabham's "KanZeOn", capturing the performers' energetic displays.
The music itself is a culmination of Hino and Kodo spending an extended period on the island creating together; and it was the musicians who approached Toyoda to direct their performance. There are woodblocks used to create a hypnotic raindrop-like melody; an impressive display of hand-clapping rhythm; and energetic taiko drumming. The modern take on the traditional creates a festival-like rhythm to enchant. The visuals compliment this perfectly, allowing the audience to lose themselves in the moment.
Like any music video, this is essentially art for art's sake. But with the performances strong, displaying interesting and innovative, as well as traditional, techniques of music, Toyoda has added another interesting offering to his filmography. In a career shrouded by recent controversy, Toyoda doesn't appear afraid to be bold in his choices, and "Shiver" is another recent example of how he could emerge as one of the more important directors working in Japan today.
Politic1983.home.blog.
Shot on Sado Island - infamous for its past as a place of exile, but also a location where taiko drummers go to learn their craft - cinematographer Kenji Maki lavishly shoots a non-stop selection of musical performances by composer Koshiro Hino and the taiko drum ensemble Kodo. Filmed largely in the night-time, the performances take place in temples, shrines, cliff edges and what appears to be a sports hall. Weaved in are clips of traditionally-masked figures (played by Kiyohiko Shibukawa shoehorning himself into yet another Toyoda work) making their way around the island via its caves and streams.
Little respite is given in-between performances, offering little in the way of context or any sort of real narrative beyond the masked figures representing the island's spirits. So, this is largely aesthetic, with traditional music played in traditional locations. The mood lighting and backdrops create a haunting atmosphere, much like Neil Cantwell and Tim Grabham's "KanZeOn", capturing the performers' energetic displays.
The music itself is a culmination of Hino and Kodo spending an extended period on the island creating together; and it was the musicians who approached Toyoda to direct their performance. There are woodblocks used to create a hypnotic raindrop-like melody; an impressive display of hand-clapping rhythm; and energetic taiko drumming. The modern take on the traditional creates a festival-like rhythm to enchant. The visuals compliment this perfectly, allowing the audience to lose themselves in the moment.
Like any music video, this is essentially art for art's sake. But with the performances strong, displaying interesting and innovative, as well as traditional, techniques of music, Toyoda has added another interesting offering to his filmography. In a career shrouded by recent controversy, Toyoda doesn't appear afraid to be bold in his choices, and "Shiver" is another recent example of how he could emerge as one of the more important directors working in Japan today.
Politic1983.home.blog.
