Yoshihide Otomo’s live concert started with a “turntable solo.” Hardly using any records, Otomo used his turntable as a feedback machine. Various things he put on the turntable (rather than records) interested the audience. He improvised with metal coils, a wrench, a stick with a golf ball, a bow, a Chinese gong, and other items. It was a rather low-tech, humorous performance.

Otomo’s “music” makes quite a loud sound, most of it noise made from the needle skipping and turntable squeaking. Such cacophony thundered the Obihiro night sky, shook the five senses of audience-members, and made the Demeter office staff’s hearts beat with worry over possible claims and complaints from the neighbots about the noise.

The last half of the concert was a melodious guitar solo, quite a change from the thundering noise of the first half. Kazahana was a movie for which Otomo wrote the music. He also played “Lonely Woman,” originally Ornette Coleman’s “Lonely Woman.”
The Kazahana song was dedicated to Shinji Soumai, who had died the night before. The mellow, sentimental melody went out into the air. Occasional noises gave tension to our ears.
The guitar line of “Lonely Woman,” which sounded like a scream, directly and repeatedly hit the eardrums of the audience. After Otomo’s performance, many held their ears and said, “ahhhhh…..” But, they received comfortable stimuli of their bodies and minds and enjoyed the sound experience. We could feel that our ears, the air around us, and every cell in us were tingling with pleasure.

“Things went well tonight. I knew that the audience was really listening,” Mr. Otomo said. He seemed satisfied. Some audience members who wanted to stay around were chatting with the staff members, who wanted to hang out without putting things away.
It was hot the next day, as if summer had returned. Mr. Otomo enjoyed Demeter. He said that he was stimulated in a new way. “I got some ideas for new work. Please invite me to the next Demeter, too,” he said as he left for Sapporo, where he will have another concert.