The Thousands

In 1978 Japan’s Ujino Muneteru set himself "the task of providing an answer to pop in my own electric way". More than three decades on, he is a sculptor and musician, carving himself into the memories of a global following. His ongoing sound sculpture project, Ujino & The Rotators, is a machine-based party band of blenders, drills, hair dryers and other artifacts activated by programming or remote control. The sound is an industrial noise that lives midway between a disco, the kitchen and a tool shed. You dance to it. This Friday Ujino is performing alongside Toy Death as part of SuperDeluxe@Artspace‘s electric mix of alternative melody makers. I checked in with him via email. He is a curious creature and apologised for his English, which is actually excellent.

Lisa Lerkenfeldt: Your sound sculptures are developed from knick-knacks, household equipment and re-polished waste. Are your materials found or bought and where do you source such things?
Ujino Muneteru: My ‘The Rotators’ project is based on research of the 20th century’s modern physical world. I use mainly the second-hand items whose basic mechanism were designed before 1985, because the maturing of our physical era came to an end in early 80s. For example, In 1983 there was a shift in Japan’s export policy from "heavy and wieldy" to "light and compact". The work "Ugly Knitting" in Southbankcenter, I asked for donation – "The Rotators are Recruiting", in Biennale of Sydney 2006 I attended auction houses every week on the budget. It’s on a case by case basis. In recent years, it was basically easy to find objects which was made in 80s. These ware have little commercial value and I got pleasure to find new value out.

LL: The Rotators are a suite of instruments built from everyday appliances which connect to a ‘Rotatorhead’ (an adapted DJ mixing unit which controls all components). Can you talk us through conceiving this idea and how the band is controlled?
UM: I was born in a western suburb of Tokyo, Japan. The area was established in 1947. There were only farms before then. I grew up in the environment surrounded by cabbage fields and lawns. This area became a residential area during the years of high economic growth through the asset-inflated bubble economy of Japan. When I was 12 years old I became absorbed in rock music. I knew the statement by Iggy Pop and Black Sabbath that their rock ‘n’ roll was inspired by industrial plant noise and I said there is nothing of the kind by my side. When I reached junior high school age I was crazy about punk/new wave rock. In 1978 I set myself task of "providing an answer to pop in my own electric way". Then over 30 years passed and I got the idea of making a drum machine by the movement of motors of household electric appliances and electric guitars technology to amplify the sound.

I create interfaces "Rotatorhead" using the kind of DJ turntable available in any city and secondhand copies of mass-produced pop records. The disk (that goes on the turntable) is made from vinyl and shortened colour pencils embedded on the disc’s surface. The uniform rhythm starts, when the pencil hits the switches attached over the bridge part to turn on/off home electrics plugged into connectors. The bridge part contains three tracks. Each switch of each track links to an electric connector, and that means, a rhythm consists of three different sounds made up from three home electrics connected to the plugs. When The Rotators’ system is used as a musical instrument on a live performance, the sound/mute/length/strength of each sound is controlled by many knobs and switches. This section (the Rotatorhead) is designed by reference to Akai and Roland drum machine’s interfaces.

LL: I read on your website that the blender is a great tool for its "heavy, low frequency sounds – like a punch kick drum; the drill… for it’s snappy, tight snare drum sound; and the hair dryer… because it resembles a fuzzy bass but sometimes takes the role of vocals." Are you trying to imitate regular instruments and harmonies or invent new tools and possibilities?
UM: I think it’s more to translate than to imitate. I just connect ordinary things to each other in an unordinary way. The world is homogenised by globalisation in any city in the world. The Rotators as machine band can activate to recruit local members, blender, drill, hair dryer and so on. Dance music is also same in the world. In every big city, there is no dance music in five-four time. Ujino & the Rotators are a party band and we play the same beats in the world.

LL: The aesthetic of your work retains the neatness and cleanness of a Japanese bento box and yet you draw obvious parallels to Western influences like American pop culture, the work of Italian Futurist artist and composer Luigi Russolo and kinetic sculpture of Jean Tinguely. How linked are Eastern and Western sensibilities today in Japan?
UM: In Japan, "internationalisation" means actively westernising while restoring traditional Japanese techniques, customs, thought and spirit. It’s a practice that has been going on for approximately 150 years now, it has built a world in which animism and modernity exist together. The neatness and cleanness of Japan is related to purity – Shinto religion’s most important concept. The linkage of Eastern and Western sensibilities today is same as before. It’s in a very Japanese way, sensitive to small variations in Futurism that you find in my work. It came via America after the Second World War. I look on the United States of America as the nation which has realised the basic philosophy of Futurism.
 
LL: You’ve exhibited work everywhere from the Hayward Project Space, London to PSM in Berlin, Studio Depp in Tokyo and Nam June Paik Art Center, Korea over the last several years. Is the response to your work noticeably different in each country?
UM: To be honest, The Rotators project have been getting good responses without Japan. When the Rotators starts to make sounds, Japanese people doesn’t break into a dance. In Japan, half of the people identify dance music just as a noise. It may link to our history of agriculture-based society.

LL: What music are you listening to lately?
UM: My car is old and low grade type and it has only AM broadcast radio. No FM, CD or cassette tape so I listen to American Forces Network everyday. I’m a huge fan of Madonna.
 
LL: Can you tell us about some of your latest developments and what we might expect at the Sydney show?
UM: Expect a Sydney show! Dance to the beat! I think it sounds a little better than last show in 2006. Recently, aside from the research of 20th century’s modern physical world, I’m just starting to study again the history of the mentality/spirit of Japanese. And using them together, I’m planning a performance piece at the theatre.