Masaki Batoh
While “earworms” like “It’s a Small World” and the Mission Impossible them have been branded as songs you can’t get out of your head, the latest release by guitarist Batoh (of Ghost) began as an attempt to literally pull music from the mind.
Using a brain pulse reader attached to an oscillator, Batoh conceived a series of bio-electric procedures to create music from brain waves and allow Japanese patients to heal through sound while recuperating from the devastating earthquake which struck their country in March 2011.
Though several of these experiments are featured on his record, Batoh plays them alongside traditional Japanese folk instruments like Buddhist bells and wooden blocks to create “seven prayers and requiems” for the victims of the disaster.
Featuring titles such as “Aiki No Okami” and “Kumano Codex” parts one through five, the tracks make for an eerie and strangely reflective listen. There is also a tangible folk influence, which unfolds slowly amidst all the acoustic instrumentation.
Watch an instructional video for the Brain Pulse Music device here:
However 40-plus minutes of solemnity may be too much for most listeners. But, if you want to start conducting your own brain pulse experiments, Drag City is selling Brain Pulse Machines for a scant 700 dollars. According to Drag City, “the wilder the brain, the wilder the waves.” Just imagine the possibilities.
For more information on Masaki Batoh please visit http://www.dragcity.com/artists/masaki-batoh.
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