Hundred Keyboards, ~Hundred Sounds: A Capsule Review on ASUNA’s 100 Keyboards-Moire Resonance by Interference Frequency

On January 19, 2019, the Japanese sound artist, ASUNA, brought his performance installation, 100 Keyboards-Moire Resonance by Interference Frequency, to PuSH Festival, held in Vancouver, BC. As the title suggests, hundred different keyboards were placed on the floor in concentric circles and ASUNA triggered them one by one by walking among them. He sustained a tone by putting a stick between the keys and he continued doing this until he completely triggered one or two sounds from each of  the hundred keyboards. 

The concept of delicately generating each sound one after another until the whole system is trigged and then cautiously turning them off one at a time, was one of the main components of the performance. The sonic atmosphere that the artist had created was intense and yet fragile; each activated tone interacted with another existing one and thus created new pitches which at points the ear could not tell if it was actually an audible sound or it was purely an illusion. 

Both the build-up and the striking process was subtle, slow and extremely gradual. Anticipation played a huge role; watching the artist doing what he was expected to do without any element of shock or surprise, for nearly 150 minutes seemed endless. However, as new tones were constantly introduced, greater interference between sounds developed. This chronic process led to the creation of a meditative state for the listener in which one is surrounded by continuous synthesized tones with no interruptions. 

Another interesting aspect of 100 Keyboards-Moire Resonance by Interference Frequency, was that the audience were to some extent responsible of how they would experience the performance. Being encouraged to walk around the room and thus changing the directions of hearing, changed how one perceived sound and thus added more to the experience. Some were even laying down — who would have thought! 

The sonic sensation ASUNA had created can only be achieved by experiencing the performance live. It is through being present there that an illusive yet exhausted state of mind would be felt.  Being immersed in sound for 150 minutes, would without any doubt make the silence at the end rewarding and satisfying as it is in complete paradox with the whole performance installation.