#Masaru Hatanaka

[inframince-inc]

nrd 005-b – Shinro Ohtake "dOCMENTA (13) Materials: 08_#67/2" –

先日に続き、展覧中の秋山伸 [edition.nord] : ブルノ国際グラフィックデザイン・ビエンナーレ2016 帰国展の構成要素としても特徴的なedition.nordのアイテムよりご案内です。

–

2006年における、ヤマンタカ・eyeとの“Puzzle Punks“名義での「PUZZO」、及び内橋和久との「内ダブ」以来、6年ぶりとなる大竹伸朗の音に関するリリース。 - “2”は大竹とサウンド・アーティスト、畠中勝とのユニット名。 3.11以降、東京ー宇和島で両者が採取した音を持ち寄り、オーバーダビングしていく過程で生まれた電子的な持続音は、まさに震災後の心理学的サウンドスケープというべきもの。 - 大竹の80年代のユニット、“19“の即物性、抽象性がより純化された形がここにあり、日本のノイズ/パンクのオリジネーターである大竹の、テクノ、エレクトロニカを経たロックへの回答ともいえるでしょう。 - 音のプロダクションは最終的に大竹のドクメンタ作品の制作とリンクし、ドクメンタ作品における中心的なオブジェ「スクラップブック＃67」と同じアルバム名がつけられるとともに、インスタレーションで流されるサウンドのメイン・トラックとしても機能しました。 - 大竹の手書きによるタイトルが印刷されたCD-Ｒが、無地の白ボールに貼り付けられたラフなパッケージ。 内側には、トラック・リストとクレジットが記載された紙切れがセロテープで留められています。

Track list: 1_MS_2:01 2_HSN_9:28 3_WS_3:07 4_WW_4:37 5_RD_3:23 6_BS_2:56 7_ML_1:01 8_RB_1:00 9_TTB_1:56 10_WK_2:32 11_KB_3:02 12_FM_3:52 13_NUT_2:20 14_G_0:51 15_ZM_0:36 16_PM_1:14 17_AM_2:14 18_UT_3:00 - - Disk: CD-R / 18 tracks Case: 125mm x 140mm x 5mm First edition of 100 - Sounds by 2 / Shinro Ohtake + Masaru Hatanaka Title handwritten by Shinro Ohtake Designed by Shin Akiyama + Wataru Kobara / schtücco/minus Printed and assembled by chiku chiku laboratory - © 2012 2: Shinro Ohtake + Masaru Hatanaka All rights reserved. Printed and assembled in Japan

–

CD-R商品は、一部の機器(パソコンなど)で再生・読み込みの際に不具合が生じる場合がありますので、予めご了承ください。

[wits-writing]

Ultraman Z Ep. 14: “Four-Dimensional Capriccio” (TV Review)

(Original Air Date: September 25, 2020, Director: Kiyotaka Taguchi, Writer: Kota Fukihara)

While STORAGE celebrate the advancements made with King Joe and the retirement of Sevenger, things start getting twisted about their headquarters. The culprit behind the space/time bending coming from Shinya Kaburagi, still possessed by Celebro, releasing the extradimensional monster Bullton against them.

[Full Review Under the Cut]

This episode centering the four-dimensional alien Bullton was a major point in its favor from the start. The monster had a brief role way back in episode one as the being that separated Zett from Zero but seeing it in action more directly is a blast. During my recent marathon of the original 1966 Ultraman series; Bullton’s debut, “Passport to Infinity”, was easily among my favorites from that show. (For anyone curious the official Ultraman YouTube channel, at time of writing, has also made that classic available with captions after this episode of Ultraman Z aired.) Its design as a living MC Escher painting reflected in its power to fold space/time in on themselves, using radio antennae and eggbeater looking extensions to more actively deal with anyone who tries to stop it. Bullton’s fun in a way that demands creative execution when bringing it into play.

The more general chaos Bullton causes during STORAGE’s celebration once released by Celebro leads to a litany of comedic beats that keep the episode’s tone breezy. Starting in minor ways like making most of the STORAGE staff float off the ground as they watch Bako do card tricks. Bako’s nonplussed reaction to the situation as everyone else flails about being an exemplary moment from the senior engineer. He gets a lot of fun moments in the episode, like when the engineering staff think he’ll spoil their party when he unexpectedly comes back early from his vacation, but instead he shows off a giant tuna he caught and offers it as the party’s main course. His chill vibes shine this episode between how he handles Bullton’s arrival and responding to questions about his fishing ability and magic tricks as “just something I picked up.”

Meanwhile, Juggler goes off in monster in monster form to talk to Celebro about interrupting their party. A strong scene between the former and current villains. Juggler lets Celebro know that he’s been aware of him for a while, even saying he’s “rooting for him” to get Celebro to back off of his “little pranks” this once. Though Celebro relishes the fact he executed his scheme at the perfect time. The joy he takes in that is the first distinct personality the show’s given to Celebro, who has otherwise seemed like a dispassionate figure only concerned with his experiments. The best visual gag in the episode comes when the confrontation between Juggler and Celebro ends on the alien parasite using Bullton’s power to teleport Juggler into a bathroom, exactly where Hebikura always excuses himself to disappear and be Juggler. Him reacting with a shrug and deciding he may as well take a leak while he’s there topping it off.

STORAGE’s confrontation with Bullton isn’t all antics and shenanigans, as Haruki and Yoko’s internal dilemmas get spotlighted throughout this episode in mostly small ways that get externalized as the episode goes along. While everyone at STORAGE is celebrating the success and prestige King Joe has brought them, Yoko confides in Haruki that the implications of a weapon like Joe brings with it and how it might not belong in anyone’s hands, even the “right” ones. It’s an especially stark contrast to how Yuka, being the one we see kicking off the party, celebrates “having her genius recognized” by the world at large requesting access to their giant robot technology. When they figure out the way Bullton alters the environment is connected to their subconscious desires, Yuka tells Yoko the 4D-space loop she’s caught in comes from her deep down not wanting to use Joe at all. Her having issues with King Joe as a weapon are minor in the scheme of this episode, but it’s a good thread that I hope to see more of in the future.

Meanwhile, Haruki’s thread builds on his guilt from the last couple episodes. His story in this episode seems more in line with the comedic antics going on with everyone else when Bullton first gets released. The fourth dimensional being’s powers sending him through a minor time loop. He keeps getting sent back to right before his first bite of the tuna Bako brought to the party, since he wanted to keep eating it. A nice gag in an episode full of them making what happens next have an even stronger impact. When Yoko’s able to tell Haruki to focus on what he really wants to get out of the time loop, he ends up sent back in time and face to face with Masaru Natsukawa, his father.

The deliberate contrast between the tone of this moment and the rest of the episode hit especially hard during my first viewing, since otherwise this episode continues the comedic streak of last week’s clip show. Brought back to the man he idealized growing up, he gets the impossible opportunity to have a man-to-man, heart-to-heart discussion about what he’s gone through. Keeping it vague by framing it as questions about Masaru’s job as a firefighter, Haruki gets the advice he needs to carry on doing his job without hesitation. His dad tells him about “his justice”, that you can only work to help those within your reach. Reaching everyone will never be possible, so you should never forget about those shortcomings and carry them with you as determination to always do more. The conversation’s capped off with Haruki asking Masaru for a handshake before he leaves, a flash of recognition appearing on his dad’s face as he realizes who he’s been talking to as a final touching note on the episode’s crowning moment.

When the episode gets back to the havoc caused by Bullton once it moves into the city and the actual fight against it begins, the comedic tone comes back among some gorgeous shots of widespread destruction. What else can be expected when the 4D-alien’s powers let it stay mostly still and bend space to deflects its opponents’ attacks right back at them. Though when it’s not teleporting, it does hop and roll around in a fantastically goofy manner. Haruki starts the fight against Bullton by fighting fire with fire, using Gamma Futures own dimensional abilities in a rapid back and forth. Though that apparently even match ends up with Bullton sinking Ultraman Z neck deep in the ground before rolling back and forth over the Ultra’s face. Switching over to the direct, physical abilities of Beta Smash ends up being what it takes to defeat the twisting indirect nature of Bullton as Ultraman Z manages to toss the alien into the air where it explodes.

Though the explosion leaves a lingering effect in the sky above the city, signaling that Bullton’s defeat may have had a greater purpose in Celebro’s plan. Ending the episode on an ominous note.

Between the fourth-dimensional antics that make up most of the episode and the look into deeper themes and character pathos, “Four-Dimensional Capriccio” makes a great addition to the greater arc of Ultraman Z. Outside of the central meat of the episode are some changes to the opening and closing credits’ music. The opening follows recent Ultraman tradition where the second half of a season changes over to the second verse of the song’s full version. The new ending theme, “Promise for the Future”, is an excellent high energy number sung by Tasuku Hatanaka, the voice of Ultraman Z.

Things are set to escalate quickly next time on Ultraman Z as Geed makes another return and Zett attains a new powerful form.

If you like what you’ve read here, please like/reblog or share elsewhere online, follow me on Twitter (@WC_WIT), and consider throwing some support my way at either Ko-Fi.com or Patreon.com at the extension “/witswriting”