Release Date
2024 November
Format
LP + DL CODE
Product Number
conatala (conatala-007)
Tracklist
Side A
1. Gardening #1
2. Gardening #2
3. EMPTY QUEST
4. Gardening #3-1
5. Gardening #3-2
Side B
1. A FRAMEWORK
2. Gardening #4
3. A Watcher Of The Heaven 天国の番人
4. CABLING CITIZENS ~ Gardening #5
Composed, Arranged, Produced, Performed: Toru Yamanaka, Teiji Furuhashi 山中透／古橋悌二
Art Direction & Designed: Material
Remastered: Makoto Oshiro
DUMB TYPE is a multimedia performance art group based in Kyoto that was formed in 1984 and continues to be active at the forefront of the art scene. We are excited to announce the simultaneous release of two cassette book works produced by musician Toru Yamanaka and the late Teiji Furuhashi, a central figure of the group, for works from the early DUMB TYPE Theatre era: "Every Dog Has His Day (recorded in 1985)" and "Plan For Sleep (recorded in 1986)," now available for the first time on vinyl.
Since the founding of DUMB TYPE, Yamanaka has primarily been responsible for music production, while the late Furuhashi played a crucial role in translating Yamanaka’s compositions into stage direction. Their collaboration began with previous groups ORG and R-STILL, and was influenced by the NEW WAVE and progressive rock trends they were pursuing at the time, as well as by artists like Laurie Anderson, Meredith Monk, and Robert Wilson, who fused minimal music and avant-garde performance. Moreover, their bold incorporation of cutting-edge sampling and house music during that era laid the foundation for DUMB TYPE's sound, marking an important intersection in the history of minimalism, ambient music and performance art in Japan.
After the disbandment of R-STILL, Yamanaka immersed himself in home recording experiments while learning the techniques of a sound engineer, seeking a more alternative musical style. Shortly thereafter, DUMB TYPE was formed under the leadership of Furuhashi (initially known as DUMB TYPE Theatre), and the first performance, "Plan for Sleep (1984)" began. However, Yamanaka was not involved in the first and second performances, starting his contribution of music the following year with "The Illustrated Encyclopedia for Collectors of Landscapes (1985)”.
The work “Every Dog Has His Day (1985)" represents a defining moment for the sound identity of DUMB TYPE, created through the collaboration of Yamanaka and Furuhashi. The minimalist tracks feature repetitive and striking phrases on piano and synthesizer, a radical approach that transforms various concrete sound samples into beats together with a pleasant ambiance that envelops everything with meticulously applied effects. Additionally, rhythms such as waltzes and shuffles reflect a fusion of respect for past music and modernism, beautifully establishing the iconic sound of early DUMB TYPE. The diverse expressions of the tracks trigger signals that dance around, including driving noise, electronic sounds, and telephone busy signals, evoking scenes that rise and fall, transforming before our eyes.