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CYBERIA MAGAZINE

(INTERVIEW 1996, Tokyo, Japan)

One of Cyberia Tokyo's policies is to back up multi-media artists of the young generation, and such an event by the futurist group, INTELLIGENTSIA, was produced at Cyberia Tokyo on August 27.

An audience of about 100 enjoyed a mad and chaotic night. The main feature was their ambient techno gig of their original music with a Butoh performance, which followed after lots of soundtracks from Jean-Michel Jarre, Kraftwerk, YMO and various space oriented stuff, in a basement room that was decorated futuristically. They all had crazy space wear on, including Mirai, the founder of Intelligentsia and composer of space music from London, who wore the new Sony Glasso-tron video glasses and Contrail cyberwear.

Here is an interview with Mirai taken at the top of the skyscraper building of the Tokyo Metropolitan building:

Cyberia: How was the feed back from the audience?

Mirai: Well, I realized that even though this is the nineties, that people still find this kind of ambient-synthesizer music NEW or very strange! I don't expect too much of them 'cause even western people have a hard time with this kind of new stuff, but I was happy that they reacted on a track I was feeling emotion. I was really moved by that. I really felt love towards everyone.

Cyberia: Do you think that the audience understood the message in your music?

Mirai: I think that women could more than the men and Japanese could more than foreigners here. I was happy that they did not do anything stupid while I was playing. Everybody was watching, they were paying attention.

Cyberia: Why the Sony Glasso-tron video glasses?

Mirai: That's my mask 'cause I'm not really a show off. I wanted people to listen to the music. That's why I turned my back on the audience when Touch The Universe" was played; a simple 170bpm techno track with classical undertones. I wanted them to look at the image of the universe, not me, and feel the music. And they did ! I could feel the vibration that I could share it with everybody! That was great. I just shut my eyes and got into that track. It's first time I played Touch The Universe" to anybody, at any concert. I will be playing that one everytime now.

Cyberia: Is there any difference between gigs in London and in Japan?

Mirai: Yes. I have much more power here to do what I want to do. In London they say no you cannot do this and you cannot do that..." And also, the great thing here is that no drugs are involved. People were listening to the music purely as it is. Some of my gigs in London were bigger but I'm not really worried about the size. It is just the people that is most important, what type of people.... There can be like 1000 people but if they are all bad, I don't want to play to them. Even if there are just two people, who understands my music, I will play to them, you know. I want them to FEEL it. It is not about ego. I don't want to go out there and say, hey, look at me, I'm so wonderful." The whole point is to get them to feel the music. I actually felt emotions this time, I have never felt good emotions before in a gig, that was a new experience for me. Emotion means good feeling, love and compassion. Normally, when I play the music live, I just feel cold, and that's it. But the more I can feel with it, the more I can perform.

Cyberia: The Global Jarre Track, played at the Cyberia event, was composed with musicians around the world through the internet, celebrating the 20th anniversary of his debut. What is the merit of the Internet for you?

Mirai: I learned computers through being in the video game industry. But that doorway wasn't right for the music. And I've knocked on many doors of record companies in London and Japan but their interest is only bloody business. They don't want something new, or futuristic. Besides, the competition is way is too high. I started the Internet one year ago and this time, the reaction was different. I started getting a reaction from all over the world. I found people who liked my music and understood it. Here, the true link to the people really started.

Cyberia: Could you tell us about the history and the message of Intelligentsia...

Mirai: OK, Intelligentsia is a Russian word; it's nothing to do with snobbery, it's the people at the vanguard of the future. It was formed in 1989, when I discovered that I loved music. I thought: Let's bring the future people together, the star people. People who seek and think new ideas." Two things inspired me; Star Trek and Starship Yamato 'cause both of the stories are based on global groups. They have no racism and are disciplined and have control over their emotions while they have a goal and can see the future. I am trying to create the Star Trek thing as a 'real' thing. It can sound silly to the public, but it is important to form this kind of group as we cannot rely on religion or politics. We have to forget self-interests; we have to have one global group. What I am doing through the music is to energise them, to give them positive energy. Many people have to take drugs to feel cheered and to enjoy the universe. I want them to feel it naturally. I want people to understand that; the future can have many directions but there is a future you can choose.

Thanks to Cyberia Tokyo, Masami, Ion, Yumi, Emiko Asuka.