Tag Archives: super 8 film

Frequency at Black Mountain College Museum

Frequency at BMCM was another dream show !  A place I have admired for many years, not just for poetry, but for music, painting, philosophy, everything really. The day before, I was informed by Hiroko that the event was sold out and to expect a large crowd, so my anticipation was high. When I arrived at the museum for our rehearsal, I was immediately struck by the John Cage exhibition, the art on the walls, and the prepared piano, which I would play during our show. The rehearsals were great, and the digital projection was not an issue.

I opened the show on prepared piano with Hiroko adding sounds. This really set the right tone throughout the performance.  I enjoyed the prepared piano sounds immensely and at one point, both Hiroko and I were playing it at the same time.  A true thrill. New sounds, vocals, field recordings, even objects were incorporated for this special venue.  The duration, like previous shows, was over an hour, but I felt we could have gone longer if needed. The acoustics were quite good in this space, and even the quiet and faint sounds registered  well. I am looking forward to listening back to the performance soon. Since the performance, we have received so many positive reactions. Deep gratitude to all.

Here is what BMCM said on their Instagram account:

We want to extend a huge thank-you to Atsushi Takenouchi, Hiroko Komiya, Chris H. Lynn, Jenni Cockrell, Julie Becton Gillum, and Constance Humphries for last night’s mesmerizing performance! Atsushi’s masterful Jinen Butoh dance technique captivated us alongside immersive sound and visual projections by Hiroko and Chris, creating a wholistic performance which celebrated the human spirit in harmony with our surroundings. Thank you to all of our BMC community members for coming out to see this event—we are thrilled that the evening served as an introduction to Butoh dance for many audience members!

I will  post a longer review from an audience member  in a few days.

A truly magical experience in such an inspiring place (BMCM)and landscape (Asheville, North Carolina).

Deep thanks  Black Mountain College Museum for giving us this opportunity

Photos: Cecile Ruel.

Beyond Encounters #24 Tracklist and archived show

All of the material for this show is new. I know there  were some glitches during the broadcast, so I am happy we have this archive. There are no links to provide.

1.Enveloped in afterimages and echoes (new poem by Hiroko Komiya)

2. Frequency Rehearsal in Kumano, Japan (April)

3, Mountain Bird in Tatsuno, Japan (April)

4. Triton in October

5. Train to Kushimoto (Japan)

6. Kushimoto sands (with vibes)

7. Chesapaeake Bay in October

8. Work in progress

9. Work in progress

10.Crickets/rain in October

11. Antibes piano mix

12. Wind on path in October

Thanks to Awaya and Hiroko.

Frequency in Motion at Black Mountain College Museum on 10/30/25

Very excited and honored to announce the premiere of Frequency in Motion in the United States at the historic Black Mountain College Museum in Asheville, NC on 10/30/25. Go here for info. Here is a trailer as well. More info on this exciting show !

Winter Skies, River Thoughts at UNZA Lab in Milan, Italy


I am very happy to report, I will be heading to Italy to present some new Super 8 films with live projection along with River Thoughts at the wonderful Unza Lab in Milan. More exciting news on the way. Program below:

River Thoughts is a lyrical journey through the city of Nanjing, China during the summer months. Modern architecture, urban landscapes, melodies of folk songs, rainy ancient villages, and studies of the Yangtze river are carefully blended together to create a visual and aural tapestry of the city.

Winter skies from the Journal of Drifting Hours series-Drifting moments, lyrical passages, memory impulses, landscape studies and visual notations captured and edited in- camera on Super 8 film.

Here is the link to the event

Super 8 still is from Winter Skies.

Frequency in Motion in Kumano, Japan

Frequency in Motion at the Tanami theater was really a dream show for me. The atmosphere, the setting, the remote location really added to the mystery of this frequency. We rehearsed for a few days, but the final version was still relatively new. All improvised, this set was less dramatic than others, but the intensity remained. All the past frequencies were in major cities, but Kumano is remote, near the sea and mountains. I am certain this contributed to the mood and tempo of the dancers and the sounds. I was lucky to have a real piano during the set and I incorporated some new tracks as well. I really enjoyed improvising with Awaya and Hiroko and look forward to sharing some of the material. After the show, we had a very illuminating Q and A session. The questions varied from the nature of improvisation, Butoh culture, the structure of the film, and pacing. We had a great audience!

Massive thanks to the dancers: Atsushi Takenouchi (JP), Ioku Ero Nikaido (Hong Kong), Himeko Narumi (JP), Arisa Hiura (JP) for adding to the Japanese dream.

I have lots of additional work I will be sharing about this show and will report on my screening and filming in future posts.

Deep thanks to everyone involved in participating and putting this show on.  A fantastic event!

Photos above provided by: Stephen Black