Dear Friends,

It’s been awhile. I’m happy to share a slew of recent releases I’ve been involved with.

The first is a new Between album, a collaboration with members of the 12k roster featuring Taylor Deupree, Stephen Vitiello, Marcus Fischer, Federico Durand, Michael Grigoni, Molly Berg and myself. There are several formats available with the book being a particular beauty designed by Marcus. More info here.

The second release is a compilation entitled “Utopia or Oblivion” out on Adrian Corker’s Constructive label with beautiful artwork by Joe Gilmore and AI. Richard Skelton and I collaborated on a track for this album. It is a conceptual album that is a response to my ancestor Buckminster Fuller’s following quote and challenge: “Whether it is to be Utopia or Oblivion will be a touch-and-go relay race right up to the final moment. Humanity is in a final exam as to whether or not it might qualify for continuance in the Universe.”

In case you missed this quiet release, Taylor Deupree and I released Drift of Summer this past November. The cassettes are sold out but the digital remains.

Finally, as you may or may not have heard I lost my wife of 22 years this past December. The pain of grief is still very acute and I’m not sure when I’ll be able to resume making new music or finishing the many works in progress. Expression still feels far off and right now I am only able to observe and listen to the contours and waves of grief. Mostly, I’ve been taking long walks and making hours and hours of field recordings…a kind of meditation. Thank you for your patience and continued support of my music during this difficult time. Take care of yourselves and each other. Life is precarious and precious.

- Corey

Synichi Yamamoto and I are honored to have been invited to present our audio-visual installation work Sanctuary at this year’s Alternative Kyoto held at Muko Shrine in Muko City, Kyoto . Our installation runs from October 29 - November 20, 2022. More info can be found here

10月29日より向日神社にてSynichi Yamamoto と作成した音と映像インスタレーション「Sanctuary」の展示が開始されます。詳細はこちら

Numano, the short film I wrote, directed and scored has been traveling the film festival circuit this summer with official selections at the LA Shorts International Film Festival and NY Indie Shorts Awards among others. Stay tuned for more updates on where else our film might be screening.

It was an honor to collaborate once again with calligrapher AOI YAMAGUCHI and dance theater AURA for a performance at Kaunas 2022. Aoi and AURA performed to my composition Sanctuary to a sold-out and captive audience. This year’s Kaunas featured work by Yoko Ono, Marina Abranovic and William Kentridge among others. More photos and info here

The 2021 exhibition entitled The Next Chapter (その次の季節） for which I composed a score has now been published as a beautiful book and is now available from This and That publishers in Japan as well as select online retailers. More than mere documentation of the exhibit, the book features essays (translated into English) by director, Sora Hokimoto and curator, Mari Tsukamoto and an interview with myself in conversation with Sora Hokimoto and Hikari Mutaguchi. The book also includes textual and photographic excerpts as well as a download code for the music from the installation. The Next Chapter is a multimedia work that deals with US nuclear tests in the 1950s in the Bikini Atolls and the Japanese fishermen from Kochi, Japan that were inadvertently exposed to the nuclear blasts and radiation. A feature-length documentary by the same title for which I am composing a score is in production and is slated for release in 2023.

―すべて、この海で起きたこと。― ビキニ事件で被災した高知県の元漁師とその遺族へ取材を続ける若手映画作家・甫木元空（ほきもと・そら）の初個展を書籍化。 1954年、マーシャル諸島ビキニ環礁で行われた米国の水爆実験で発生した放射性降下物は、近隣海域で操業していた日本のマグロ漁船に降り注ぎ、広島・長崎に次ぐ新たな被曝者を生み出した。 薄れていく人々の記憶に光を当て、「次の季節」に何を残し引き継ぐべきか。 展覧会場記録のほか、映像作品の場面写真や証言する人々の声、マルチスクリーンでの上映体験を書籍ならではのレイヤー構造で表現する。 バンド「Bialystocks」を率いボーカルと作詞作曲を担当するなど、ジャンルにとらわれない活動をする著者らしく、音声インスタレーションのQRコードや、楽曲を提供したサウンド・アーティストのコリー・フラーによる音源ダウンロードコード付きポストカードを挿入し、音と映像による重層的な読書体験も試みる。 著者によるブックガイドのほか、キュレーターらによる論稿、音と映像についての座談、高知県におけるビキニ被曝事件の概要・年譜などを収録。 「その次の季節」は高知県須崎市出身の詩人・大崎二郎（1928〜2017）が1953年に刊行した第一詩集のタイトルから引用している。負の歴史の忘却に抗った詩人の姿勢に共鳴し、「その次の季節」のその次を生きる者としてさらに取材を続け、長編ドキュメンタリー映画を発表する予定だ。 ■目次 まえがき 甫木元空 図版：展示風景《声》《顔》《その次の季節》 収録詩：大崎二郎「南洋にふる雪 ―ある漁船員の死―」「魚」「海」 寄稿：塚本麻莉「ズレと揺らぎ」 廣江俊輔「灯台のひかり 大崎二郎と甫木元空」 鼎談：コリー・フラー×牟田口景×甫木元空「そこにあるものを尊重する」 「その次の季節」を生きるためのブックガイド 山下正寿 講義録 「ビキニ事件」の現在 あとがき 甫木元空

This year I am launching a new series entitled “Winter Trees” here on my website. As the title suggests, these are a series of raw musical sketches, unadorned and naked in form, sometimes with a layer or two, paired with a single arboreal photograph. Some of these may perhaps grow Into fully formed compositions one day while others remain suspended in sketch states. Consider these a journal from my studio, my daily workings. I aim to post these on a regular basis so be sure to visit frequently. Wishing you all a peaceful and promising new year.

Dear friends,

I'm delighted to announce that I have a new record out with Richard Skelton as part of the Thesis Project. For those unfamiliar, the Thesis Project pairs two artists that have never worked together to create music for a 10 inch record. Richard and I began collaborating late last year on this record, and in the process developed an enduring friendship and countless hours of music. This release is the first taste of our ongoing collaboration. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did creating it. It's available for preorder today on vinyl and a digital download.

thesisproject.bandcamp.com/album/thesis-20-isolarii

You can expect more music from Richard and I this year, my follow up to 'Break', a few additional solo projects as well as a new ILLUHA record for 12k.

Thanks as always for your continued support, time and ears. I hope you continue to remain safe and healthy amidst this ongoing pandemic.

Peace from Tokyo,

Corey

I will be performing this coming Wednesday, 11/3 at outdoor festival The Calm in Hokuto-city, Yamanashi along side good friends Ken Ikeda and Chihei Hatakeyama among others. My live set will be a reinterpretation of my long form composition Sancutary. Excited to hear how it translates from an indoor installation scenario to a live outdoor setting in the mountains.

My Mutek Japan performance from the end of last year is now available to view online. Visual artist Synichi Yamamoto beautifully overlaid and reincorporated the imagery to create a synestheic concert experience.

Dear friends, I’m honored to share that I was commissioned to score Sora Hokimoto’s next film, a documentary about the US nuclear tests in the 1950s in the Bikini Atolls and the Japanese fishermen that were inadvertantly exposed to the nuclear blasts. As a prelude to the film, which won’t be out for a while, the director is holding an exhibition with an installation piece featuring scenes from the film for which I also composed the music. It features a new, multichannel long form work for piano, cello, electronics and field recordings made in the fishing villages in Kochi, Japan. Opens this Saturday, 6/12 and runs until 7/4. 甫木元空氏の個展に作曲家として参加します。インスタレーション音楽を担当しました。ビキニ島の水爆実験とその被爆者などをテーマにした興味深い作品です。参加できて光栄です。今週土曜日6/12〜7/4までです。オープニングにはいますので、興味ある方は是非立ち寄ってください。音響設計はWHITELIGHT

Excited to announce that I will be performing with the Break Ensemble at MUTEK this year at Shibuya Stream Hall in Shibuya, Tokyo on Thursday, December 10th. Due to COVID it’s a hybrid event that will be live-streamed via Mutek’s virtual site as well as before a very limited capacity, socially distanced audience.

MUTEK 2020 出演決まりました！コロナの影響で今年はハイブリッド形式で開催されます。今年で5周年を迎えるMUTEK.JPは、2020年12月9日から13日の5日間リアルイベントxオンラインのハイブリッドフェスティバルを開催決定。リアルイベントは12月9日〜12日の3日間、渋谷ストリームホールにて限定人数で開催します。

INFORMATION

The light within. A light to guide us through the dark and fog that our world is currently enveloped in.

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Commissioned by Rokko Meets Art, an annual art show that takes place at Rokkosan, a national park in Kobe, Japan, “LIGHTHOUSE” is a new sound and light installation work. Featuring deep sub bass foghorn like tones, the works uses the natural resonances of the site space to send signals echoing throughout the surrounding natural landscape. Slowly modulating lights imperceptibly shift and illuminate the spiraling staircase of the interior space and emanate a warm glow from within. The work is on display from Sat. 9/12 - Mon. 11/23. It feels strange to be exhibiting work after all these months amidst a global pandemic but also so essential and necessary. //// 9/12-11/23 まで開催中の六甲ミーツアートで光と音を使ったインスタレーション作品「LIGHTHOUSE」を展示中です。この霧がかかった世の中を照らす灯台と霧笛を放つ霧信号所を作りました。良かったら是非神戸まで足を運んでください。協力して下さった音響システム担当のWhitelight 牟田口さんと設営の谷口さん、六甲ミーツアートのスタッフやプロデュースの谷口さんの皆さんに感謝です！　

I’m pleased to announce that I’ve been awarded a GOOD DESIGN AWARD for my sound design work for Medicha, a meditation space located in Aoyama, Tokyo, Japan. I’d like to congratulate my fellow designers and collaborators on the project who were also awarded for interior design, lighting design and sound system design.

Architecture + Design: Nomura Kogeisha

Lighting Design: Yutaka Endo, Luftzug

Speaker Design + Planning: Hikari Mutaguchi, Whitelight

Sound Design + Music Composition: Corey Fuller

Music, for me, has always been a form of prayer: a yearning, a reaching, a wrestling...beyond the bounds of words; both a personal and universal cry. Written after the 2004 terrorist attacks in Madrid, Arvo Pärt’s choral composition "Da Pacem Domine" is a prayer for peace in troubled times. Originally set for four voices to an ancient Latin text and prayer, recent events have left me at a loss for words and so I’ve set this as a wordless instrumental arrangement for Moog synthesizers. I offer this version as a prayer for peace for our stricken world. - Corey 

Available on bandcamp

Da pacem Domine

Give Peace, O Lord, 

In our time 

For there is no one else 

who will fight for us 

if not you, our God.

credits

released April 10, 2020 

Composed by Arvo Pärt 

Arranged, performed and engineered by Corey Fuller in Tokyo, Japan. 

Published by Hozomeen [ascap] 

Sanctuary 

sanc· tu· ary | \ ˈsaŋ(k)-chə-ˌwer-ē 

1. refuge or safety from pursuit, persecution or other danger. 

2. a nature reserve. 

3. a holy place; a temple. 

Originally composed for an installation in Tokyo with visuals by Synichi Yamamoto, Sanctuary is a new longform composition by Corey Fuller released and available on bandcamp.

"Over the past few years, I’ve created several installation works that explore the concept of sanctuaries in an urban context. Amidst this pandemic, with so much fear and uncertainty, as we each seek sanctuaries both physically, metaphysically and metaphorically, perhaps this music will bring you a little bit of comfort, solace and peace....music as an antidote to fear. 

I’m offering this track as pay what you like. I’ve had numerous shows and tours cancelled and so could use your generous support. However, if you’ve experienced similar disruptions to your livelihood and things are tight, consider it my gift to you. Let’s support each other.” 

- Corey

credits

released March 20, 2020 

Mastered by Taylor Deupree 

Artwork by KESU 

ROOMS, an arts show held annually at the Kenzo Tange designed Yoyogi Gymnasium in Tokyo, invited me to participate in their 2020 event ROOMS 40. For this I created “Sanctuary” a new installation work exploring the idea of silence and stillness in the context of an urban environment often bereft of both and yet essential to our mental health and wellbeing.

In collaboration with visual artist, Synichi Yamamoto, we created a multichannel, immersive, generative and ever evolving multimedia installation work.

I sat down with Timeout Tokyo for an interview to talk about the new music I wrote for meditation.

You can read the full interview in Japanese here

Timeout Tokyo誌にて瞑想と音楽の関係性について語りました。インタビュー記事はこちらです。

Following the completion of Break (12k2040), Fuller set out exploring ways in which he could faithfully translate the music to a live setting. Not content to simply play on top of layers of backing tracks through use of a laptop, Fuller began the arduous but ultimately rewarding task of deconstructing, reassembling and scoring the album in its entirety. With guidance from Kyo Ichinose, the Break Ensemble was formed with Ichinose himself behind the piano and glockenspiel, Anzu Suhara on violin, Atsuko Hatano on Viola and Hiroki Chiba on Contrabass. These recordings and films document the very first concert of Corey Fuller + Break Ensemble performing “Break” in its entirety at WWW in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan on May 27th, 2019 to a captive and sold-out audience.