THAT IS GOOD THAT IS GOOD

Vietnam, A country that has not won, but has not lost 2

これまでとテンションの違う都市「ハノイ」

Hanoi, a city with a different atmosphere than the ones we’ve seen so far.

そこは、幼少から観させられていたベトナム戦争を題材にして作られた映画で感じていたベトナム。

This is the Vietnam that I felt in the movies made about the Vietnam War that I was forced to watch from a young age.

混沌、熱気、湿度、猥雑、血生臭さ、野生、獣性、したたかさ、気高さ、根源的生命力、
既に多少は感じてはいたが、これまで辿ってきた
サイゴンa.k.a.ホーチミン、ホイアン、フエとは明らかに『何か』が違うのは一目瞭然。

The chaos, the heat, the humidity, the obscenity, the gore, the wildness, the animalism, the toughness, the nobility, the primordial vitality
I had already felt some of it, but it was obvious that it was different from
Saigon as known as Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An, and Hue, it was obvious at a glance that ”something” was different.

現実的にも、地理的にもその先には巨大な中国がそびえているのが、気配でわかる。
方言は違うとしても、同じ言語であるのに、しかし明らかに覇気が違う。

I can feel the presence of a huge China towering ahead of us, both in reality and geographically.
Even though the dialects are different, it is the same language, but the ambition is clearly different.

それは、ベトナム戦争、その南北戦争において勝った側だからなのか、
そうだからこそ勝ったのか…

Was it because they were the victors in the Vietnam Civil War?
Is that the reason why they won…

上記の写真は早朝。
その後知るが、夜になるとその獣性の濃さは格段に増す。

The above photo was taken early in the morning.
As I found out later, the intensity of its animal nature increases dramatically at night.

自分が同じアジア人だということを忘れそうになるくらい、そのテンションの違いをハノイに着いた瞬間から感じた。
(ある意味、その後訪れるアフリカ的なパワーを感じた)

I felt the difference in tension from the moment I arrived in Hanoi, to the point where I almost forgot that I was also an Asian.
(In a way, I felt the power of Africa that I visited later.)

ともかく例の如く、宿を適当に選び、拠点を作り、早速ミュージシャンを探す。

Anyway, as usual, I chose an accommodation at random, made a base, and immediately started looking for a musician.

我らが目指すのはこのベトナムならではの楽器を扱うミュージシャンとの邂逅。
そしてそのレコーディング。

Our goal is to find musicians who can play the unique instruments of Vietnam.
And to record them.

旅の途中でも、録音した音源の整理、編集、そして新たな土地から得たインスピレーションで新たなトラックもホテルのベッドの上で進めつつ、恒例の夜の街の徘徊(笑)

During the trip, I was organizing and editing my recordings and working on new tracks based on the inspiration I got from new places on my bed in the hotel, while wandering around the city at night as usual lol

どこの街でも夜の解放された雰囲気はいいもの。

The liberated atmosphere at night is nice in any city.

感動!ほぼワンテイクで演奏…

Impressive! Almost played in one take…

そして怠らない聞き込みから得た情報をもとに、民族音楽を演奏するコンサート?演劇?に。

And based on the information obtained from our endless interviews, we found out that a concert playing folk music? A play?

この演奏の中で個人的に一番引っ掛かったのが笛の音。
そしてその演奏者に直談判で交渉成立!

The sound of the flute was what stuck out to me personally the most in this performance.
And I was able to negotiate with the performer directly!

早速我らの本拠地、ホテル(苦笑)にてレコーディング。

We immediately started recording at our home base, a hotel.

私服はごく普通の青年。どこかゲイ的なエレガンスと色気を感じたのは気のせいか?

His personal appearance was that of a very ordinary young man. Was it my imagination that I felt some gay elegance and sexiness?

自分が現地で作ったラフトラックになんとも情緒豊かな音色を添えてくれる…。
感動!ほぼワンテイクでこの演奏…、今聞き直しても実はこの人天才演奏者なのかも…。

He adds a very emotional tone to the rough track I made there…
Touching! This performance was almost all in one take… I’m not sure if I’m listening to it now, but I think he’s actually a genius…

幸いなことに、民族音楽の音色はアンプを通す必要も特になく、
生音のみのレコーディングなので、ホテルの住民やスタッフからのオトガメも無く、
むしろ自分たちの民族音楽に関心を持ってくれている、この日本人達に、敬意さえ表してくれた。

Fortunately, the sound of the folk music did not need to be amplified
and was recorded only live, so there was no blame from the hotel residents or staff.
In fact, they even showed their respect to these Japanese people who were interested in their folk music.

今回使用したマイク関係 Microphones used in this session

前回でも紹介したので重複するが、彼の笛の音はこれらの作品の中で聴けます。

The sound of his flute can be heard in these pieces, although it is duplicated since it was introduced in the last issue.

何気に下記の曲では
南ベトナムの女性たちが奏でる箏と、北ベトナムの青年が奏でる笛が融和してるのが、今改めて興味深い。

For some reason, in the following song
It is interesting once again to see the harmony between the koto played by the South Vietnamese women and the flute played by the North Vietnamese young man.

ハノイでのレコーディングの成果はこの彼Nguyen Anh Tuan君の演奏でクライマックスを迎えるわけだが、
どこからかの情報で、ハノイにはとんでもなく凄いミュージシャンがいるという情報が入ってきた。

The results of the recording session in Hanoi climaxed with Nguyen Anh Tuan’s performance,
but I also heard from somewhere that there was a tremendous musician in Hanoi.

アジアからポリネシアに

From Asia to Polynesia

その人はもうダイブ老人で、80を優に過ぎている。
そしてその人は盲目だという。
しかし、奥さんは10人以上いるという…。

The man is already an old man, well over 80 years old.
And he is blind.
But he has more than ten wives…

そしてあらゆる楽器をマスターしているという。
中でも一番得意とするのはスチールギターだとか。

And, they say he has mastered various instruments.
Among them, the one he is the best at is the steel guitar.

なんとも魅惑的な情報で、
期待は募るばかり…。
そのミュージシャンの住む住居がまた、無茶苦茶混沌とした市場。
しかも肉屋の奥…。

It’s such fascinating information.
My expectations only grew higher…
The musician lives in a messy market.
And it’s behind a butcher shop…

紹介してくれた人間とタクシーでソコに向かったが、
あえなく病に伏せっていた為、断念…。

I took a cab to the place with the person who introduced us.
But we gave up because he was sick…

しかし、すでに自分の中で沸々と湧いていたハワイへの関心とシンクロしている
そのスチールギターの音をイメージする。
(ギターを水平に置いて弦を奏でる演奏法と合わせて、19世紀後半からハワイで広まり、ハワイアンやカントリーの主要楽器として発達した、日本でも当時ハワイブームがあったため、スチールギターといえばハワイを連想する人は多い)
それは今回録音したバウという楽器にも通じるなんとも太平洋な大きなサウンドスケープ。

But it synchronized with the interest in Hawaii that was already growing inside me.
I imagine the sound of the steel guitar.
(The steel guitar, along with the method of playing the strings by placing the guitar horizontally, spread in Hawaii in the late 19th century and developed as a major instrument in Hawaiian and country music and, since there was a Hawaiian boom in Japan at the time, many people associate the steel guitar with Hawaii.)
It’s a big Pacific soundscape that is also connected to the instrument I recorded this time, the bow.

そう、このレコーディングの結末はハワイへと繋がっていたのだ。

Yes, the end result of this recording led to Hawaii.

アジアからポリネシアに。
大海原に…そんな妄想が、この謎めいたミュージシャンの情報だけで爆発した!

From Asia to Polynesia.
To the oceans… such fantasies exploded at the mere information of this mysterious musician!

この、ハノイで訪れた博物館?にはどこかポリネシア的なものを感じたのも伏線だったのかもしれない。

This may have been a foreshadowing of the fact that the museum I visited in Hanoi had a somewhat Polynesian feel to it.

そんな、残念ではあったが、新たな目標を持たせてくれたハノイ最後の晩。

Our last night in Hanoi was disappointing but gave us a new goal.

(ほんと毎日)恒例のフォーとビールを半野外のレストラン、というより定食屋?
的なベトナム全土にある半屋台スタイルで
男三人で食らっていると、突然近くで喧嘩がオッ始まった。

As the three of us were having our regular pho and beer everyday at a semi-outdoor restaurant, more like a set meal restaurant?,
the kind of semi-stall style found all over Vietnam,
a fight suddenly broke out nearby.

あっという間に10数人の乱闘になる。
その動きの俊敏さがハンパでない。
自分も東京、高円寺、新宿とナカナカなヴァイオレントグラインドなムードで育ち、
そういう乱闘シーンをチョコチョコ垣間見てきたが(笑)、全くスピードが違う。

In the blink of an eye, there were a dozen or so people involved in the brawl.
The agility of their movements was unbelievable.
I grew up in the violent grind of Tokyo, Koenji and Shinjuku,
and I’ve seen a few glimpses of such brawls lol, but the speed was completely different.

ここでやっと今回の副題

Here, at last, is the subtitle of this article.

『勝ってはいないが負けてもいない国』

A country that has not won, but has not lost

というタイトルが浮上する。

is the title that emerges.

そうこの男たちの乱闘シーンから、割とポピュラーだと言われる犬食の気配も感じたし、
とてつもないハングリーさ、野蛮さ、そして俊敏さ、鋭さ、逞しさを感じ、感嘆した。

Yes, I sensed a hint of dog-eating, which is said to be rather popular, in the fight scene between these men.
I felt and marveled at their tremendous hunger, savagery, speed, sharpness, and toughness.

コリャー強いわ!
この民族の戦闘能力の高さに、米兵達もさぞや驚愕しただろう。

So strong!
The U.S. soldiers must have been astonished at the fighting prowess of these people.

15くらいの時アメリカLOS ANGELSにベトナム戦争で亡命してきたベトナム人ギャングが絡む
CROSS COLORSというブランドがあったが、噂としてそのLAのベトナム人ギャンググループも
ナカナカの戦闘能力だったと聞いた。

When I was about 15 years old, there was a brand called “Cross Colors” in Los Angeles that involved Vietnamese gang members who had defected from the Vietnam War,
and rumor had it that the Vietnamese gang members in LA were also very good fighters.

我が国、日本は知られた通り、日本全土を焦土にされ最終的には
人類最初の都市への原爆投下をされ、あえなく降伏。(天皇が取引した説もあるが)

Our country, Japan, as it is known, was scorched all over the country
and finally surrendered after the first atomic bomb was dropped on a city for the first time in human history. (Some say the emperor made a deal with them.)

日本の大戦に関して今は深く言及しないが、
この国、ベトナムは南北という曖昧なラインを境に同じ民族で争わされ、
枯葉剤やナパーム弾を一般市民にも浴びせられながらも、降伏せず、その粘り強さで世論も味方にし、
ホー・チミン主導の元、南北を統一し、社会主義国としてベトナムの民族国家として独立を果たした。

I won’t go into too much detail about the Japanese war right now, but This country, Vietnam, was fought by the same ethnic group along the ambiguous line between North and South. Although the civilians were bombarded with defoliants and napalm bombs, they did not surrender, and their tenacity won over public opinion. Under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh, the North and South were united, and Vietnam gained independence as a socialist nation.

そこには単一民族としてレッテルを貼られるにしては、独自な少数民族もいて、
その統一国家に不満を抱く者も多かったとは思う。

There were some ethnic minorities there who were unique enough to be labeled as a single ethnic group, and I’m sure many of them were dissatisfied with the unified state.

しかし、その時世の米ソ冷戦時代という、本当はどうか知らないが、ともかく大きな2つの極に巻き込まれながら、
翻弄され、殺し合いが絶えなかった状況から脱却し、少なくとも欧米というあまりにも遠い国家からの植民に喘ぐ状況でなくなったことは、良かったと思う。

However, I don’t know if it’s true or not, but I think it’s a good thing that they were involved in the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, a time when they were at the mercy of the two poles, and they got out of the situation where they were constantly killing each other, and at least they were not panting for colonies from the West, countries that were too far away.

コラム1、2回目で書いたキューバも含め、カリブ海の島々や北米、南米、アフリカ、ポリネシアの諸国は今も、
その植民地体制の負の余波を未だ拭い去れない。
同じ社会主義国のキューバと相違点は多々あるにしても、現行の社会主義国の現状を、
人の持つ、土地の持つヴァイブレーションとして肌で感じ、理想と現実の狭間を、ココ、アジアで垣間見れたことはとても興味深かった。

The islands of the Caribbean, North America, South America, Africa, and Polynesia, including Cuba, which I wrote about in the first and second articles of this column,
are still reeling from the negative effects of the colonial system.
Even though there are many differences with Cuba, which is also a socialist country, it was very interesting to be able to experience the current state of socialist countries as a vibration of people and land,
and to catch a glimpse of the gap between ideal and reality here in Asia.

このベトナムにおいても、2021年の今とこの2005年当時とは大きく状況が違うだろう。
予想ではあるが、資本主義的要素が増し、土着文化は消える一方だろう。

In Vietnam, the situation will be very different in 2021 than it was in 2005.
It is my prediction that capitalism will increase and the indigenous culture will disappear.

それはいつの時代も同じように無常である。

It is impermanent, just as it has always been.

でも、ベトナムから得た『逞しさ』は自分の中で変わらず、血となり肉となっている。

However, the “toughness” I gained from Vietnam has not changed and has become flesh and blood in me.

同行者2人とのバツゲームとしてアヒルの孵化しそうな卵を食べたように
イビツで生々しく、骨や羽も感じたあの食感。そして生命を飲み込むあの感覚。

Like eating a duck’s almost-hatched egg as a punishment game with my two companions,
the texture was snarly and raw, and I could feel the bones and feathers. And that feeling of swallowing life.

経由地「台湾」

Transit point “Taiwan”

そう、食といえば、
帰国の中継で訪れた台湾もまた、興味深かった。

Yes, speaking of food,
Taiwan, which I visited on my way back home, was also very interesting.

精進料理・素食と言われるそれは、肉を使わずに高度な調理法でまるで肉料理のような満足感を作り上げる。(台湾素食)

It is called “vegetarian cuisine” or “plain food,” and it uses advanced cooking methods without meat to create a satisfying feeling as if it were a meat dish.

台北市を少しふらつき、たまたま?訪れたオーガニックスーパー、兼、軽食店は大いに刺激を受けた。

I wandered around Taipei City for a bit and accidentally? visited an organic supermarket and snack store that was very inspiring.

個人的には幼少から肉食について、大きな疑問を持っていたので(人間以外の動物にも親が子に持つような感情があることは明らかで、その家族形態を破壊し、食のために犠牲に、しかも過剰にそれを行うのは人間自体に悪影響を及ぼすのではないか?という)その解消法をすでに小学生の頃から模索していたのだが、ここには大きなヒントがまさにスーパーの如く盛り沢山。

Personally, I’ve had big doubts about meat-eating since I was a child (it’s obvious that non-human animals have the same feelings that parents have for their children, and isn’t it bad for human beings to destroy their family forms, sacrifice them for food, and do it excessively, isn’t it?) I have been searching for a solution to this problem since I was already in elementary school, and there are many big hints here in the supermarket.

とりわけ冬瓜のスープの味わいに感動した。

I was particularly impressed by the taste of the winter melon soup.

この時期2005年に住んでいた福岡もまた、東京よりもアジア感のある場所で、
この頃の体験は、その後の自分の食生活にも影響を与えてくれた。

Fukuoka, where I lived during this period in 2005, was also a place with a more Asian feel than Tokyo.
This experience also influenced my eating habits afterwards.

食あっての身体、身体あっての精神、精神あっての文化。

Food makes up the body, the body makes up the spirit, and the spirit makes up the culture.

文化あっての豊かな生活。

Culture is the key to a fulfilling life.

還ることで未来を導き出す。

The future is guided by the process of returning.

そんなことを思わせてくれたベトナムと台湾に、
アジアの逞しさと気高さ、そして奥深い叡智を感じさせられ、
今また尊敬と感謝を抱く。

Vietnam and Taiwan made me think of such things,
and made me feel the strength, nobility, and profound wisdom of Asia.
I now have a newfound respect and appreciation for them.

世界は深く、広い。

The world is deep and wide.

<つづく>
<To be continued.>


J.A.K.A.M. (JUZU a.k.a. MOOCHY / NXS /CROSSPOINT)
http://www.nxs.jp/
soundcloud / Bandcamp / Twitter / Facebook

東京出身。15歳からバンドとDJの活動を並行して始め、スケートボードを通して知り合ったメンバーで結成されたバンドEvilPowersMeの音源は、結成後すぐにアメリカのイラストレイターPusheadのレーベル等からリリースされる。DJとしてもその革新的でオリジナルなスタイルが一世を風靡し、瞬く間に国内外の巨大なフェスからアンダーグランドなパーティまで活動が展開される。 ソロの楽曲制作としても米Grand RoyalからのBuffalo Daughterのリミックスを皮切りに、Boredoms等のリミックス等メジャー、インディー問わず様々なレーベルからリリースされる。2003年にキューバで現地ミュージシャンとレコーディングツアーを敢行したのを皮切りに、その後世界各地で録音を重ね、新たなWorld Musicの指針として、立ち上げたレーベルCrosspointを始動。
音楽制作のみならず、映像作品、絵本や画集 のプロデュース、2012年には野外フェスOoneness Camp”縄文と再生”を企画するなど活動は多岐に渡るが、 2015年から始まった怒濤の9ヶ月連続ヴァイナルリリースは大きな話題になり、その影響でベルリン/イスラエルのレーベルMalka Tutiから新作がワールドワイドにリリースされる。2017年にはDJ TasakaとのHIGHTIME Inc.、2018年にはNitroMicrophoneUndergroundのMACKA-CHINとPART2STYLEのMaLとのユニットZEN RYDAZの活動もスタート。
同年、J.A.K.A.M.名義の楽曲がフランスのレーベルHardFistからアナログリリースされた流れで3万人の巨大フェスNuits Sonores Festivalでのライブを皮切りにヨーロッパ、イスラエル等のDJツアーが敢行される。そして2019年、世界的な支持を受けるMinilogue/Son KiteのMarcus HenrikssonとKuniyukiとのユニットMYSTICSの制作が始まり、今年2021年、待望のアルバムがリリースされるなど、そのオリジナルなヴィジョンがあらゆるジャンルをまたぎ、世界に広がっている。

Born in Tokyo, he started playing in bands and DJing at the same time when he was 15. As a DJ, his innovative and original style has taken the world by storm, and his activities have quickly expanded from huge festivals to underground parties both in Japan and abroad. In 2003, he went on a recording tour with local musicians in Cuba. In 2003, he went on a recording tour with local musicians in Cuba, and since then he has been recording all over the world, and started his own label, Crosspoint, as a new guideline for world music.
In addition to music production, he also produces video works, picture books and art books, and organized the outdoor festival “Jomon and Rebirth” in 2012. In 2017, he released HIGHTIME Inc. with DJ Tasaka, and in 2018, he released ZERO with MACKA-CHIN of NitroMicrophoneUnderground and MaL of PART2 STYLE. In 2018, he also started the unit ZEN RYDAZ with MACKA-CHIN of NitroMicrophoneUnderground and MaL of PART2STYLE.
In the same year, his music under the name of J.A.K.A.M. was released in analog form on the French label HardFist, which led to a live performance at the huge 30,000-person Nuits Sonores Festival, followed by a DJ tour of Europe and Israel. In 2019, the production of MYSTICS, a unit with Marcus Henriksson and Kuniyuki of the internationally popular Minilogue/Son Kite, began, and this year, 2021, the long-awaited album will be released. His original vision is spreading all over the world, crossing all genres.
He has been behind the decks at home and abroad with:
Acid Arab (FR) / Adam Ffreeland (UK) / Alex Patterson (The Orb, UK) Andy Baz (Background Records, Germany) / Asaf Sammuel (islael) / Dego (4Hero, UK) / Fabio (UK) / Francois K (NY) / Fred P(NY) / Foolish Felix (UK) / Grooverider (UK) / I.G.Culture (People, UK) / Jeff Mills (Chicago) / Joe Claussell (NY) Nick the Record (UK) / Moodyman (Detroit) / Panasea (Germany) PHOTEK (UK) / Storm(MetalHeadz, UK) / Suv (Fullcycle, UK) / Q-Bert & Inbisibl Skratch Piklz, Mix Master Mike with D-Styles, Yogafrog and Shortcut (US) / Theo Parrish(Detroit) / Terre Thaemlitz (US/JPN) / Tom Wieland (Vienna) /DJ KRUSH (JP) / Flying Lotus(US)/ / Boredoms (JP) / FAUST (Germany) / Dennis Bovell(UK) / Dillinger Escape Plan (NY) / Juno Reacter (UK) /Lee Perry (Jamaica) / LKJ (UK) / Lake Trout (US) / Mad Proffesor (UK) / Mala (UK) / Marcus Henriksson(SW) / Meat Beat Manifesto (UK) / Merzbow , MMW (US)/ Yakaza Ensemble(Turkey) etc. His style keeps evolving and defies categorization.

校正・英訳:編集部 中村、池上
Proofreading and English translation: Editorial department Nakamura, Ikegami

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