Unlike his countrymen much falling into dull feedback sound overloaded with screams and aggressive obsession, Yutaka assembles his pieces from many interesting found sounds, surrealistic noises and synth-sources, which characterzes him as attentive and organic composer. His works have a narrative structure, place the listeners into an imaginary world, existing under deep-rooted influence of deformation virus.

S-CORE music become more known to the public when he managed the contracts with famous European labels and released 2 CDs on Staalplaat and Daft Records, as well as some limited edition vinyl plates (mostly on german labels like Praxis Dr. Bearmann).

Here is the interview with Yutaka Tanaka, taken by Dmitry Vasilyev through e-mail in October 1999.

For more information about S-CORE works, please visit his official homepage

or contact him directly at yutaka27@mb.infoweb.ne.jp

Why did you start to make recordings? What is the source of inspiration for your music?

The cause for which I began to make experimental music was listening to the music of 23SKIDOO in early 1980's. Their music gave me a great shock. Then, I felt to want to make music like them, and began to make experimental music.

Can you describe your music in words? What means the name of your project?

I express the contents of my music with the word "half-meditation". And the key-word to understand my music is "anxiety". Sometimes music is used to treat mental disease because music eases people's mind. But the aim of my music is to let people feel uneasiness by instinct. S*CORE means score (for orchestra) when the letter S and word CORE are combined. By cutting off the word "score", it attaching a crack to the music of an old style. Also S*CORE means "core of sanctuary","core of sacrarium","core of singularity","secret core" and "sacred core".

Please give me a short description of your background: your age, education, jobs, personal interests etc.

I was born in 1962 in Tokyo, Japan. I started S*CORE when I was a university student in 1983. It is so difficult to live only on the income by music activity in Japan (although I think that this thing is the same probably in other countries). I have been working in a company which manufactures electric appliances since I graduated from a university in economics.

What is your opinion about your records: are they an art objects, consumer products or simply material parts of your life?

I consider that my records are the objects of art.

What do you think about noise music in general? Is it a new form of entertainment, or pure underground movement?

I consider that the music genre which I generally call "noise music" is a new art form.

You had many collaboration projects. Please describe some of them: how did you choose the artists for collaborations, what are the purposes and subjects of it...

I have collaborated with some artists by mail-music from from the end of the 1980's to early 1990's. They were my experimental trials. Most of artists that collaborated with me proposed to me for the collaboration and I gave the agreement. Collaborations had produced unlooked for results. Collaborations with other artists is not carrying out now.

What the instruments and equipment you have in use?

Although I was using synthesizers to make music before, now I am almost not using synthesizers at all. I collect sound materials by field-recordings, change or re-stucturize them and accumulate those sounds with computer and MTR.

Do you have some favorite music bands or composers?

My favorite band is 23SKIDOO. Moreover, I also liked and listened to the music of NURSE WITH WOUND and M.B. Recently, I am not interested to hear most of the music of other noise music artists.

Let's talk about commercial side of your activity. Your label Afflict Records is devoted to tape-albums. Why only tapes? How expensive is to produce LP or CD in Japan?

I was managing a label called Afflict Records, in order to publish my music works. I published more than 10 works from Afflict Records and all works were tape albums except one 7-inch EP record. The reason for that I didn't published vinyl but only the tapes is a economical reason. In order to make the LP records in the 1980s, the money of about 2500 dollars was required. I stopped publishing works on Afflict Records 5 years ago.

Japanese noise music is initially most extreme and uncompromising (at least for western ears). Harsh noise seems to be pure japanese invention. Such bands as Merzbow or Aube are contesting in extremity and number of releases which becomes more fashional than creative process. What do you think about it?

AUBE and MERZBOW have published their works on many labels in the world. I don't know whether the quality of their music is good because I have not listened to their recent music with being disappointed. The sound of almost all the noise musicians in Japan is harsh noise as you know. Though I don't deny the music which was made by other musicians, I don't have interest in the sound of other Japanese noise musicians to me very much.

Most of western noise-music is loaded with social problems, perversity, pornography and so on. Do you share these feelings regarding japanese music and your music in particular?

I do not do incorporating social message in my music. Also, the perverted sex and the violence are never made the subject of my music.

Your early works are surprising different from what we call noise - I think these are more melodic, eclectic. What are your feelings about those albums like "Dross", "Flux And Reflux", "Morbid Moppets"? What directions do you see your work will going in the future?

Although my early works at the time had melodious expression by using synthesizers, I have been stopped using synthesizers. In the future, tools that I use to create music will be changed.

What is your opinion about traditional japanese culture and religion?

I am interested in the religion, especially for the Buddhism. I often use the materials that relates to Buddhism in my work.

How importamt is for you the cover-design of albums? Do you make it yourself?

I think that a cover design is important. The cover design of almost all my works was conceived and performed by Satoshi Iwase, the designer who is the friend of mine, and myself.

All your releases are made out of Japan (except Afflict releases). Do you think your music do not fit in japanese music scene? If yes, where is the place for it?

It is because other Japanese labels have not offered me to publish my work, and it is wholly published in other countries except the releases on Afflict Records. As for one more reason, I think it is very exciting thing that many labels out here are interested to publish my works. I have considered that the more listeners like my music therefore many labels would publish my works.