Chris Trevino’s Grand Plan to Capture the Sounds of Japan

Hi Chris, how did you come up with the idea of recording the sounds of Japan? And what fascinates you about the country?

I was enraptured at a young age by the games that were coming out of Japan in the 90s. The music of Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy Series) and Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Trigger/Cross) gave me both the game and Japan bugs. These games inspired me to take up the tenor saxophone and then later choir when I was younger and made me want to be a game composer.

I started my undergraduate as an anthropology major, because of my love of cultures, but quickly discovered that I loved the ideas but was not passionate about the work. At the end of my first year, still dreaming of game music, I took summer music composition classes and my first sound design class. Needless to say, I got hooked. My love of field recording soon surfaced afterwards.

Chris Trevino, recording at the Wachifutetsu stalactite grotto

My fascination with Japan does not end with just video games. The process of learning a new culture, land, and language is one of the strongest forms of self-discovery. My fascination with Japan is both to learn how other people navigate the challenges of this world as well as to become aware of how I, as an individual and member of my culture, cope with the world. I believe that if we strive to be aware of the ways in which we and others live, the world we live in will become a more unified place.
 

You’re launching a Kickstarter campaign to help complete the library – can you tell some more about this?

When I lived in Japan before, I had to juggle this project with the rigors of an intensive Japanese language program. I made a point to travel as much as I could as well as record several times a week but was not able to cover as much ground as I would’ve liked.

One of my visions with this library is to highlight the diversity of soundscapes within Japan

One of my visions with this library is to highlight the diversity of soundscapes within Japan. In going back to Japan, I want to focus in on regional differences between the three smaller libraries that constitute the collection.
 

How much have you recorded already – and what’s missing?

Right now, the uncurated library has 400 rough-edited files that take up a whooping 38Gb. I’ve broken the collection into three smaller libraries that are focused on specific elements: trains & subways, crowds & urban environments, and nature & cultural sounds. I consider each to be a standalone library, and want to take a moment to talk about each.

“Trains & Subways” is the largest of the three libraries. Japan has immense variation in its railway infrastructure. There are 6 regional rail companies that run a combination of different trains, 16 major private rail companies with their own trains, 6 metropolitan areas with unique subway systems, and 12 different models of bullet trains in Japan. I have a lot of good material from slower trains and subways. Bullet trains are much harder to access, particularly because of how expensive they are to ride. I want to concentrate on recording more types of trains for this library.

The “Nature and Cultural” sound library is the least developed out of the three. I did extensive recordings in the Taga mountains near where I lived when I was there before, but was unable to record in other regions. When I return, I want to flesh this section out especially. Good nature recordings are challenging to do and take a lot of time to properly scout and plan out. I’ve paired nature and the all-encompassing “cultural” sounds together to ensure backers get a good value. I’m in the process of working with a couple organizations to gain access to a wider breadth of cultural instruments, devices and clothing.

The “Crowds and Uban Environments” library is well developed. Large crowds are easy to find in Japan becuase of how congested the country is. I want to try to get into cafeterias/food halls, schools and smaller cafe settings to round out smaller crowd ambiences in the library. There is one organization I’m working with that may be able to get me access to some of these.
 

What’s one of your favorite sounds in the material you’ve captured already?

They sound like something straight out of science fiction

Bullet train passbys may be an obsession of mine now. The first time I heard one, I was boggled by how unreal it sounded. The sheer force elicits a visceral response, when you can get close enough. They sound like something straight out of science fiction, and it’s a treat to find a place where the sound shields around the tracks aren’t present.
 

How do you decide what sounds to include? And what’s a typical, distinctly Japanese sound to you?

While curating this library, I feel like I’m playing the role of both a sound editor and anthropologist. I earnestly want this collection to have a larger cultural significance. Dividing the collection into three libraries helps concentrate my efforts. This project has the potential to be of an immense scale; a lifetime’s work. Capturing the essence of a place, even a single town, is an undertaking. With reality in mind, I’m attempting to include as many region-specific sounds in the collection as possible.

I’ve never experienced a sound that is as consistent and pervasive as these chimes.

There are blind-assist chimes at almost every stoplight in Japan. Many cities here in the USA have adopted this as well, but I’ve never experienced a sound that is as consistent and pervasive as these chimes.
Whether I was in the countryside or in Tokyo, this chime could be heard as a constant element in many soundscapes. Whenever I hear that chime in a recording, my mind immediately returns to Japan.
 

What’s one of the things you’re really looking forward to recording when you return?

I really want to track down more Japanese crows. The first time I heard them, I swore that it was a person imitating a crow instead an actual crow call. I had difficulty getting a clean recording when I was there last time and am eager to take up the challenge again.
 

What’s your recording setup for the project?

I have three different setups that I’m going to be using for this project, depending upon circumstances.

My primary rig is a Tascam HD-P2 2-track recorder paired with either a Rode NT4 stereo mic or one or more of my 3 Rode NTG-3s shotgun mics tucked away in one or two Rode blimps. I’ll also have a JrF C-series contact mic, JrF induction coil pick-up, a tripod and boom pole with me.

When I want to record with more discretion, I use a Tascam DR-40 handheld recorder with a Rycote windjammer. The DR-40s XLR ins allow me to plug any of my other microphones into it, if needed. Given that many of the things I’m recording are quite loud, the DR-40s preamps work well.

In very controlled circumstances, I plug into my RME Babyface interface and record directly onto my computer.
 

How can people support your project?

This project is currently on Kickstarter and ends February 24th. You can also follow the project on Facebook and Twitter (either @chrisatrevino or @japansfx).

The best way to support this project is to spread the word about it! The more people who know about it, the better chance there is for it to be successfully funded. And if you want, you can even back it, too!
 

If the project is successfully funded, what happens next? And when do you estimate backers will be receiving the library?

If the project is successful, I’ll fly to Japan at the start of March for three months. For the first month, I’ll take advantage of the Seishun ticket, a holiday train pass offered in March that enables super cheap train transit, and will travel back to both new and familiar locales to do more recordings. Then, I’ll live in Sapporo for the last two months and do in-depth urban and nature recordings. Sapporo, on the island of Hokkaido, is one of Japan’s major outdoor havens.

I estimate that backers will receive the library in May 2016.

The recording part of this project is the easiest to account for on time. Three months is as long as my visa will let me be in Japan, and I will be out recording for most of my waking minutes during that time. When I return to the USA, the post-production work on this library is where the big time commitment is.

Three months is as long as my visa will let me be in Japan, and I will be out recording for most of my waking minutes during that time.

As a one-man operation, a project of this scale is going to take a lot of time to turn into a finished product. Unfortunately, when I get back from Japan, I will need to find other work to support myself through the project’s completion.

If the collection is successfully funded, one of the stretch goals I’m considering is to release the library earlier by using the extra pledges to support myself working full-time on the project.
 

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