In this work, Meitei expresses the mysterious atmosphere of Japanese folk history, the lullaby that echoes in the night on the vast coast. The sound of waves at night lapping on the damp land of the Far East, a lullaby of the indigenous Ainu people. We Are Busy Bodies is collaborating with Meitei on a reinterpretation of the song Ihumke sung in the Ainu language. Ainu is recognized by UNESCO as an endangered language. We Are Busy Bodies was granted access to the song by Smithsonian Folkways and its UNESCO Archive.
Blending contemporary sound techniques with profound reverence for Japanese folklore, Meitei is a Hiroshima-based composer driven by a concept he refers to as “lost Japanese mood”: on aesthetics from a bygone era that are gradually dissipating from Japan’s cultures. This led to the creation of Meitei’s peculiar sound world, which exists between the temporal gap between past and present, illusion and reality.
Meitei’s music first caught the attention of listeners around the world when he released his debut album “Kwaidan” (Evening Chants) in 2018, which garnered praise from The Wire, A Closer Listen and Tiny Mix Tapes. Pitchfork named the album as one of the best experimental albums of the year.