U-Balance
A simultaneous music event brought together by sound engineers and artists from a wide range of genres. Spend two days finding the perfect balance among the gradations that arise in the venue.
"U-Balance" is directed by Toshihiko Kasai, a sound engineer specializing in recordings and live sound. It first took place at Shibuya WWW in 2024. This year, a total of approximately 20 artists from a wide range of genres, from acoustic guitar and vocals to Japanese instruments and stand-up comedy, will participate. This open-door music event involves multiple events happening simultaneously in multiple locations, making it impossible to see or hear everything. Amidst the overlapping and constantly shifting sounds and atmospheres, each audience member is given the opportunity to balance the various fluctuations and find and enjoy moments they find pleasing. A specially constructed speaker system creates completely different soundscapes at the top and bottom of the atrium space. There are countless gradations of sound, including a studio offering a glimpse into the musicians' creative process.
Comment from U-Balance Director Toshihiko Kasai
I want to experience new sensations.
To shake up your senses, try mixing things that are polar opposites and don't seem to mix.
Organic and inorganic. Noise and musical sounds. Parallel timelines. Performers and audience, staff...etc. Setting boundaries is very convenient for getting through your days efficiently, but there are also moments when having those lines drawn can cause you to stop thinking. It takes effort, but I try not to stop thinking every moment.
Rather than trying to understand things through your head, you should immerse yourself in the environment in front of you and draw out your own senses from it.
It's up to you to find the balance.