“The fact that I can’t get up” — is it my body that won’t rise? No. Not being able to get up was a mental refusal, a rejection of wanting to get up. If that is the case, I may as well give up on getting up, focus on the body lying down, and surrender myself to pure sensation alone. It feels almost like being an infant. I sink into the inside of my eyes, deep behind the retina. And then, what do I find? A soft, baby-like, comforting sensation. Breathing in, a warm heartbeat, the texture of a blanket. It was as if it were stimulating opioid receptors, blending sedation and awakening. The hidden children inside me seemed to have awakened. The ringing alarm clock leads me into a dream. Spreading opioids. A revolving merry-go-round bed. Entering inward, behind the eyes, deep, deep behind the retina. The soft infant awakens. text by ITOAOI

A Music Video work created in advance of the TV series that began airing in April 2024, this original CG anime Girls Band Cry was conceived, planned, and produced by Toei Animation.

What Coleman, the U.S. brand with more than 100 years of history, conveys in this film is the spirit of “dive into nature and have fun with whatever unexpected things come your way.” The piece is composed of two parts: the first is a road-movie segment in which four rappers search for a campsite while overcoming unforeseen mishaps, and the second is a session around the campfire at the end of the day, featuring improvised rap. Especially noteworthy is the “cypher” scene from 2:32 onward, where words are connected entirely on the spot through pure improvisation. (*A cypher is a word art form similar to a jazz session, in which rappers gathered in the same place build on one another’s words, layering inspiration and creating a chain reaction.) To realize an authentic cypher in the midst of unpredictable nature, JKD selected four highly skilled rappers: “Tagaryu” and “Big Ben” from Stillichimiya, who are based in Yamanashi and actively engaged in wide-ranging work; “Chirpuso,” a new-generation freestyler drawing attention for his exceptional skills; and “Chinza DOPENESS,” a genius rapper known for his broad and diverse activities. The result is a work in which these four singular talents weave together an improvised Japanese-language art form, allowing viewers to feel its groove and creativity. The video director is Sojiro Kamatani, who also drew attention for the web movies “Girl’s High School Ninja” and “The World’s First Cute Miso Soup.” With outstanding taste and a vivid sense of realism, he captures the outdoor magic that turns any mishap into a cherished memory. The trackmaker is Olive Oil.

I have developed an original system that generates visuals in real time in response to sound. This video work was created by recording that real-time rendering process.