Henry Kawahara’s enDOLPHIN

　While brainwave-inducing audio like the Monroe Institute’s Hemi-Sync or i-Doser is now well known among younger generations, back in the 1990s, a groundbreaking artist named Henry Kawahara was creating a series of innovative albums that pushed the boundaries of consciousness and sound. Rather than simply guiding brainwaves, Kawahara’s works blended ambient music with environmental sounds, creating an unparalleled sense of immersion. He was also the creator of the sound programs used in the brain machine “Stargazer,” once sold by Hachiman Publishing.

　 listened to these albums often in my youth. Recently, as my interest in ambient music has rekindled, I’ve returned to Kawahara’s now mostly out-of-print works, only to be astonished again by their bold originality.

　One of the most compelling of these is enDOLPHIN. The title track, which opens the album, features real recordings of dolphins calling to one another. Their joyful sounds gradually begin to resemble the laughter of children, drawing the listener into a state of pure delight. It feels as if you can understand the dolphins’ emotions? and as the name suggests, your brain begins to release endorphins in response.

　The second track, Triton, is named after Neptune’s moon. Thought to harbor a subsurface ocean beneath its icy crust due to Neptune’s tidal forces, Triton evokes the possibility of alien marine life. Here, Kawahara likens such hypothetical beings to dolphins. Their clicks and chirps reach out to us, speaking in a language we cannot understand? only deepening the mystery.

　The third track, Neuron, reflects the neural networks of the brain. As dolphins’ vocalizations layer over minimalistic electronic patterns, you can almost visualize information firing across synapses in the mind of someone trying to comprehend their language. It seems to sonically depict the inner workings of thought itself.

　In the final track, Therapy Island, the listener has transcended the barrier of communication. You now understand the dolphins completely, swimming freely with them in the ocean, exchanging thoughts effortlessly. All worries have melted away. You’re carried gently by the current, and nothing more is required of you. It’s a world so extraordinary that only a few may truly accept it? but once heard, its depth lingers forever.

　Sadly, this album has long been out of print. Even used copies are extremely rare, and it is not available on streaming platforms like Amazon. For the sake of those who have never had the chance to experience it, I sincerely hope that enDOLPHIN will one day be reissued and made accessible again.


📚右サイドバーの下部に、
高野敦志の電子書籍の表紙がランダム表示されています。
表紙をクリックすると、各電子書籍のダウンロードページへ移動します。

高野敦志の電子書籍（無料）
https://takanoatsushi2.seesaa.net/

「青空文庫」の作家、高野敦志の世界
https://podcasts.apple.com/jp/podcast/qing-kong-wen-ku-no-zuo-jia/id504177440?l=en

Ｘ(Twitter)
https://twitter.com/lebleudeciel38

Telegram
https://t.me/takanoatsushi

GETTR
https://gettr.com/user/takanoatsushi


にほんブログ村


人気ブログランキングへ

ランキングはこちらをクリック！


X(Twitter)、facebookでの拡散、よろしくお願い致します！