Last updated: November 28, 2025 (content will be updated over time)

SUMMARY

There is sound in every place—still waiting to be played.

A factory that has finished its role. A lobby wrapped in late-night silence. A room soaked with someone’s everyday life. SITE SESSION is a session series that uses the musician’s body as a medium to translate the memories sleeping in a site into “music,” and to fix that moment into video. We bring musicians into spaces that are not live venues or halls—spaces not intended for music—and record them facing the site through sound for either 33 minutes 33 seconds or 45 minutes 00 seconds.

This SESSION draws inspiration from practices such as soundscape, field recording, and site-specific art, but it is not a place to trace a “theory-correct experiment.” It is not about “simply recording environmental sound,” nor “simply playing ambient music.” Through the musician’s body, we ask: how do we listen for the texture embedded in a place, and how do we return it as music? We want to make that process itself into a SESSION, each time.

Set length (33:33 and 45:00)

Depending on the artist’s style and the site’s conditions, we offer two formats: 33:33 or 45:00.

33:33 set	A condensed live dialogue with the environment—capturing site-specific details within a shorter span.
45:00 set	For DJs or long-form live sets that want to build flow and narrative—an easier duration for creating development.

As a video work, we typically add a few minutes of site atmosphere shots and credits before/after the uncut performance.

Example structure
・Performance block: 33:33 / 45:00 (uncut)
・Before/after block: environmental shots + credits (a few minutes)

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Sound format (headphone sessions and audible sessions)

In principle, this series is designed as a silent / headphone SESSION—a live performance that does not project sound into the space.

In locations where sound leakage is not possible (hotel rooms, gallery interiors, etc.), the performer wears headphones. The space remains almost silent, while the audio is recorded and monitored via line.

For sessions where site conditions allow, we may also consider performances using acoustic sound or low-volume speakers. Even then, we will design the relationship between site and sound carefully—assuming safe volume levels and time windows that do not place undue burden on the environment.

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Co-creation process (from site visit to the day)

This SESSION is designed as a collaboration among three parties: the site, the musician, and the documentation team. A rough flow is as follows:

1.Hearing & site consultation	We speak with the site host about candidate locations and background. We also confirm practical conditions: volume limitations, power availability, usable hours, and whether filming is permitted.
2.Site visit (scouting)	The musician and videographer visit the location. Together we check acoustics, ambient sound, lighting, circulation, and camera angles. This is time to align “a perspective unique to this site” through both sound and image.
3.Concept & set-length decision	Based on the scouting, we decide “what we will listen from” in the site, and whether the performance will be 33:33 or 45:00. If needed, we share simple keyword notes or a rough structure and align between the musician and documentation team.
4.Technical design (sound / light / filming flow)	We keep equipment minimal (audio, light, cameras) while adjusting to bring out the site’s qualities. By default, we adopt a silent / headphone format: audio is captured via line or mic, then mixed later to finalize the work. If the site allows, we may also explore an audible session using small monitors or acoustic sound.
5.Live performance (33:33 / 45:00) & filming	In principle, we perform the 33:33 / 45:00 set uncut and record the full performance on video. As needed, we also capture environmental shots and interviews before/after the performance to document the “time embedded in the place.”
6.Edit, publish & archive	We edit both the full-length main video and short versions (from tens of seconds to a few minutes). After adjusting credits for the site and musician, along with text (statement, etc.), we publish on the official HASSHIKI YouTube channel.

This is a starting draft; we will reconfigure it flexibly depending on the site and collaborators.

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Collaborators we’re seeking

1. Site hosts
   ・Those who have a place that makes you wonder, “What would happen if sound were made here?”(e.g., closed factories, off-hours shops, a hotel room, a gallery or warehouse, a room in a private home, temples/shrines, schools, offices, etc.)
   ・Those willing to coordinate within reasonable conditions such as volume, time windows, and filming permissions.
2. Musicians / sound artists / DJs
   ・Interested in performing in response to environment and space.
   ・Any genre is welcome: ambient, improvisation, experimental music, beat music, DJ, etc.
   ・Many sessions are designed as silent / headphone formats, but depending on the site we may also consider low-volume audible sessions.
   ・Since this is not a SESSION that assumes a PA engineer will be booked every time, it’s a strong plus (not a requirement) if you can record your own set in stereo or multitrack using a portable recorder (e.g., Zoom) or audio interface.
3. Videographers / filmmakers
   ・Experience filming live music and documentary work in small crews
   ・Skilled at capturing the atmosphere of a site using natural or existing light
   ・Able to balance long takes that reveal “the flow of time” with detailed shots
   ・Ideally able to handle editing as well (shoot-only is also negotiable)

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LOG

Nov 28, 2025: Concept draft published

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Support / Partner

HASSHIKI welcomes partnerships (collaboration / sponsorship) with companies, organizations, and individuals interested in this SESSION / project. Venue support, equipment cooperation, co-planning for productions, and brand/product collaborations are all welcome. Please reach out via the form below.

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