After a wonderful day at NION Week Festival, we dived into our evening program with live music, electronica and some unexpected events.
Beside fabulous music sets by DJ Ononiionioniion, S Katz aka Katsushiko and Meng (Circonstances Aggravantes) there were two big surprises for our guests: DJ SAL Suzuki and Tusuguru Shamisen Player Josh Chuang teamed up spontaneously and played together. Afterwards we had the chance to see one of the intimate Kinbaku performances by NawaRonin and NawaTaNeko.
Music fusion
Tsugaru shamisen is played on a larger shamisen called futazao with a thicker neck and thicker strings than those used for most other styles. Thus, the sound is full and strong, which makes it a good match for electronic music. It was an exceptional experience for all of us, when Josh and SAL Suzuki started their performance. We were slowly captivated by their passion and energy – and by the fusion of their totally different art forms.
Sensual underground
The Japanese art form Kinbaku or Shibari enjoys increasing popularity in the West these days, fueled maybe by pictures of the world famous photographer Araki. Rooted in eroticizing Togugawa criminal codex and punishment, popularized by Kabuki Theater and Ukiyo-E, Kinbaku is very Japanese and very underground.
After the shamisen performance we slipped into the sensitive world NawaRonin and NawaTaNeko created for us. They are a couple practicing Kinbaku together for more than 4 years now. To them, tying a person you love entertains elements of teasing, seduction and surrender in intimate play. It is about aesthetic exposure and the beauty of the shame involved. Together with our guests, we enjoyed the couple’s interpretation of the Japanese art form.
If you want to learn more about Kinbaku and especially NawaRonin’s and NawaTaNeko’s approach, you can visit their studio in Berlin and join one of their workshops or private trainings. They created a a safe space for experiments, which is open both for absolute beginners and experienced people.
All pictures taken by community member Philipp Goeser. Thank you <3
