[CP 070-71 CD] Jean-Claude Éloy; Gaku-No Michi

I asked a young Japanese composer: "Where do you see your future?" He answered: "On the radio or on television because a composer can only express himself through the media." - You admit that contemporary music is in a marginal situation nearly everywhere. In the end, what is missing to this music is almost being the support to a religion: with its temples, its worshippers, and, consequently, ways to be heard. - What you are saying is quite cruel. - Not at all! But religion, in the negative meaning of the word, may have only stirred still insufficient approaches to something more deeply necessary to human breath. There are certainly other ways. - Certainly, indeed. That is when it becomes closely akin to metaphysics, after all. Man's question on the why of things, the why of his existence and the universe in which he lives is actually that of every scientist, it is that of man who is trying to pierce through the limits of the universe with radiotelescopes. To eventually know... what? Religions have always tried to give an answer. Getting rid of religions does not get rid of the questions nor metaphysics. It is not without a reason that today we all – I in particular – are inclined to be keen on so-called magical music. That of Tibetan monks for instance. Indeed, it is a more than religious type of music. It is magic music, and monks are sound magicians. They consider that sound carries power. They create those sounds with their voices, but not only to act as celebrants; they are convinced that vibrations have an effect on things. I know that there is a great part of legend around. Nevertheless, these things are real. Magic music exists in Africa, Latin America, everywhere. And haven't musicians always had the deep desire to hold powers? Interview with CHRIS MARKER