The first live album, recorded at the 1984 Ars Electronica festival in Austria. Ars
Electronica is an annual event in Linz, where leading figures in electronic music gather to
discuss their art and to perform.
The performances (apart from the acoustic instruments) were already recorded on tape, and
Tomita mixed them live from his pyramid control room.
The latest release of 'Mind of the Universe' in Japan has the CD track listing
as shown below and is subtitled 'The History of the Universe with Music,
Lights, Laser and Fire Above the Danube'. More information on the concert can be
obtained from the Mind of the Universe page.
A few years ago, RCA said that Tomita was working on 'The Rite of Spring' as an
album, an excerpt from which ('Dance of the Young Girls') was featured on
'Mind of the Universe'. Apparently, this project was never completed.
The Plasma Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Isao Tomita
Arrangements by Isao Tomita
Art Director: Neal Pozner
Cover Art Construction: Marty Luko
Photography: Toshimasa Miura, Nick Sangiamo
"The Mind of the Universe" was the First in a Series of Concerts Called "Ars Electronica"
Recorded Live in Linz, Austria, September 8, 1984
On September 8, 1994, Isao Tomita presented a live, outdoor concert on the shore of the Danube
River in Linz, Austria, for an audience of 80,000 people. The concert was called "The Mind of
the Universe", and through his interpretations of classical music, Mr. Tomita was attempting to
describe the 15 billion year history of the universe. He employed 13 channels of sound,
including one from a helicopter 1,500 feet above the river, multi-channels on either side of
the river and on a ship that also carried the violinist, shakuhachi player and a chorus of 100
Austrian singers. Special lighting, lasers, fireworks and other visual effects enhanced the
sound presentation. Tomita's "stage", where he controlled the sound, was a specially
constructed pyramid suspended from a crane near the river.
Since this recording was made from the sound performed by the audience at this live concert,
various extraneous noises and varying sonic perspectives will be evident. These are normally
encountered at outdoor concerts. The selections on this record are among those presented at
the concert.
Sound Performer
Isao Tomita
Consultants
Sakyo Komatsu
Dr. Frederick L. Scarf, TRW Space and Technology Group, California
Dr. Masaki Morimoto, Radio Observatory, Nobeyama
Dr. Jun Jugaku, Astronomical Observatory, Tokyo
Dr. Tatsuzo Ohbayashi, Institute for Space Flight and Astronomical Sciences
Staff
Executive Producer Yozo Hikita Coordinator Taki Katoh Collaboration on Music Producing of "Beethoven" Hideki Matsutake, Tsugutoshi Goto Loudspeaker Equipment Dynacord, Straubing, Josef Galneder, Onken Show Director Kohei Katsura Stage Director Tetsuya Oguri Lighting Director Jiro Katsushiba Light Effects Art and Light Team, Vienna Laser Cinetics Performance, F.R. Germany Helicopter Haas Comp, Bad Vöslau, Helmut Haas Ships DDSG, Vienna, SBL, Linz Fireworks Josef Scheutz, Bad Ischl ORF (The Austrian Broadcasting Corporation) Dr. Hannes Leopoldseder, Dr. Christine Schopf,
Wolfgang Winkler, Walter Marterer, Katharina Varjai LIVA (The Linz Special Events Planning Corporation) Gottfried Hattinger, Gerhard Krajatsch,
Wolfgang Lehner Live Recordings ORF Remixer Isao Tomita
Sponsors
Casio Computer Co., Ltd., ORF, LIVA, Linz City, Austria