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FUNABASHI / after 'Ayakashi (Ultraviolet​)​'

from Three​-​Crossing River (after YOKAI) by Laura Sampson

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about

This track, inspired by looking at Maurer & Moore's 'Ayakashi (Ultraviolet)' retells the story and structure of river-themed noh FUNABASHI (Boat Bridge), and explores how this relates to the image of the mythical Three-crossing river, and what might prevent spirits from crossing over.

View this and the other images from YŌKAI at White Conduit Projects gallery, London (until 27/2/22) and at www.maurer-moore.com.

lyrics

The river runs swiftly, under the footbridge-crossing, but not everybody can cross that way. Resenters and grudge-holders might as well try walking through standing stones hoping for portals. Not everyone can cross that way, either.

Once there was a traveller, a priest on pilgrimage, who stopped to rest in a village by a river. There, he met a woman and a man, raising money to build a bridge. The priest offered prayers instead of money, and because that’s what they needed most, the couple revealed they were really the spirits of two lovers, who once lived on opposite sides of the river and met every night on the bridge. One night, their disapproving families booby-trapped the bridge, and the lovers both fell to their deaths. Now, their glassy hearts are anger-stained, split, trapped under that broken bridge. ‘Without intercession, we will exist in torture - able to see over, but never cross, that other bridge, over that other river. Help us!’

The couple disappeared, but now the priest knew why he’d been called to that place so he did what he did best. He prayed. To the north, south east and west, for their souls, for their freedom. Portals that were shut creaked open.

And as the broken bridge and the drowning and the family betrayal faded, that other bridge, over that other river, came into view, magic eye style.

They crossed.

And then the dream was over, and the stage slowly emptied, and the last note died away.

credits

from Three​-​Crossing River (after YOKAI), released February 15, 2022
Laura Sampson: Words, vocals
Sam Enthoven: Sounds, mixing
Stephan Barrett: Sounds

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tags

about

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wordbird London, UK

Laura Sampson is a storyteller and writer from London, UK, inspired by world myth and folklore.

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