XEBEC Hall, in the head office building of TOA co., ltd. at Port Island in Kobe, has played a major role in supporting and introducing many creative and challenging projects / artists for these ten years. Its original activity has a scope not only of Kansai area nor Japan but of the whole world and supplies a place of interchange for many people.

But now, XEBEC is going to stopped its activities for economical reasons. It is very sad and regrettable. Numbers of new movements, experiments and interchange have been produced on the stage of XEBEC. All of them, their influences and contributions are appreciated by the public and in fact, excellent. Therefore, TOA won the Mecenat Award (Association for Corporate Support of the Arts, Japan) in 1995. It is, however, true that we must face hard economical problem. Studio 200 of Seibu Department Store at Ikebukuro in Tokyo, the east-Japan representative which was equivalent to west XEBEC, assisted creative artists but does not exist. Today, only the rich fund of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone co. [NTT] can make Intercommunication Center [ICC] survive. We should not blame TOA for its new policy although we love XEBEC. In the field of sports such as Japanese professional football league [J-League], it is a usual thing that a parent company quits its sponsorship.

This page is for all the people who love and support XEBEC to "cheer XEBEC", "hope for revival of XEBEC", or "thank XEBEC for producing such arts / movements" in this unfavorable situation. To collect signatures, in the quite neutral point of view, of everybody who wants to say eagarly "please do not turn off the light of XEBEC", it will give a clue to next wonderful activities as well as to get back XEBEC / TOA. Please join us and read this. Let's send hot messages to XEBEC.

(sorry, email address was closed)

David Novak (Columbia University)
This is a letter in support of Xebec, and a letter of thanks to Xebec and Mr. Shimoda for the work that they have accomplished over the years. I am a musician and ethnomusicologist who initially came to Xebec in 1997, in the course of doing research on experimental music in Japan. The performances I saw at Xebec were really special and different, and Mr. Shimoda was very informative and helped me quite a bit with my project. When I again return to Japan this summer I will be truly saddened that Xebec will not be there, as a place to perform, as a place to listen, as a place to think, and as a center for sound art that was unique in the world.

Steven A. Barsotti (Sound Artist, In the Eye of the Ear Festival Producer)

To do this sort of work usually involves a passion and dedication that goes beyond the expectancy of financial reward, or any reward for that matter. Xebec was there ot lend it's support to a small festival of creative sound artists that happened in the United States. We did what we could to make people in Chicago, Illinois hear about and attend this festival and Xebec helped spread the word by putting us in their magazine and archived us on their website. For that we (Tod Szewczyk & Steve Barsotti) are truly grateful. Xebec must not be allowed to parish.

Ed Barguiarena (composer, musician, educator)

Keep the heart of the arts community pumping with new blood. Experimentation, exploration and support are essential in this matter.
Please continue your efforts!

Keith Obadike (sound artist)/African Noise Parade

I am writing to express my support for Xebec and to say what a wonderful resource the electronic version of Sound Arts magazine is.

head_magazine

hello
sorry to hear that xebec is to cease. if any members of xebec wish to contribute to an ongoing webzine forum for experimental music / sound art please contact me. thank you.
darren
head magazine bm uplift london uk wc1n 3xx

Yuen Cheuk Wa

Hi,
I'm Yuen Cheuk Wa, a student from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, studying sound design and music recording.
I read a book called Sound : Space by Bernhard Leitner which is about his sound installation art. I was futher fascinated, and so I try to browse the internet for more info. Your website was finally reached.
Closing Xebec was such a bad news, though I'm just a new-comer.
Keep on your good work.

chad chatterton

Dear Xebec
Xebec Hall was certainly one of the highlights of my travels in Japan last year. I am a young Australian artist who had read about Xebec in Brian Eno's Diary publication, and when I explained this to people at Xebec they were wonderfully supportive, and even gave me the excellent Sound Arts book among many other things. I enjoyed several performances at Xebec and was looking forward to enjoying more when I returned to Japan next year. So I am very sorry to hear about Xebec Closing down and wish you all the luck in the world in opening you doors again in the near future.
p.s. the Xebec Cafe was possibly the best I have been to, with excellent coffee and excellent sounds I would travel from Higashi Osaka just to span time with coffee at Xebec !!

Joe Botz ( California U.S.A.)

In 1993 I helped form a small company with the goal of expanding cultural exchanges between Japan and other nations. Through Carl Stone I was introduced to XEBEC, a company with similar goals. In the few years I have been aware of XEBEC I have seen a number of diverse artists from around the globe open up their individual worlds so others, such as myself, could learn and benefit from exposure to new ideas. XEBEC provided a vital function in giving people this exposure. I sincerely hope that in the immediate future XEBEC can resume providing this vital function for artists creating new and innovative sound arts and listeners seeking those very arts so perceptions can continually expand from culture to culture.

Jay Cloidt (composer, sound designer)

My contact with XEBEC originally came through their technical support of the Paul Dresher Ensemble during their 1993 Interlink Festival tour, which included a performance at the wonderfully-equipped XEBEC Hall. The support of Mr. SHIMODA Nobuhisa and his staff were invaluable on that tour, and also on subsequent Kronos Quartet performances in Japan on which I worked. But more than that, the people of XEBEC have become friends and a vital connection to the world of new music in Japan. I offer them my support and hope that this invaluable institution can continue to survive in some form.

alan lamb (western australia)

I wish to send a public message to all those at Xebec how sad and distressed I am to know that Xebec must close. My name is Alan Lamb. Xebec, under the enlightened leadership of its director, Mr Shimoda, helped me to build a beautiful "Wind Organ" at the site of the new "SPring 8" synchotron near Kobe. The instrument was 5 acres in size. It is more than simply a tribute to the people of Xebec that they uniquely could grasp the meaning and persevere in the construction of such an unusual instrument. It is a measure of an immense vision much needed in today's world. I pray some way can be found to keep alive Xebec and its essential spirit.
Three typhoons played on the wind organ and could not blow it away. My memories of the people of Xebec and all they have done for new music are as resilient.
I am fearful that without Xebec, who will take on the challenge of such impossible dreams again? Not in my country, not so far, I am ashamed to say it.
Xebec forever! May those who could hear more carefully listen.

CARL STONE (composer)

I have always felt very honored and proud that I was one of the first artists invited to perform at Xebec, back in 1989 with Yuji Takahashi. Since that time I have kept myself informed of Xebec's activities and watched it grow into a extremely vital clearing house for sound-art whose reputation and importance is world-wide. Since the Great Hanshin Earthquake, I have been proud to support Xebec by publishing the english-language version of their interesting and informative publication on my own website. A look at the internet statistics for this newsletter is revealing: Since January 1 1999, there have been more than 6000 accesses to the Xebec pages, from such far-flung locations as Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, The Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, USA, and the United Kingdom. There is no doubt that people from all over the world, be they artists, scholars, critics, or fans, have recognized the activities of Xebec as a critical part of the global cultural ecology.

Rahma Khazam (journalist)

I am a freelance music journalist based in Paris, France. I wrote an article for Xebec's excellent in-house magazine Sound Arts about a year ago, and ever since then I have following Xebec's activities closely. I was very sorry to hear that Xebec will be closing and I hope it will be possible to start it up again: its contribution to contemporary performance art has been immense.

Atau Tanaka (composer)

When I moved to Japan two years ago, I was keen on checking out the local scene, and to see how it connected to the international community of musicians, composers, and sound artists. Xebec was the main place with a reputation for being an international level organization. I was very fortunate to have a chance to perform there, in 1997 and 1998. It is a fantastic place - excellent hall, and great sound system. But most importantly are the people of Xebec - from the director to the sound engineers to the assistants, they are all extremely nice and highly professional.
However an organization or a performance space is nothing without a vision. Xebec's director has the vision to seek out interesting artists in the world, and to present them in concert and in installations. This vision has succeeded in bring musicians and artists together, making Xebec an important meeting place and forum of creative and cultural exchange. It as brought together artists from Japan and artists from around the world. This has certainly made a contribution to fostering the development of a new sound culture for our time and for future generations. I sincerely hope that Xebec will be there to continue to be part of the movement it has helped to create.

Prof. HWANG Sung Ho (Korean National University of Arts)

I am Hwang Sung Ho, the Korean composer who had the opportunity to give two times of performances in the Xebec hall last year.
At that time, we Korean composers were all greatly impressed by lots of advantages it had. Besides the satisfactory environment and well-equipped facilities, Xebec hall was praiseworthy of its best staff and their planning abilities, which also made a deep impression on us. It has long been offering stages to the experimental arts and made it possible for the artists to meet and understand each other.
After all, it seems to me that the hall means something more than just a place for concert. It does stand for more. Xebec hall is regarded as one of the physical source of inspiration to many creative artists. And I also thought that investing in this establishment(hall) was sure to be one of the excellent decision made by TOA, who has the insight and superiority to look ahead into the future.
So it is very embarrassing even disappointing to hear that the hall is about to close owing to the financial difficulties, as well as causing me great anxiety. It is all the more so, because I have always illustrated Xebec hall to the Korean enterprises in the process of enforcing the necessity of experimental, creative, and productive investment in culture.
I sincerely hope that Xebec will revive again from the bottom of my heart, so that musician from both side of the country could meet together again for the mutual understanding of each other. In that way, the spirit continues to be presented as an admirable model of supports to cultural value here in Seoul. Let me express my most earnest encouragement to the the staffs, including Mr. SHIMODA Nobuhisa and all the artists of Japan who strive for the revival of Xebec hall.

Edward Ifshin (director, non-linear alliances digital age artists agency)

To Whom it May Concern,
this message is in support of Xebec and the sincere wish that some way can be found for Xebec to continue its important support of contemporary performance art. I have known Xebec's work for more than ten years (when I was working at Culural Section of US Embassy and Xebec supported Interlink Festival)
I realize Japan is now in a difficult economic situation but I would hope that perhaps Xebec's presentations and archives can perhaps be digitally stored and accessed so that people can have access to the invalubale work that was done over the years at Xebec and perhaps it can be preserved for the future Xebec as well. Thanks and good luck....

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