The Consciousness Project - May 2025

The Consciousness Project, visual anthropology meets music and production

A filmmaker and visual anthropologist and a music producer and artist will be researching and filming the cultural, social and political identities of electronic techno music in different cities for the second installment of their global documentary series “Consciousness”. A blend of visual anthropology and ethnomusicology, the project aims to document the hidden stories behind the music, particularly those of sound engineers, promoters, community organizers and other often overlooked individuals who have been instrumental in shaping the cultural movement. In Detroit, they want to focus on the role behind the scenes to illuminate the stories, spaces and people who have contributed to their legacy.

Before and during this year's Movement Music Festival, a world-renowned electronic music festival, they will delve into the cultural fabric of Detroit to meet, for example, unnamed individuals who have shared and operated knowledge, space, distribution structures and networks. 

The first episode was filmed during an artist residency in Tokyo, Japan, and is currently in post-production. It includes interviews with prominent artists such as Ken Ishii, Takaaki Itoh and Wata Igarashi, as well as festival organizers, label owners and sound engineers who have played a key role in the Japanese techno scene.

Here is a teaser for the first episode, Consciousness: Japan. (2024)

More information about the “Consciousness”

https://consciousness-community.b12sites.com/music-documentary-research

More information about the artists will follow.