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MINAMATA (F)
Minamata disease is a syndrome caused by methylmercury poisoning. It was first discovered in Japan in the eponymous city in 1956. Symptoms include dysmotility, paresthesia in the extremities, weakened vision and hearing, and in severe cases - paralysis and impaired consciousness, ending with a fatal outcome. The cause of the disease served as the company Chisso extended release of toxic liquid wastes in the water Minamata Bay. This toxic substance contained mercury that benthic organisms in its metabolism transformed into methylmercury. The history of this disease is largely metaphorical and characterizes all of the state of contemporary socio-economic system. Like many man-made disasters, Minamata disease was ignored for a long time – until today. Trying to draw attention to this problem, a French musician and videoartist Philip Escartin released the first album of his project called Minamata in 1984, a kind of symbol of the absurdity and outrageous indifference prevailing in the relations between industry, nature and society. Minamata appeared in the mid 80's and performed as a trio for a few years. At the time of radical and provocative it could compete only Le Syndicat. But then the creator of the group dismissed the remaining members and continued to record music in solitude under the name La Nomenklatur. Some records Minamata and La Nomenklatur he published on his own label, Les Nouvelles Propagandes. in 2002 Tiburce decided to resurrect his old project. In 2008 the label Nuit & Brouillard released CD Niigata – reprint of the third tape recorded and released in 1985 – perhaps the most powerful of all the material heritage of Minamata, old school industrial with a large metal percussion and a wild roar of distorted voices instead of singing. Year 2009 witnessed premiere of CD/DVD called Cyclator - Cyclator was a structure, supposedly invented to purify water in Minamata Bay. After long conversations and assurances by the Government found that it was just another bluff. The number of victims of environmental disasters is growing every day – Minamata is trying to expose that using radical esthetics – power-electronics of the old school – rebellious, uncompromising, brutal and aggressive.