A prehistoric tribe dances around the fire. Young revelers lose themselves on a packed dancefloor. Explorers fly a rocket toward another galaxy.
In the TIMEBEING universe, these things are all connected. From the earliest days of humanity, people have strived to expand their reality beyond the limitations of the here and now—and have used technology to make it happen. Their methods and machines may have changed across the centuries, but the drive remains constant, vibrating through history and occupying a space where time loses all meaning. “The art of making music is the art of manipulating time,” says Uji. “I have had experiences where time shifts dramatically; sometimes it slows down to a halt, while moments seemingly become infinite. This is where the magic happens. This is when the fabric of what we call reality begins to show its seams.”
An Argentintian electronic producer and ethnomusicologist, Uji has been navigating those seams for more than two decades, initially as one half of the pioneering duo Lulacruza, but more recently with his own solo work. TIMEBEING continues that lineage, but also elevates it, taking shape as a interdisciplinary multimedia journey that includes a new album, an accompanying short film, an immersive live show and the birth of a new decentralized community of like-minded artists, creators, seekers, and dreamers.
Mesmerizing and deeply psychedelic, the TIMEBEING LP certainly reflects the rich sound palette of Latin America—and its intersection with various strains of electronic music—but Uji taps into traditions—both musical and spiritual—that can’t be hemmed in by borders and boundaries. Transcendence is the goal, and the album moves through fantastical spaces that may or may not exist: a metallic jungle, a Balkan spaceship, a cloud that morphs into a tumultuous whirlpool. All the while, Uji criss-crosses history, consulting elders and futurists alike as he throws open the doors of perception and pens a new mythology about what it means to be human.
Some of that mythology takes shape in the TIMEBEING film. Written by Uji himself, the eight-part opus has been brought to life by Jazmin Calcarami, who makes her directorial debut following years of working as an experimental make-up artist with the likes of Björk and Cirque de Soleil. On stage, the transportive TIMEBEING live show is set to premiere at the Artlab Cultural Center in Buenos Aires, where it will be debuted as a part of a weekly residency this spring. More than just a concert, it’s a dazzling theatrical experience, complete with dancers, costume changes, arresting visuals and even an on-stage “ship” (shaped like a mollusk) where Uji himself will perform.
Finding connection in the infinite, TIMEBEING exists without limits or restrictions, its virtual offerings just as important as the physical ones. Those offerings—which will include an exclusive NFT series—won’t come from Uji alone, either. He envisions the TIMEBEING community as a decentralized collective in the true sense of the word, its members united in the creation of new myths and stories that expand the possibilities of human consciousness and existence.
“What we see on the surface, is only that—the surface,” says Uji. “There is so much more. Music is the bridge and the possibilities are limitless.”
