CRS Presents Crossing Boundaries 23: “Unfolding Circle” by Oto Mugen

CRS (Center for Remembering & Sharing) presents Crossing Boundaries Concert Series vol. 23: "Unfolding Circle" by Oto Mugen. Led by Rema Hasumi (composition, piano, keyboards, vocals) with Adam Lane on acoustic bass and Randy Peterson on drums, the trio creates a space for us to gather and step into a shared moment where time feels suspended, and sound becomes the language of unspoken thoughts. It’s less about listening and more about feeling, the sounds guiding us to journey inward to unravel the knots we carry within through the era of uncertainty and despair. Together, we drift through a series of soundscapes that mirror the unseen colors of our inner worlds.

Sets start at 7:30 and 9 pm and one ticket is good for either set or both. Drinks are available in the Jazz Gallery lounge before and after each set.

The experience is about witnessing—witnessing ourselves, each other, and the fleeting yet profound interplay between tension and release, chaos and calm. It is a journey without a defined destination, where we acknowledge the weight we bear in the quiet and the noise alike, allowing it to take shape, dissolve, and reform, as sound becomes the vessel.

Here, we are not seeking to fix, to answer, or to soothe. We are simply sharing a moment of unfolding, where what we carry transforms in the presence of collective experience, and where what remains after is shaped by the shared breath of those who were there with us.

The group came together in 2022 as a project led by Réma Hasumi (piano, synthesizers, voice), joined by Randy Peterson (drums) and (acoustic bass). Hasumi and Peterson had previously collaborated on an album, during which they developed a distinct approach to improvisational interplay. The name "Oto Mugen," meaning "infinite sounds" in Japanese, reflects the group's vision of crafting boundless soundscapes that push the edges of musical exploration, venturing into uncharted sonic territories.

Réma Hasumi is a New York-based sound designer and improviser, whose eclectic background spans classical, jazz, and experimental music. The foundation of her music is grounded in a wide range of pianistic expressions that are at times contemplative, and at others assertive. Her recent work involves compositions and improvisations with analog synthesizers, electronics, and vocals. Rema’s music has been described as one that “is able to capture those elusive moments when silence becomes music and music becomes silence” (Jakob Baekgaard, All About Jazz) and that “begins with a delicate piano rumination, wandering, searching, finding a state of gentle deliberation that suddenly fades” (Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz).

VENUE LOCATION:
The Jazz Gallery
1158 Broadway 5th floor
New York, NY 10001

DIRECTIONS:
The Jazz Gallery is located on the northeast corner of Broadway and 27th Street.

NEAREST SUBWAY STATIONS:
28th Street R/W
23rd Street F/M
23rd Street or 33rd Street 4/6

ABOUT CROSSING BOUNDARIES CONCERT SERIES

CROSSING BOUNDARIES is a concert series devoted to dissolving boundaries between performers and audiences, the traditional and contemporary, classical and experimental, and the culturally specific and the global. Series curators are given the opportunity to create unique performance events in collaboration with musical, visual, and/or movement artists of their choosing. The series was conceived in 2018 by the Korean traditional wind player and composer gamin, who has continued to help curate the series each year.

Crossing Boundaries is made possible in part with public funds from Creative Engagement, supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and administered by LMCC. LMCC empowers artists by providing them with networks, resources, and support, to create vibrant, sustainable communities in Manhattan and beyond.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER

CRS (CENTER FOR REMEMBERING & SHARING) is a spiritual healing and art center founded in 2004 by the writer/lecturer/spiritual counselor Yasuko Kasaki and artist Christopher Pelham. Our mission is guided by A Course in Miracles (ACIM). ACIM says that recognizing that you and your brother are actually one is the only way to experience peace. The mission of CRS is to promote the awareness that limitless creativity lives within each of us. We train minds to recognize the light in themselves and others and provide them opportunities to share their inner vision through the healing and creative arts.

Since its founding CRS has provided numerous residencies and performance and exhibition opportunities to artists from all over the world. Currently, CRS is a multi-year sponsor of , a platform created to empower, elevate, normalize and give visibility to women, non-binary musicians and those of other historically underrepresented gender identities in intersection with race, sexuality, or ability across generations in the US and worldwide, through a radical model of mentorship and musical collaborative commissions.

Host or Publisher CRS (Center for Remembering & Sharing)