1986
In the 1986 Japanese volume "Wave Notation" (published by Jiji-Tsushin-Sha), editors Ogawa, Shono, and Tanaka present a comprehensive study of sound as a physical and architectural medium, featuring a deep dive into the work of Max Neuhaus.
The text (specifically on pages 119–149) frames Neuhaus's transition from a virtuoso percussionist to a "sound sculptor" within the context of Wave Theory. Key elements discussed include:
The Circumscription Drawings: The book explores Neuhaus's Circumscription Drawings, which serve as a unique form of "notation" for his site-specific works, mapping the reach and density of sound within a physical space.
The editors analyze his rejection of "performance" in favour of Sound Works—installations that exist permanently and are discovered by the listener's movement, such as the Times Square installation.
The chapter positions Neuhaus alongside Japanese concepts of environmental harmony, discussing how his custom electronic "sound generators" do not produce music, but rather a "sound texture" that completes an architectural void.
It also references his pioneering telephonic projects like Public Supply, where sound waves were used to bridge disparate geographical locations.
This publication remains a primary source for understanding how Neuhaus’s theories on aural typography were interpreted by the influential Japanese avant-garde scene of the 1980s.