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In 1971, Yuasa composed another instrumental chamber music work, Inter-posi-play-tion for flute, piano and two percussionists followed in 1973 by Inter-posi-play-tion II for flute, harp and percussion. The title expresses the theme to be investigated in these works, a theme perhaps tied to the recurrent instrumental virtuosity explored in these years but certainly a theme of interest in terms of the relations already looked at in Interpenetration. In this work, what is explored is the interactive relationship that is created between the performers, constituted as relationships of meaning between different materials of musical language at the players’ disposal. In most of Interposi-play-tion the performers decide on musical matters as the score itself only indicates rest lengths, the number and the attack and length of sound events. The piece is able to maintain this “playing at the heart of a reciprocal placing” by concentrating on the sound object in which, “rests are intervals in which there is collected energy which is then redirected toward the next entry.”

Luciana Galliano - The Music of Joji Yuasa (2012)

This work is realized by a single performer superimposed over the recording of two other double bass parts. The “live” player produces a series of sound effects on a small set of percussions and the score per se is not exactly pictorial but rather uses graphic notation with some parts being improvised by the performer. Because the time framework and method of performance are indicated in great detail, there are very few elements of the piece that would completely differ between one performer and another. As for the method of performance, the player not only draws the bow across the strings but hits the body of the instrument following precise indications from the score, both in terms of where on the double bass he has to hit and whether he uses the tip of the finger, a fingernail or the palm of his hand. He plays the tam tams with the bow and towards the end of the piece, he has to, “Make a brief statement about something in which [he/she] is very much interested in today. [He/she has to] phrase it as a question and play each syllable of the words.” In this work, Yuasa hints again at Zen thought: "According to Suzuki (Daisetsu), Zen is thinking of acquiring seeing and hearing consciousness but one has to liberate oneself from every prejudice, of one’s deformed lenses, and look at things with the virgin eyes of a newborn baby. For that reason, I treated the double bass differently introducing new, unused techniques of sound production on the request of an American player [Donald Palma], adopting many performance aspects and largely leaving aside traditional ones."

Luciana Galliano - The Music of Joji Yuasa (2012)