17 songs for 17 paintings of the forest.

This is the sixth album 'The Hidden Forest' from Anoice, an instrumental music band featuring a dark and cinematic sound. Because of the effects of the spread of coronavirus, Anoice decided to cancel all upcoming tours in March last year, and after that, released new works from Anoice and the members' solo/side projects; Yuki Murata, RiLF, Films, Mizu Amane, Cru, and Tokyo Ambient Collective and took charge of soundtracks for movies and TV drama series, but have now finally completed Anoice's new album after the longest ever production period in their history.

This album 'The Hidden Forest' took inspiration from 17 paintings of the forest painted by Naoko Okada, and includes 17 songs with the same title as each of the paintings, with a total length of 72 minutes. It consists of mainly beautiful neo-classical songs played by a piano and string quartet such as the first lead single 'a perfect day for a funeral' and 'second coming', and also spectacular songs with dynamic drums like the powerful ground, such as the second lead single 'quiet wish' and 'the promised day' and sometimes quiet ambient music made of collaboration with the nature sounds such as 'into the light' and 'trickery and butterflies'. You can find similar themed melodies and patterns of the codes, with similar instrument formations through the whole album, but no two are identical, just like the leaves of trees within the forest.

In addition, one of the biggest features of this album production process is having used not only recording studios but also power of nature such as forests and rivers. You may be able to feel as though you are standing quietly in the forest via the songs with the sounds of animals such as birds, owls, insects, and flogs and the nature such as wind, water, and squeaking trees which were sometimes recorded in a foggy forest, sometimes in a dark forest in middle of the night, and sometimes in a forest where a strong wind blew.

This album with the tension in the air will be hopefully be remembered in history as one of the most beautiful dark music albums of all time.

The Hidden Forest

BandCamp

while sleeping (Anoice 'The Hidden Forest')

depth of sleep (Anoice 'The Hidden Forest')

heartbeat (Anoice 'The Hidden Forest')

A piano note, dropping into a hole in the heart.

Three and a half years have passed since her 4th solo album 'Piano Fantasia' which fascinated music fans in the world by its lovely melodies and piano sounds. The Tokyo-based pianist and member of the cinematic instrumental music band, Anoice, and its side projects, RiLF, Films, and Mizu Amane, Yuki Murata, will release her 5th solo album 'Sunny Spot Story' on April 27, 2022.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, Yuki has been working energetically with not only new releases under her own projects such as Anoice's latest album 'The Hidden Forest' and RiLF's latest album 'My Beloved Farewell' but also soundtracks for various types of video works; Robin Bain's 'Girl Lost: A Hollywood Story', Joey Fingers's 'Reduction In Force', and Osamu Minorikawa's 'I Eat the Tears', TV drama series such as TV TOKYO's 'My Husband is Sleeping in the Freezer' and MBS's 'Love Phantom', and enlightenment videos produced by Japanese government's organizations such as Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. However, her talent, which is admired by famous Japanese composers, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Nobuo Uematsu, and Takeshi Kobayashi, and has left her name in the history books of the three major international film festivals, Cannes, Berlin, and Venezia, is alive here.

This album 'Sunny Spot Story' comes in a set of two CDs; Disc.1 with 14 songs and Disc.2 with 10 songs. The songs included in Disc.1 were recorded at Anoice's studio and a large concert hall, together with the same instrumental players with Anoice's latest album 'The Hidden Forest’. It consists of mainly simple piano solo songs such as the first lead single 'shall we dance' and 'song for brahms', and also beautiful neo-classical songs with warm atmosphere played by a piano and string trio formed by a violin, a viola, and a cello as heard in the second lead single 'with all of my love' and 'my perfect place'. Disc.2 includes improvised solo piano compositions which Yuki played on her own piano with a simple recording equipment while under a state of emergency due to the pandemic and features a more stripped down sound in contrast to the songs on Disc.1.

This is a new masterpiece featuring a piano just like the great works from film music composers Thomas Newman and Alan Silvestri and neoclassical artists Max Richter and Jóhann Jóhannsson.


The album 'Sunny Spot Story' will be released on number-limited 15cm×15cm-sized box version which includes two compact discs, personally signed sheet music of one of the album songs 'shall we dance', and two visual cards with music credits.Disc.2 and its 10 songs will only be available on this box-set, and will not be on any digital music platforms such as Apple Music and Spotify.

Continuing from Anoice's latest album 'The Hidden Forest', Naoko Okada took charge of the illustrations and Takahiro Kido from Anoice also joined as the art designer, bringing together a perfect collaboration with Yuki Murata's beautiful music.

BandCamp:
https://riccolabel.bandcamp.com/album/sunny-spot-story

Sunny Spot Story

higurashinaku (Anoice / Yuki Murata 'Sunny Spot Story')

Washed

Composed & Produced by Brock Hewitt
In Collaboration with The David Roy Collective

Copyright 2022 Stories in Sound

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You can listen on Spotify, Apple Music, Youtube and other major music streaming platforms!! 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1PWCCcjCmwzjYb48VWpGcm?si=AGbTh7BNR46WA3UocUj8Tw

https://music.apple.com/ca/artist/brock-hewitt-stories-in-sound/1227900382

Stream/Download

Washed (w/ The David Roy Collective)

Buy the track: dougthomas.bandcamp.com/music

Tom O'Dugash // Piano

All tracks composed and arranged by Doug Thomas

Produced, engineered and mixed by Doug Thomas 
Recorded, mixed and mastered at NOOX Studio, London

Artwork by Doug Thomas

www.dougthomas.co.uk

2022 © All Rights Reserved

Sheet music is available - info@dougthomas.co.uk

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