02/21

Japanese Avant-garde/Ambient/Experimental

Ambivalence

Symbol

Blue Sky And Yellow Sunflower

New York/Tokyo based Sawako is a musician, software designer, and multimedia artist whose multi-disciplinary works intermix and pollenate her music with inspiration ranging from nature, science, academia and poetic motion. Following releases on Anticipate and And/Oar, Bitter Sweet is Sawako's 2nd release on 12k after the critically acclaimed Hum (12k1035) in 2005. Her music is fragile and intimate, delicate, ephemeral and resonant. Bitter Sweet is unmistakably Sawako but finds itself moving into much, much deeper territory than her previous works. Building on her past forays into experimental pop, she uses low and mid-frequency drones and soft, melodic highlights to shape beds of stripped-down, shifting into hypnotic and very linear tracks that fill the space they exist. These gentle movements are punctuated by field recordings and acoustic instrumentation with cello provided by Jacob Kirkegaard and guitar by Radiosonde and Ryan Francesconi who also co-write two of the pieces on the album. In what has become a bit of a signature, Sawako lends her own voice to the ending lullaby "A Last Next." These combination produce rich results.

Bitter Sweet's diffuse and hazy soundscaping is Sawako's most mature work to date, relying less on her previous child-like melodies while remaining feminine and tender. She has come into her own after having established herself for a number of years as a New Yorker where she has tirelessly performed, studied and created as an important member of the city's electronic music community.

Bitter Sweet is packaged in a 6-panel digipack with photography throughout by Brooklyn-based artist and photographer Maki Kaoru.

bitter sweet

looped labyrinth, decayed voice

Looped Labyrinth, Decayed Voice

Exploded View

One Too Many

Soundium

Typist on the Moon

DISK UNIONではrakia未発表3曲を収録したCD-R特典付き☆

Winter Flower - Directed by Akiho Endo @aki_sergeant https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdg1wQdW53E

rakia "Silence, Warm & Bright" from "Trace Of A Dream" PFCD87

rakia "Trace Of A Dream" PFCD87 http://www.progressiveform.com

01. Trace Of A Dream
02. Passage
03. Tears
04. Winter Flower
05. Dimples
06. White Night
07. Moments
08. Silence, Warm & Bright
09. Sky
10. Children
11. Sea Of Stars
12. Alone
13. June

M1, 6 & 9 Vocal by marucoporoporo
M2, 4, 11 & 12 Vocal by Smany
M3 Vocal by Hiroe 
M5 & 7 Vocal by Layla Tomomi Sakai
M8 Vocal by Takara Araki

◆【Trace Of A Dream】紹介文

ソリッドなリズム・メインキングとポップかつ叙情性をともなうメロディーセンスが光るエレクトロニックサウンドを特徴とするプロデューサー塚原啓によるソロ・プロジェクトrakia、本作は2016年10月リリースした1stアルバム『Eclectic Color』以来約2年半振りとなる待望の2ndアルバム！

ダウンテンポから疾走感を想起させるビーツまで、メロディアスで郷愁を纏ったそのサウンドは高い評価を得た前作同様、かつ本作においては5名のボーカリストを収録13曲中11曲でフィーチャー、その表現力を格段に広げたことが大きなポイントと言える。

M1／6／9ではmarucoporoporo、M2／12ではSmanyとmarucoporoporo、M3ではHiroe、M4／11ではSmany、M5／7ではLayla Tomomi Sakai、M8ではTakara Arakiが参加。

オープニングを飾るタイトル曲でmarucoporoporoが参加したM1「Trace Of A Dream」、Takara Arakiが参加したM8「Silence, Warm & Bright」、Smanyが参加したM11「Sea Of Stars」では、タイトなビーツとポジティブな雰囲気のトラックにそれぞれの優しく洗練された歌声が絡み非常に叙景深い楽曲に仕上がっている。
またSmanyが参加したM「Passage」とM4「Winter Flower」ではSmanyの可憐な歌声に合った哀愁感が非常に魅力的である。
一転し、Layla Tomomi Sakaiの歌声に合ったrakiaの特徴の１つでもあるブラックネス～ファンクネスなアプローチを感じさせるM5「Dimples」とM7「Moments」をはじめ、収録全13曲全てが濃厚であり個々の出来映えも素晴らしい楽曲群の集合体としての見事なアルバムに結実している。

アーティストによる『Trace Of A Dream』へのコメント
タイトルの「Trace of a dream」は私にとって特別な言葉です。電子音とヴォーカルを用いて、夢の記憶と現実の橋渡し‥的にアプローチしたらどうだろうと。
ヴォーカルアルバムへの挑戦が今回のテーマであり音楽創造の源泉でもありました。
なぜなら声は単なる楽曲のパートの一部ではなく，楽曲から感じ取れる森羅万象（時間経過）を担う重要な役割を果たしていると確信したからです。
そのようなコンセプトのもと、訪れた旅先の風景、歴史的名画（横山大観、狩野芳崖、ミレー、モネ、ムンク）、から着想を得ながら、様々な音の断片を紡いで作品として纏め上げました。


◆プロフィール   rakia

塚原啓によるソロ・プロジェクト。
2004年、ユナイテッドアローズ主催のブラジリアンダンスイベント＜Tsukiji Manson：ツキジマンソン＞にDJとして参加、たかぎまゆ、康本雅子らと共演する。
2006年、J-waveの坂本龍一＜Radio Sakamoto＞にて「We got the funk」が優秀作品としてノミネートされる。後に複数曲のノミネートを経て＜Radio Sakamoto＞を卒業。
また名護スパリゾートホテルにアンビエントミュージックを提供する。
他、ジャンル問わずファンクバンドの編曲やアイドルへの楽曲提供、また様々なトラックダウンに参加。
2008年から2014年までの充電期間を経て、2015年より音楽プロデュースを再開する。
2016年10月、rakia名義での1stアルバム『Eclectic Color』をPROGRESSIVE FOrMよりリリース。
またライブ活動などでは、2017年9月にTechno Lounge Night、10月にQUEST00、11月にvague parade voi.6に参加。
2018年1月にQUEST01、またMagic Island Japan Tourにゲストとして参加。5月にvague parade vol.11、8月にs/n vol.3に参加する。9月にOffice si-no主催の平家女人抄（舞台／能物語）に楽曲提供、及び朗読家の青木ひろこ、篠笛奏者の狩野嘉宏、宝生流能楽師の安久津和夫らと共演。11月にbliss in the darkに参加する。
そして2019年3月、満を持して高密度かつ洗練された2ndアルバム『Trace of a dream』をリリースする。


発売日　　　： 2019年3月13日(水曜日)
アーティスト： rakia（ラキア）
タイトル　　： Trace Of A Dream（トレイス・オブ・ア・ドリーム）
発売元　　　： PROGRESSIVE FOrM
販売元　　　： ULTRA-VYBE, INC.
規格番号　  ： PFCD87
価格（CD）　： 税抜本体価格￥2,200
収録曲数　　： 13曲
JAN 　　　　： 4526180475538
https://www.amazon.co.jp/TRACE-DREAM-RAKIA/dp/B07MXK3RCW/
https://tower.jp/item/4856243/Trace-Of-A-Dream

Trace Of A Dream

amazon

rakia "Silence, Warm & Bright" from "Trace Of A Dream" PFCD87

Tujiko Noriko - Kuro (OST)
Format: LP / CD / Digital
Label: PAN (ENTOPIA)
Cat.No. PAN 89
Release Date: 26 April 2019 
Pre-order album: bit.ly/2TNq3yB / bit.ly/2F3mN9Q

Written and directed by Joji Koyama and Tujiko Noriko, Kuro tells the tale of Romi, a Japanese woman living in the suburbs of Paris with her paraplegic lover Milou. Tending to Milou by day and working in a karaoke bar by night, Romi reminisces about a time she and Milou once lived together in Japan with a mysterious ailing man named Mr. Ono. Weaving together personal history, anecdotes and myths, her stories soon turn ominous.

When we first decided to ‘split’ the film into what might be described as two parallel layers — the narrated story and the visual story — we found that it opened up an ‘in-between’ space, a space where what is heard and seen continually wrestle with one another. We envisaged that the true setting of the film would emerge from this friction, as something imagined and projected by the audience. After a few screenings we were struck by how some audience members would refer to scenes or events in the film that, for us, did not take place… We both thought of the music of Kuro as a score to this space in-between.

-Joji Koyama

Composed and recorded during the editing of the film in Berlin, the Kuro OST by Tujiko Noriko (with contributions from Joji Koyama, Sam Britton and Will Worsely), is a crucial and integral part of the film, acting not only as a glue to bind the layers of the film together, but along with the sonic palette of the film’s sound design, evokes it’s claustrophobic atmospheres and moments of haunting beauty.

I tried to think of the pieces in abstract terms, like moods and atmospheres. In a way, the process was quite similar to how I usually make music, in the sense that I have images in my head. Of course in this case there were actual images and a lot of them very close to me, but I didn't want to get overly conscious about them either—I didn't want to get stuck by trying to be too specific.

-Tujiko Noriko

The music, which in the film is largely heard in tandem to the narrating voice of Tujiko Noriko (who also stars as Romi), is presented and arranged here as a separate piece in its own right.

Written and produced by Tujiko Noriko. Mixed by Sam Britton and Will Worsley at Coda to Coda, London.
The album is mastered by Rashad Becker at D&M, Berlin featuring photography by Joji Koyama and layout by Bill Kouligas and Johannes Schnatmann.

ENTOPIA is the latest offshoot series from PAN seeking to amplify and redefine our ideas of what a soundtrack can be. The series will survey critical works across the spectrum from musical composers on PAN and beyond, commissioned for the worlds of film, art, performance, installation works, theatre, dance and fashion.

@tujikonoriko
http://p-a-n.org

Kuro (OST)

Tujiko Noriko - Karaoke Theme (PAN 89)

'Crush', out now on Ninja Tune: https://floatingpoints.lnk.to/crushSo

Follow Floating Points -
Spotify: https://found.ee/floatingpoints-sp
Apple Music: https://found.ee/floatingpoints-am
Instagram: https://found.ee/floatingpoints-ig
Facebook: https://found.ee/floatingpoints-fb
Twitter: https://found.ee/floatingpoints-tw
Youtube: https://found.ee/floatingpoints-yt
Bandcamp: https://found.ee/floatingpoints-bc
Soundcloud: https://found.ee/floatingpoints-sc
Songkick: https://found.ee/floatingpoints-sk

Crush

Falaise

Angel Tears in Sunlight

The Pulsation

Piano 50 bpm

OUT NOW: https://wherethetimegoes.bandcamp.com/album/frog-of-earth

What’s it like to be a frog? - a question posed by philosophizers and scienticians alike for nigh on millenia without any definitive progress or resolution to the issue. The sad truth is that Man, in his usual self absorbed way, has only ever attempted to apply his own logical tricks and turns of phrase to describe the totally nonhuman sensual experience of the frog. In his arrogance, Man has failed to even realise the futility of his venture, of superimposing himself onto its self. The frog’s rich experience is its own, and now for possibly the first time in human history Man may, if he allows himself to, glimpse the essence of the frog. But not through word, or through self referential descriptions and calculations; but through self-absolving experience - through the Frog of Earth.

Frog of Earth is the debut album by the Frog of Earth, and is available now to purchase via bandcamp in single disc 12" vinyl LP, and in all digital formats.

Worldwide distribution handled by Rubadub.

Artwork by Mel & Dean.

Frog of Earth

Buy the Album

Frog of Earth - Settle For Less (Frog of Earth 12" LP OUT NOW)

A psychedelic mutant hybrid combining orchestral drama and psych rock to create an imaginary spaghetti western soundtrack.

Features two mixes of the title track plus a cosmic dub remix by GK Machine and a fourth track that's possibly the oddest of the lot.

@higamoshogamos

INVINC DD07 Higamos Hogamos - Re-Exit [samples] out 1 FEB 2021

An electronic ambient collection recorded over the months of LOCKDOWN .1 2020.

Utilising a range of vintage analog and digital synthesisers plus some newer West coast modular devices. Both interspersed with and influenced by field recordings taken whilst exploring the gaps between the city of London and its semi rural ex-industrial environments. A reflection on moments captured, moments lost and moments re-imagined.

The resulting music operates within a similar space and vibrationexplored by artists such as Harold Budd, Suzanne Cianni, Brian Eno, Steve Reich and Wendy Carlos.

@higamoshogamos

Generation Games

INVINC 29 Higamos Hogamos - Generation Games [samples] OUT 1 Feb 2021

studio mule 36
vinyl only
distributed by kompakt

eitetsu hayashi/b3_seiten

In the 2000’s Chee Shimizu helmed an untouchable Tokyo DJ collective called Discossession alongside Dr Nishimura (House music buyer for Cisco Records at the time). Balancing out this unit were a young Scotsman-abroad named Jonny Nash (who’d later form Sombrero Galaxy [ESP001] and Gaussian Curve as well as the Melody As Truth imprint), and the late guitar virtuoso and tattoo artist Zecky. Formidable DJs and multi-talents on the Tokyo scene, Discossession released two EPs on Kenji Takimi’s Crue-L imprint and various mixes individually on www.lovefingers.org, all holding well-deserved eternal cult status. Chee’s 'Denshi Meisou' [2006] and 'Follow My Dream' [2007] for Lovefingers as well as his legendary “listening sessions” at HiFi lounge SHeLTeR in the Tokyo suburb of Hachioji, laid foundation for what would become known to his followers as “Organic Music” or “Obscure Sound”, the former extending as the name of his record shop and the latter as the title of his 2013 book. 'Obscure Sound' chronicled his tastes in detail and has since become a sort of diggers bible for peers and younger generations.

At the ESP Institute’s inception in 2009, Shimizu contributed two tracks to Lovefingers’ 'Concentration Vol 1' compilation as apéritifs to a later release. “Later” eventually became “forever” and the mythical piano track (appearing only as a demo on 'Golden Age' and 'Dekmantel 061') is still, to this day, not ready for formal release. Skip a dozen years, musical interests and major life changes, and Chee has now unveiled something quite special in accordance with his Obscure Sound — rather than making new out of old rope, he presents a collaboration with Tokyo guitarist miku-mari a.k.a. Takahiro Matsumura. The artists frequently collaborate at the experimental audio/visual event, 'Sacrifice', held irregularly at Tokyo’s ForestLimit, and in 2018 when Chee was invited to DJ at Japan’s only Ambient festival 'Camp Off-Tone', he and miku-mari endeavored to expand these works into a 2-hour improvised performance. Chee collaged various percussion samples and personal field recordings utilizing four CDJs, supplementing with live windchimes and Andean chajchas, while miku-mari coupled a guitar-controlled synthesizer, 'Sound Tube' software (developed by Japanese Ambient composer Hiroshi Yoshimura) and more live elements such as Tibetan bells and pyramid crystals. Rehearsals for this performance were held prior to the festival at ForestLimit, recorded as multi-tracks and edited into these two cerebral Reconstructions.

[ESP030] Reconstructions

Buy from ESP

[ESP030] CHEE SHIMIZU + MIKU-MARI - B - Reconstruction 2 - SNIPPET

𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨

𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘚𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢
𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘣𝘺 𝘚𝘢𝘭𝘢 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢

Kali

Welcome to the ESP Institute. Please remove your shoes at the door. Thank you.