Brian Eno - Thursday Afternoon

Today, Penguin Cafe announce their fifth studio album, Rain Before Seven… due for release on July 7. They also share the video and single In Re Budd. Watch: https://youtu.be/Jgo0vj8OkOQ

Discussing the track, band leader Arthur Jeffes explains; "This was the first piece I ever wrote on the balafon — and the day I was recording it I heard about Harold Budd's passing away. I never met him but I’ve always loved his work and I felt that the incongruity of the track wouldn’t be at all inappropriate for a dedication."

The In Re Budd video is a sublime performance with visuals and backdrop inspired by the cafe in Simon Jeffes’ infamous fever dream hallucinations, which led to the creation of the original Penguin Cafe Orchestra.

The group will be headlining the Erased Tapes label festival at the National Concert Hall in Dublin on May 20, as well as appear at this year's Wilderness Festival, followed by a UK/Europe tour in November, with plans to tour Japan and North America in early 2024.

A sense of optimism infuses Rain Before Seven… not the braggadocious, overconfident kind, but more a blithe, self-effacing optimism in keeping with the national character. Even when all signs point to the contrary, it operates within the certainty that things are going to be alright. Probably.

Penguin Cafe - In Re Budd (Radio Edit)

Alva Noto + Ryuichi Sakamoto - Pionier IOO

What can I say about Carsten Nicolai that I have not said before? It feels that only just the other day, I revisited his catalogue and sang high praises for his album HYbr:ID II, which I then highlighted in my Best of 2023 list, Music For Synergizing The Synapse Of Ideas. You should check out that write-up, where I quickly go over his monumental contribution to electronic music (it's up on my site). And here we are again, with an anticipated follow-up, the third entry in Alva Noto‘s series initiated in 2021. For this instalment, Nicolai explores the Noh.  “Drawing inspiration from Noh, a traditional Japanese musical drama dating back to the 14th century, the album reflects the genre’s distinctive rhythmic movements and its nuanced expression of emotions through subtle gestures.” Just as with the previous two volumes, the compositions on the album capture the music commissioned to a ballet score by an American choreographer, Richard Siegal – the first two came from Ectopia, and this third one is for the Ballet of (Dis)Obedience (check out a teaser here). And, just like the first two releases, it comes with a fantastic graphical score for each piece. I’m trying to follow this visualisation along with its sonic incarnation, and it’s like deciphering an alien script. This wonderful mystery adds a touch of fascination to the piece. And yet, the music is enthralling on its own…

HYbr:ID III

HYbr:ID Noh Talk

NOTON Shop

TRACK PREMIERE : Alva Noto - HYbr:ID Noh Talk

Taken from the new EP "Noyaux" - out Nov. 6th  2015 on Morr Music.
Buy the single on iTunes: api.morrmusic.com/itunes/1044652779
Follow Benoît Pioulard for updates:
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www.morrmusic.com

Buy on iTunes

Benoît Pioulard: Noyaux

Breaking Bridges

Only Human

for a transcription check out "Arrival in Vrndavan" 2014 (the most recent version of the 1985 poem)
photo: petrol in a puddle
a special thanks to the cosmic crew at Sunnyhill Festival 2025 for helping to resurrect this

Die to Live

Ryuichi Sakamoto + Alva Noto - Trioon I (Vrioon)

PRE-ORDER VINYL & CD: https://noton.greedbag.com/buy/two-120/

N-046 - ALVA NOTO & RYUICHI SAKAMOTO - TWO (LIVE AT SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE)

RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER  15TH, 2019

Alva Noto + Ryuichi Sakamoto - Noon (Vrioon)

Raghe Velle