Tengu et Kitsune II
I’ve been really enjoying this today. It’s hard to really pinpoint why. It’s an odd one for sure, but there is something of the playful spirit I often find in Taku Unami pieces pervading the scene here, which to me is a very good thing.
One of my favorite aspects of this is a sort of odd reactionary timing he uses. He seems very apt at starting something when you least expect it, and then ending it in some oddly poetic way, even if it’s just cutting it out at an odd moment.
Sugimoto is playing goofy digital metronome sounds on the first track, that somehow remind me of his sparser guitar playing, of course devoid of the emotional pull of the guitar sound. He’s playing almost a structural role here, creating a frame for Unami to dance about in. It seems like there is some game going on between them, and the whole thing sounds fun enough to these ears.
The second track uses mandolins, accented with assorted hand claps, etc. It has a very similar nature to the first piece, but with the addition of very recognizable strumming sounds, that at times evoke a folkish feeling. This is fleeting of course, as one of the key elements of this piece is the musicians mimicing the more mechanical sounds from the first track, by tapping, plucking, etc. Again, it’s like hearing some kind of logic game, in which the rules change constantly.
I’ve had a recent fascination with releases that utilize only a paucity of means. The focus on density and timing over sonic novelty is a welcome change from a lot of music in this area.
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