Along with being bona fide superstar in his native Japan, Ryuichi Sakamoto is well known to Western audiences for his work with pioneering electro-pop outfit Yellow Magic Orchestra, as well as his award-winning soundtrack work and a long series of solo efforts. But Sakamoto is also a busy collaborator, over the years working with everyone from Iggy Pop, David Byrne and Brian Wilson to David Sylvian and Christian Fennesz. However, one Sakamoto's most frequent musical partners has proved to be minimal electronic experimentalist Alva Noto, who will once again team up with the Japanese musical icon for their third collaborative studio full-length.
The record is called Summvs and follows the pair's stellar 2005 effort Insen and 2009 live album Utp_. In addition to eight original tracks, the record will include two versions of the classic "By This River," a song originally composed by Brian Eno with Cluster's Roedelius and Moebius for Eno's 1977 album Before and After Science.
On Summvs, a press release explains that "passages of sparse yet emotionally charged and passionate piano solos are embedded in sine waves or reworked to establish new aesthetics of piano sound. Sparse percussions and throbbing bass pulses hover above and below the music, being contemplative and minimal at the same time."
Summvs will be available on CD on May 9 via Raster-Noton. You can see the cover above and the tracklist below.
Summvs:
1. "Microon I"
2. "Reverso"
3. "Halo"
4. "Microon II"
5. "Pionier IOO"
6. "Ionoscan"
7. "By This River"
8. "Naono"
9. "Microon III"
10. "By This River - Phantom"
The record is called Summvs and follows the pair's stellar 2005 effort Insen and 2009 live album Utp_. In addition to eight original tracks, the record will include two versions of the classic "By This River," a song originally composed by Brian Eno with Cluster's Roedelius and Moebius for Eno's 1977 album Before and After Science.
On Summvs, a press release explains that "passages of sparse yet emotionally charged and passionate piano solos are embedded in sine waves or reworked to establish new aesthetics of piano sound. Sparse percussions and throbbing bass pulses hover above and below the music, being contemplative and minimal at the same time."
Summvs will be available on CD on May 9 via Raster-Noton. You can see the cover above and the tracklist below.
Summvs:
1. "Microon I"
2. "Reverso"
3. "Halo"
4. "Microon II"
5. "Pionier IOO"
6. "Ionoscan"
7. "By This River"
8. "Naono"
9. "Microon III"
10. "By This River - Phantom"
