artist: SAWAKO
title: Yours Gray
catalog number: and/15
release year: 2004
format: CD
status: sold out
title: Yours Gray
catalog number: and/15
release year: 2004
format: CD
status: sold out
This is the first full length CD for Sawako Kato and the first replicated CD release
for and/OAR. This is a perfect release for the Spring and Summer, and a beautiful
one at that. Yours Gray shows Sawako's work begin to drift into slightly different
directions from her previous releases, with more ambient, and at times, vaguely
melodic flourishes that can evoke wistful hazy daydream memories of childhood
or perhaps lifetime dreams yet fulfilled. Obviously each listener can derive what
they wish from this music. All the more so, since Sawako's paradoxical work tends
to encompass deep contemplation, yet with no premeditated intentions on her
part.
This release features collaboration work with Toshimaru Nakamura, Kiyoharu
Kuwayama (Kuwayama/Kijima & Lethe), Mitchell Akiyama (Sub Rosa, Raster
Noton, Force Inc), Asuna (Lucky Kitchen), and Yuichiro Fujimoto (Smalltown
Supersound).
for and/OAR. This is a perfect release for the Spring and Summer, and a beautiful
one at that. Yours Gray shows Sawako's work begin to drift into slightly different
directions from her previous releases, with more ambient, and at times, vaguely
melodic flourishes that can evoke wistful hazy daydream memories of childhood
or perhaps lifetime dreams yet fulfilled. Obviously each listener can derive what
they wish from this music. All the more so, since Sawako's paradoxical work tends
to encompass deep contemplation, yet with no premeditated intentions on her
part.
This release features collaboration work with Toshimaru Nakamura, Kiyoharu
Kuwayama (Kuwayama/Kijima & Lethe), Mitchell Akiyama (Sub Rosa, Raster
Noton, Force Inc), Asuna (Lucky Kitchen), and Yuichiro Fujimoto (Smalltown
Supersound).
BLOW UP (OCTOBER 2004)
A disciplined Zen grace that is raised to the nth power in the first official album by
tiny Japanese girl Sawako (see also her recent collaboration with (Taylor)
Deupree, a very good album on Spekk for the New Yorker, and the 12k compilation
"Two Point Two"). A veritable storyteller, like Sophie Calle and Wim Wenders as
the press release suggests, with a background in visual arts, Sawako perfectly
embodies that idea of spontaneity urged by the work of her American colleagues
and her compositions contain field recordings and little else; environmental in the
most literal sense and therefore adjoining, even though lighter than those of her
fellow-countrywoman Miki Yui, looking like silky yarns wavering in the wind with
elegance and delicacy. In the end we want to point out the presence of special
guests such as Mitchell Akiyama on processed piano on Night Midlight and
Toshimaru Nakamura, recorded in the distance along with sea and train noises as
pure elements of the acoustic landscape, in Cache Cache and Go To Ocean.
(Nicola Catalano)
A disciplined Zen grace that is raised to the nth power in the first official album by
tiny Japanese girl Sawako (see also her recent collaboration with (Taylor)
Deupree, a very good album on Spekk for the New Yorker, and the 12k compilation
"Two Point Two"). A veritable storyteller, like Sophie Calle and Wim Wenders as
the press release suggests, with a background in visual arts, Sawako perfectly
embodies that idea of spontaneity urged by the work of her American colleagues
and her compositions contain field recordings and little else; environmental in the
most literal sense and therefore adjoining, even though lighter than those of her
fellow-countrywoman Miki Yui, looking like silky yarns wavering in the wind with
elegance and delicacy. In the end we want to point out the presence of special
guests such as Mitchell Akiyama on processed piano on Night Midlight and
Toshimaru Nakamura, recorded in the distance along with sea and train noises as
pure elements of the acoustic landscape, in Cache Cache and Go To Ocean.
(Nicola Catalano)
EAR / RATIONAL (AUGUST 2004)
Subtle sounds crafted from air and dust evoke light thoughts and introspection.
Tones drifting and overriding each other, texture wraps and warps as if it is the
sound wave drawn by watching water flow over a rock. Slight scratching of what
could be sand falling on a metal plate on track 4, titled "Hole" may be the loudest
sound here. A very solo disc to listen to, playing this while talking to friends will
cause the music to disappear. My favorite sound is the tinny reverberated sound of
a truck starting; recorded, it sounds, through a long narrow pipe. This technique
develops all sorts of overtones and harmonics. Cool! Interestingly enough, they are
doing work on the roof of my office today, the footsteps and draggings I hear
overhead, fit in well with this music. (Don Poe)
Subtle sounds crafted from air and dust evoke light thoughts and introspection.
Tones drifting and overriding each other, texture wraps and warps as if it is the
sound wave drawn by watching water flow over a rock. Slight scratching of what
could be sand falling on a metal plate on track 4, titled "Hole" may be the loudest
sound here. A very solo disc to listen to, playing this while talking to friends will
cause the music to disappear. My favorite sound is the tinny reverberated sound of
a truck starting; recorded, it sounds, through a long narrow pipe. This technique
develops all sorts of overtones and harmonics. Cool! Interestingly enough, they are
doing work on the roof of my office today, the footsteps and draggings I hear
overhead, fit in well with this music. (Don Poe)
SANDS-ZINE (JULY 2004)
Sawako Kato è uno dei pochi personaggi culto di questo inizio millennio, e lo è
perché, a conti fatti, combacia perfettamente con esso, con le sue istanze, con i
suoi percorsi e con la sua silhouette.
Ha saputo gestire alla perfezione la propria immagine attraverso la diffusione di
CD-R autoprotti, la partecipazione a compilation in mp3, la pubblicazione in
alcune delle CD-R labels più apprezzate, la creazione di un sito personale molto
curato ed efficace, i contatti con le realtà indipendenti di tutto il pianeta…
Questa giovane ragazza giapponese è in grado di insegnare a molti come si può
fare, facendolo bene, il manager di se stesso. I flyers che accompagnano il suo
materiale promozionale sono di una completezza e di un ordine perfetti, con
annotazioni brevi e semplici sul materiale stesso e, in più, particolareggiate
informazioni sulla sua attività passata, presente e futura… una manna piovuta dal
cielo per chi deve scriverne.
Kato Sawako ha saputo cogliere lo spirito dei tempi ed ha utilizzato al massimo
quelle che sono le possibilità offerte da un mezzo potente come Internet. Un’
autentica ‘tokyo digital mutation girl’, come recitano le parole chiave poste alle
porte d’ingresso del suo mondo virtuale.
Sono questi i motivi di un successo spropositato, non rispetto alla qualità, ch’è
reale, ma rispetto a una produzione musicale che, a conti fatti, è praticamente
prossima allo zero. Perché, posso affermarlo per esperienza, una recensione su
Internet di un suo CD-R, magari stampato in sole 300 copie, riceve molte più
visite di una recensione a un disco di David Sylvian, e posso assicurarvi che non
si tratta affatto di cliccate dell’artista o dei suoi amici. La conclusione non può
essere che una: il popolo di Internet ama questa ‘tokyo digital mutation girl’.
Ho scritto di ‘una produzione prossima allo zero’ e mi spiego meglio. Il CD-R ha
motivo di esistere solo per basse tirature, quindi una produzione basata
esclusivamente su quel tipo di supporto non può certo raggiungere un pubblico
così numeroso da giustificare la notorietà raggiunta dalla ragazza. Inoltre questo
tipo di supporto non viene trattato dalla maggior parte della stampa, e quando
viene preso in considerazione è guardato come materiale di serie B o, peggio
ancora, è esaminato in modo equivoco, senza spiegare affatto di cosa si tratta. La
maggior parte dei distributori, poi, non accetta in consegna i CD-R.
Buona parte della pubblicità, se mai, gli è venuta dai pezzi piazzati su Internet.
Ma anche di questi se ne parla poco, e allora vuol dire che esiste un tipo di
pubblico evoluto, in grado di muoversi in modo autonomo rispetto alla critica,
alla promozione e alla pubblicità (cose che, spiace dirlo, a volte fanno corpo
unico). La giapponese ha probabilmente intuito la consistenza di questi
ascoltatori, ha saputo raggiungerli tramite una penetrazione a ‘rete’ ed ha fatto
leva sul loro gusto per costruire una sua piccola mitologia.
Questo CD rappresenta l’opportunità di allargare una cerchia di pubblico già
consistente, un’opportunità che non vale solo per l’autrice ma anche per l’
etichetta, anch’essa rimasta confinata, fino a ieri, nell’universo della piccola
produzione su CD-R, e non è un caso fortuito che la and/OAR abbia deciso di
puntare proprio su Sawako per tentare il salto di ‘categoria’. La ‘tokyo digital
mutation girl’ non delude infatti le aspettative e sfrutta nel modo migliore l’
occasione che le viene offerta, e fin dalla lista delle collaborazioni raccolte è
possibile capire quanta accuratezza c’è dietro alla produzione di “Yours Gray”.
La scelta dei pezzi, che privilegia sette tracce medio-brevi, è estremamente
felice. La struttura pacata e artigianale, morbida ma non languida, è affidata a
pochi tratti distintivi, e ne prendono forma acquarelli dai colori tenui, come le
foto che adornano la confezione, o come forme irreali di paesaggi visti al lume di
luna piena, magari coperti da un manto di neve, con i colori che assumono un
carattere magico e fantastico, mentre nello sfondo è possibile udire il crepitio del
silenzio. Arte semplice, povera, arte del quotidiano, del vissuto, impressioni
dettate da uno sguardo attento alla nuance del mondo… arte impressionista e,
dopo tanto espressionismo, ce n’era davvero bisogno.
I brani sono tutti costruiti con registrazioni concrete, una spolverata di pianoforte
processato, un pizzico di onde corte radio, voci quanto basta… poesia delle
piccole cose che si tinge d’immenso. Gli episodi più curiosi rispondono ai titoli di
Petit Garçon, con l’autrice che scrive di aver dimenticato quali suoni ha
utilizzato, Cache Cache e Go To Ocean, entrambi assemblati con field
recordings raccolti nei pressi di una galleria dove, e mentre, suonava ‘Toshi’
Nakamura. I percorsi di Sawako vengono paragonati a quelli di Sophie Calle e
Wim Wenders, ma io vedrei bene un parallelo con la produzione solista di Valerio
Tricoli, un altro giovane che sta finalmente trovando la sua dimensione nel
grande universo della musica. Comprate questo disco e tenetelo stretto insieme a
tutti i CD-R autoprodotti di Sawako, se siete riusciti a metterci le mani, perché il
futuro è dalla sua parte. (Etero Genio)
Sawako Kato è uno dei pochi personaggi culto di questo inizio millennio, e lo è
perché, a conti fatti, combacia perfettamente con esso, con le sue istanze, con i
suoi percorsi e con la sua silhouette.
Ha saputo gestire alla perfezione la propria immagine attraverso la diffusione di
CD-R autoprotti, la partecipazione a compilation in mp3, la pubblicazione in
alcune delle CD-R labels più apprezzate, la creazione di un sito personale molto
curato ed efficace, i contatti con le realtà indipendenti di tutto il pianeta…
Questa giovane ragazza giapponese è in grado di insegnare a molti come si può
fare, facendolo bene, il manager di se stesso. I flyers che accompagnano il suo
materiale promozionale sono di una completezza e di un ordine perfetti, con
annotazioni brevi e semplici sul materiale stesso e, in più, particolareggiate
informazioni sulla sua attività passata, presente e futura… una manna piovuta dal
cielo per chi deve scriverne.
Kato Sawako ha saputo cogliere lo spirito dei tempi ed ha utilizzato al massimo
quelle che sono le possibilità offerte da un mezzo potente come Internet. Un’
autentica ‘tokyo digital mutation girl’, come recitano le parole chiave poste alle
porte d’ingresso del suo mondo virtuale.
Sono questi i motivi di un successo spropositato, non rispetto alla qualità, ch’è
reale, ma rispetto a una produzione musicale che, a conti fatti, è praticamente
prossima allo zero. Perché, posso affermarlo per esperienza, una recensione su
Internet di un suo CD-R, magari stampato in sole 300 copie, riceve molte più
visite di una recensione a un disco di David Sylvian, e posso assicurarvi che non
si tratta affatto di cliccate dell’artista o dei suoi amici. La conclusione non può
essere che una: il popolo di Internet ama questa ‘tokyo digital mutation girl’.
Ho scritto di ‘una produzione prossima allo zero’ e mi spiego meglio. Il CD-R ha
motivo di esistere solo per basse tirature, quindi una produzione basata
esclusivamente su quel tipo di supporto non può certo raggiungere un pubblico
così numeroso da giustificare la notorietà raggiunta dalla ragazza. Inoltre questo
tipo di supporto non viene trattato dalla maggior parte della stampa, e quando
viene preso in considerazione è guardato come materiale di serie B o, peggio
ancora, è esaminato in modo equivoco, senza spiegare affatto di cosa si tratta. La
maggior parte dei distributori, poi, non accetta in consegna i CD-R.
Buona parte della pubblicità, se mai, gli è venuta dai pezzi piazzati su Internet.
Ma anche di questi se ne parla poco, e allora vuol dire che esiste un tipo di
pubblico evoluto, in grado di muoversi in modo autonomo rispetto alla critica,
alla promozione e alla pubblicità (cose che, spiace dirlo, a volte fanno corpo
unico). La giapponese ha probabilmente intuito la consistenza di questi
ascoltatori, ha saputo raggiungerli tramite una penetrazione a ‘rete’ ed ha fatto
leva sul loro gusto per costruire una sua piccola mitologia.
Questo CD rappresenta l’opportunità di allargare una cerchia di pubblico già
consistente, un’opportunità che non vale solo per l’autrice ma anche per l’
etichetta, anch’essa rimasta confinata, fino a ieri, nell’universo della piccola
produzione su CD-R, e non è un caso fortuito che la and/OAR abbia deciso di
puntare proprio su Sawako per tentare il salto di ‘categoria’. La ‘tokyo digital
mutation girl’ non delude infatti le aspettative e sfrutta nel modo migliore l’
occasione che le viene offerta, e fin dalla lista delle collaborazioni raccolte è
possibile capire quanta accuratezza c’è dietro alla produzione di “Yours Gray”.
La scelta dei pezzi, che privilegia sette tracce medio-brevi, è estremamente
felice. La struttura pacata e artigianale, morbida ma non languida, è affidata a
pochi tratti distintivi, e ne prendono forma acquarelli dai colori tenui, come le
foto che adornano la confezione, o come forme irreali di paesaggi visti al lume di
luna piena, magari coperti da un manto di neve, con i colori che assumono un
carattere magico e fantastico, mentre nello sfondo è possibile udire il crepitio del
silenzio. Arte semplice, povera, arte del quotidiano, del vissuto, impressioni
dettate da uno sguardo attento alla nuance del mondo… arte impressionista e,
dopo tanto espressionismo, ce n’era davvero bisogno.
I brani sono tutti costruiti con registrazioni concrete, una spolverata di pianoforte
processato, un pizzico di onde corte radio, voci quanto basta… poesia delle
piccole cose che si tinge d’immenso. Gli episodi più curiosi rispondono ai titoli di
Petit Garçon, con l’autrice che scrive di aver dimenticato quali suoni ha
utilizzato, Cache Cache e Go To Ocean, entrambi assemblati con field
recordings raccolti nei pressi di una galleria dove, e mentre, suonava ‘Toshi’
Nakamura. I percorsi di Sawako vengono paragonati a quelli di Sophie Calle e
Wim Wenders, ma io vedrei bene un parallelo con la produzione solista di Valerio
Tricoli, un altro giovane che sta finalmente trovando la sua dimensione nel
grande universo della musica. Comprate questo disco e tenetelo stretto insieme a
tutti i CD-R autoprodotti di Sawako, se siete riusciti a metterci le mani, perché il
futuro è dalla sua parte. (Etero Genio)
TOUCHING EXTREMES (OCTOBER 2005)
In this brief series of ear movies, where snapshots of real world activities are
conveniently paired to disparate electronic sources, sound artist Sawako brings out
her view of a singular - if quite hidden - tuning between what's perceived in our
daily life and a combination of psychoacoustic materials which assume a leading
role in developing the raw document of a location into a well determined mental
state. In "Cache cache" Toshi Nakamura lends his piercing controlled feedback to
the ambience of what's described as a "quiet residential area by the sea", while
the best overall track for sheer compositional skill is probably "Night midlight", an
insinuating intercourse between Sawako's processed sounds and voice and
Mitchell Akiyama's looped/treated piano. Concentrating her efforts in 36 minutes
or so, this woman breaks more than one barrier between simple brooding and
active listening, keeping many things unsaid - but visible anyway. (Massimo Ricci)
In this brief series of ear movies, where snapshots of real world activities are
conveniently paired to disparate electronic sources, sound artist Sawako brings out
her view of a singular - if quite hidden - tuning between what's perceived in our
daily life and a combination of psychoacoustic materials which assume a leading
role in developing the raw document of a location into a well determined mental
state. In "Cache cache" Toshi Nakamura lends his piercing controlled feedback to
the ambience of what's described as a "quiet residential area by the sea", while
the best overall track for sheer compositional skill is probably "Night midlight", an
insinuating intercourse between Sawako's processed sounds and voice and
Mitchell Akiyama's looped/treated piano. Concentrating her efforts in 36 minutes
or so, this woman breaks more than one barrier between simple brooding and
active listening, keeping many things unsaid - but visible anyway. (Massimo Ricci)
VITAL WEEKLY (SEPTEMBER 2005)
This CD is my introduction to the music of Sawako. There are 7 tracks with a total
time of just under 37 minutes. Some of the tracks are hardly longer than 2
minutes. That is rather unusual in the phonographic sound scene I would say. The
music in general is a mix of field recordings and electronic (or electronically
enhanced) sounds and the combination works very well indeed. All the tracks have
a gentle and quite still character that envelop the listener, inviting him/her into
Sawako's world. A world that is best described as gentle, quirky and created with a
lot of pleasure. But do not make the mistake of taking this too lightly: it is very
serious, but without getting heavy. Basically one of those works that has to be
heard in order to be appreciated. What more can I say? Listen! (Roel Meelkop)
This CD is my introduction to the music of Sawako. There are 7 tracks with a total
time of just under 37 minutes. Some of the tracks are hardly longer than 2
minutes. That is rather unusual in the phonographic sound scene I would say. The
music in general is a mix of field recordings and electronic (or electronically
enhanced) sounds and the combination works very well indeed. All the tracks have
a gentle and quite still character that envelop the listener, inviting him/her into
Sawako's world. A world that is best described as gentle, quirky and created with a
lot of pleasure. But do not make the mistake of taking this too lightly: it is very
serious, but without getting heavy. Basically one of those works that has to be
heard in order to be appreciated. What more can I say? Listen! (Roel Meelkop)
BLOW UP (JANUARY 2005)
TOP RELEASES OF 2004:
- MOTION: Lookback Layback (12k)
- TAYLOR DEUPREE & CHRISTOPHER WILLITS: Mujo (Plop)
- MITCHELL AKIYAMA: If Night Is a Weed and Day Grows Less (Sub Rosa SR20)
- PATRIK TORSSON: Kolväteserenader (Häpna)
- MY JAZZY CHILD: I Insist (Clapping Music)
- THE KONKI DUET: Il Fait Tout Gris (Active Suspension)
- O.LAMM: Hello Spiral (Active Suspension)
- BOB VIDO: Interesting Results. Music By a Committee of One (Sonic Arts Network)
- MARGARETH KAMMERER: To Be an Animal of Real Flesh (Charhizma)
- FOURCOLOR: Air Curtain (12k)
- SAWAKO: Yours Gray (and/OAR)
- OZ FRITZ: All Around the World (Sub Rosa)
- LUC FERRARI: Les Anecdotiques (Sub Rosa)
- MICHEL CHION / LIONEL MARCHETTI / JÉRÔME NOETINGER: Les 120 Jours (Fringes Recordings)
(Nicola Catalano)
TOP RELEASES OF 2004:
- MOTION: Lookback Layback (12k)
- TAYLOR DEUPREE & CHRISTOPHER WILLITS: Mujo (Plop)
- MITCHELL AKIYAMA: If Night Is a Weed and Day Grows Less (Sub Rosa SR20)
- PATRIK TORSSON: Kolväteserenader (Häpna)
- MY JAZZY CHILD: I Insist (Clapping Music)
- THE KONKI DUET: Il Fait Tout Gris (Active Suspension)
- O.LAMM: Hello Spiral (Active Suspension)
- BOB VIDO: Interesting Results. Music By a Committee of One (Sonic Arts Network)
- MARGARETH KAMMERER: To Be an Animal of Real Flesh (Charhizma)
- FOURCOLOR: Air Curtain (12k)
- SAWAKO: Yours Gray (and/OAR)
- OZ FRITZ: All Around the World (Sub Rosa)
- LUC FERRARI: Les Anecdotiques (Sub Rosa)
- MICHEL CHION / LIONEL MARCHETTI / JÉRÔME NOETINGER: Les 120 Jours (Fringes Recordings)
(Nicola Catalano)
ELECTRONIC MUSIC 411 (OCTOBER 2004)
French experimental netlabel Autres Directions In Music have entered the difficult
world of the online compilation, courtesy of their ambitious The Noise & The City
package: no fewer than thirty artists each providing a piece of text, a photo and a
track, all available for free download. The rules governing the production of the
latter were such that artists were invited to, "revisit their daily environment (urban
and sound), ... record sounds inside their city, then reprocess the material as much
as they like without adding any kind of rhythm or music". The label does in its
accompanying notes acknowledge the debt to Fallt's Invisible Cities project.
It's probably inevitable that the results are somewhat patchy, partly given the very
restricted 'rules' governing the project, but another important thing that
disappointed me was the lack of variety in how the artists utilised their source
material. Although obviously some people used a mixture of the two approaches,
basically they either compiled a 'collage' of field recordings on the one hand, or
else manipulated these recordings to then make more straightforward 'musical'
elements (percussion sounds made from samples of trains, that kind of thing), and
so construct a pretty much regular track from there.
There are some nice tracks, sure - Sora and The Remote Viewer are tremendous,
plus Robokoneko is also pretty good - but I suppose that I listened to this
compilation in the context of currently being immersed in the genuinely stunning
Sawako album Yours Gray - and here we're moving off into actual CD territory - on
the experimental and/OAR label. It's not entirely made out of field recordings in
the way that The Noise & The City (TN&TC) is, but there's certainly a comparison
to be made in terms of how she has approached the making of her music - and the
result is that Yours Gray is just so much more affecting than anything on the Autres
Directions collection. (To be fair, having heard a lot of Sawako's mp3s in the past
and been intrigued if not totally convinced, I was really unprepared for the album
to be quite so overwhelming.)
This is especially true in the way that she isolates sounds, uses the incredible
power of silence and conveys the idea that every element of sound in her work is
perfectly considered and correctly positioned. The more randomised collage
approach of a lot of TN&TC of course can lead to some interesting textures, etc.,
but generally in the hands of - to be frank - lesser artists, it's not going to bring
about the creation of something profoundly exciting.
In contrast, Sawako is able to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the nature of
both sound and (vitally) time in the context of composition and performance. An
example of how this works in practice is the first time my wife - and she's not really
into this kind of thing at all - and I listened to the album, after it had finished we
continued our conversation literally at the level of a whisper for the rest of the
evening, without even realising what we were doing: Yours Gray is simply
astonishingly successful at re-contextualising sound. (Mike Innes)
French experimental netlabel Autres Directions In Music have entered the difficult
world of the online compilation, courtesy of their ambitious The Noise & The City
package: no fewer than thirty artists each providing a piece of text, a photo and a
track, all available for free download. The rules governing the production of the
latter were such that artists were invited to, "revisit their daily environment (urban
and sound), ... record sounds inside their city, then reprocess the material as much
as they like without adding any kind of rhythm or music". The label does in its
accompanying notes acknowledge the debt to Fallt's Invisible Cities project.
It's probably inevitable that the results are somewhat patchy, partly given the very
restricted 'rules' governing the project, but another important thing that
disappointed me was the lack of variety in how the artists utilised their source
material. Although obviously some people used a mixture of the two approaches,
basically they either compiled a 'collage' of field recordings on the one hand, or
else manipulated these recordings to then make more straightforward 'musical'
elements (percussion sounds made from samples of trains, that kind of thing), and
so construct a pretty much regular track from there.
There are some nice tracks, sure - Sora and The Remote Viewer are tremendous,
plus Robokoneko is also pretty good - but I suppose that I listened to this
compilation in the context of currently being immersed in the genuinely stunning
Sawako album Yours Gray - and here we're moving off into actual CD territory - on
the experimental and/OAR label. It's not entirely made out of field recordings in
the way that The Noise & The City (TN&TC) is, but there's certainly a comparison
to be made in terms of how she has approached the making of her music - and the
result is that Yours Gray is just so much more affecting than anything on the Autres
Directions collection. (To be fair, having heard a lot of Sawako's mp3s in the past
and been intrigued if not totally convinced, I was really unprepared for the album
to be quite so overwhelming.)
This is especially true in the way that she isolates sounds, uses the incredible
power of silence and conveys the idea that every element of sound in her work is
perfectly considered and correctly positioned. The more randomised collage
approach of a lot of TN&TC of course can lead to some interesting textures, etc.,
but generally in the hands of - to be frank - lesser artists, it's not going to bring
about the creation of something profoundly exciting.
In contrast, Sawako is able to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the nature of
both sound and (vitally) time in the context of composition and performance. An
example of how this works in practice is the first time my wife - and she's not really
into this kind of thing at all - and I listened to the album, after it had finished we
continued our conversation literally at the level of a whisper for the rest of the
evening, without even realising what we were doing: Yours Gray is simply
astonishingly successful at re-contextualising sound. (Mike Innes)
IMPROVISED MUSIC FROM JAPAN - 2005 EDITION (DECEMBER 2005)
An electronic soundscape of pure tones, but not like pop music; the dignified
attitude of the artist penetrates the album. Sawako's works here ranges widely, from
pastel-tone songs like innocent childhood memories, to abstract pieces that sound
like the rumbling of the earth. Besides electronics, field recordings of various
environmental noises, such as wind chimes and the chirping of insects, are
effectively used. Her mix of Toshimaru Nakamura's live performance at a seaside
open gallery as part of a neighborhood environmental soundscape shows a fresh ,
original sensitivity that is totally free from the fixed image of conventional
Japanese sentiment. (Yuko Zama)
An electronic soundscape of pure tones, but not like pop music; the dignified
attitude of the artist penetrates the album. Sawako's works here ranges widely, from
pastel-tone songs like innocent childhood memories, to abstract pieces that sound
like the rumbling of the earth. Besides electronics, field recordings of various
environmental noises, such as wind chimes and the chirping of insects, are
effectively used. Her mix of Toshimaru Nakamura's live performance at a seaside
open gallery as part of a neighborhood environmental soundscape shows a fresh ,
original sensitivity that is totally free from the fixed image of conventional
Japanese sentiment. (Yuko Zama)
E / I MAGAZINE (WINTER / SPRING 2006)
None embody the preservationist ethic more than Sawako. A study group at Keio
University, the Faculty Of Environmental Information once designed a park of
biotropic landscapes for a rapidly sprawling exurban development in Madrid with
no hydration system, such that within the biotrope, chip-controlled modules called
"water trees" would analyze water tables, purification statistics, and subsequently
purify the wetlands by re-directing "secondary effluent sewage" below the surface.
As a former student, the rhizoid roots of Yours Gray - Sawako's acoustic-ecological
exploration of the tensile human nexus between technological innovation and
nature - run deep into the FEI's philosophical substrate. Embosomed within field
recordings of water, sand , clocks, spoons, and her own voice, she creates a
wide-horizoned morphology of sonic phenomena distinguished by an inventive
harmonic playfulness rare among her peers. Though the collaborative tracks are
not always obvious given her fluid, botanical sensibilities (cf., Mitchell Akiyama's
muscular instrumental processing, Toshimaru Nakamura's sine wave asceticism)
the results are portmanteau portraits of environmental interaction as cybernetically
progressive as architectural cyber-solutions for thirsty 21st century cities.
(William S. Fields)
None embody the preservationist ethic more than Sawako. A study group at Keio
University, the Faculty Of Environmental Information once designed a park of
biotropic landscapes for a rapidly sprawling exurban development in Madrid with
no hydration system, such that within the biotrope, chip-controlled modules called
"water trees" would analyze water tables, purification statistics, and subsequently
purify the wetlands by re-directing "secondary effluent sewage" below the surface.
As a former student, the rhizoid roots of Yours Gray - Sawako's acoustic-ecological
exploration of the tensile human nexus between technological innovation and
nature - run deep into the FEI's philosophical substrate. Embosomed within field
recordings of water, sand , clocks, spoons, and her own voice, she creates a
wide-horizoned morphology of sonic phenomena distinguished by an inventive
harmonic playfulness rare among her peers. Though the collaborative tracks are
not always obvious given her fluid, botanical sensibilities (cf., Mitchell Akiyama's
muscular instrumental processing, Toshimaru Nakamura's sine wave asceticism)
the results are portmanteau portraits of environmental interaction as cybernetically
progressive as architectural cyber-solutions for thirsty 21st century cities.
(William S. Fields)
SMALLFISH (JULY 2006)
This work predates Sawako's more well known albums for Community Library and
12k by a couple of years, yet there's a definite similarity between the work on all 3
albums. Sawako seemingly uses field recordings as a large part of the inspiration
for this CD and, as opposed to the more melodic processing that's used on later
work this has a stripped-back and reduced feel that's very appealing indeed. It's
almost as if the source material is enough and doesn't need any extra tinkering
with... the means more than justifies the end. Subtle shifts in sound work to
engage the listener and it's, at times, like listening to a little corner of Japanese
life unfolding before you. For that you can read that I thoroughly enjoyed this and
would recommend it as an excellent companion to the other albums. Lovely stuff.
(Mike Oliver)
This work predates Sawako's more well known albums for Community Library and
12k by a couple of years, yet there's a definite similarity between the work on all 3
albums. Sawako seemingly uses field recordings as a large part of the inspiration
for this CD and, as opposed to the more melodic processing that's used on later
work this has a stripped-back and reduced feel that's very appealing indeed. It's
almost as if the source material is enough and doesn't need any extra tinkering
with... the means more than justifies the end. Subtle shifts in sound work to
engage the listener and it's, at times, like listening to a little corner of Japanese
life unfolding before you. For that you can read that I thoroughly enjoyed this and
would recommend it as an excellent companion to the other albums. Lovely stuff.
(Mike Oliver)
