artist: VARIOUS ARTISTS
title: Yasujiro Ozu - Hitokomakura
catalog number: and/26
release year: 2007
format: CD x 2
status: available
title: Yasujiro Ozu - Hitokomakura
catalog number: and/26
release year: 2007
format: CD x 2
status: available
This is the second of a series of label projects pertaining to film
directors. The first one was for Andrei Tarkovsky, the third one is
currently in progress and pertains to Michelangelo Antonioni's
"Tetralogy" (L'Avventura/La Notte/L'Eclisse/Deserto Rosso).
This second release turns its focus upon Yasujiro Ozu's use of
"pillow shots" (i.e. short poetic pauses that appear between the acting
segments of his films. The term "pillow shot" was not coined by Ozu
himself, but several years after his passing in the early 1960s by a
Japanese journalist who was trying to draw a comparison of the
intermediate scenes to "pillow words" found in traditional Japanese
poetry. This is a double CD release with both CDs featuring audio plus
a cross-platform compatible PDF booklet containing pillow shots
(courtesy of Criterion Collection) and liner notes.
Each artist who appears on this release was asked to choose one or
more "pillow shots" to use as inspiration for their pieces. A link to
web pages containing a large assortment of pillow shots" was
provided, and accordingly, the pillow shots were reserved on a first
come, first served basis. The artists also watched the films from
which the pillow shots came from in order to get a sense of how their
chosen pillow shots were employed by Ozu.
The sound work featured represents a wide range of artistic
approaches, but as always with these projects, the artists were
chosen specifically, based on their previous work and on how it
might contribute to the collective whole of each project.
Featured artists include:
ALEJANDRA & AERON
AONO JIKKEN ENSEMBLE
ASUNA
MARC BEHRENS
KEITH BERRY
LAWRENCE ENGLISH
HERIBERT FRIEDL
BERNHARD GUNTER
HACO
JOHN HUDAK
JASON KAHN
HITOSHI KOJO
KOURA
DALE LLOYD
YOSHIO MACHIDA
ROEL MEELKOP
KIYOSHI MIZUTANI
DEAN MOORE (with Michael Shannon)
STEVE RODEN
SAWAKO
MICHAEL SHANNON
STEINBRÜCHEL
TAKU SUGIMOTO
SUKORA
TOSHIYA TSUNODA
Text by Doug Cummings (Masters Of Cinema and Filmjourney.org)
and Dale Lloyd (and/OAR).
directors. The first one was for Andrei Tarkovsky, the third one is
currently in progress and pertains to Michelangelo Antonioni's
"Tetralogy" (L'Avventura/La Notte/L'Eclisse/Deserto Rosso).
This second release turns its focus upon Yasujiro Ozu's use of
"pillow shots" (i.e. short poetic pauses that appear between the acting
segments of his films. The term "pillow shot" was not coined by Ozu
himself, but several years after his passing in the early 1960s by a
Japanese journalist who was trying to draw a comparison of the
intermediate scenes to "pillow words" found in traditional Japanese
poetry. This is a double CD release with both CDs featuring audio plus
a cross-platform compatible PDF booklet containing pillow shots
(courtesy of Criterion Collection) and liner notes.
Each artist who appears on this release was asked to choose one or
more "pillow shots" to use as inspiration for their pieces. A link to
web pages containing a large assortment of pillow shots" was
provided, and accordingly, the pillow shots were reserved on a first
come, first served basis. The artists also watched the films from
which the pillow shots came from in order to get a sense of how their
chosen pillow shots were employed by Ozu.
The sound work featured represents a wide range of artistic
approaches, but as always with these projects, the artists were
chosen specifically, based on their previous work and on how it
might contribute to the collective whole of each project.
Featured artists include:
ALEJANDRA & AERON
AONO JIKKEN ENSEMBLE
ASUNA
MARC BEHRENS
KEITH BERRY
LAWRENCE ENGLISH
HERIBERT FRIEDL
BERNHARD GUNTER
HACO
JOHN HUDAK
JASON KAHN
HITOSHI KOJO
KOURA
DALE LLOYD
YOSHIO MACHIDA
ROEL MEELKOP
KIYOSHI MIZUTANI
DEAN MOORE (with Michael Shannon)
STEVE RODEN
SAWAKO
MICHAEL SHANNON
STEINBRÜCHEL
TAKU SUGIMOTO
SUKORA
TOSHIYA TSUNODA
Text by Doug Cummings (Masters Of Cinema and Filmjourney.org)
and Dale Lloyd (and/OAR).
BODYSPACE.NET (FEBRUARY 2008)
É surpreendente dar conta de que por vezes basta activar um
conceito inteligente para alumiar uma perspectiva até aí
desconsiderada ou pouco questionada. A partir de uma selecção que
privilegiou a consistência e validade da matéria, a and/OAR, selo
prestigiado de Seattle, conseguiu, através de uma dupla compilação,
provocar uma reavaliação da relação a manter com o cinema do
mestre japonês Yasujiro Ozu - conhecido também como o poeta do
quotidiano, tal era a sua tendência para retratar a rotina da classe
média japonesa do seu tempo, frisando aspectos globais como a
circularidade e o carácter transitório da vida, e recusando, sempre
que possível, colocar em prática acessórios ocidentais como a
moral fácil e artifícios melodramáticos.
Ao longo dos cinquenta e quatro filmes que compõem o seu muito
apreciado (e imitado) cânone, Yasujiro Ozu manteve-se fiel aos
mesmos temas e estrutura narrativa utilizada. Sobre a última, sabe-
se que progredia através de diálogos e outras vulgares ocorrências
familiares, e que - respeitando a resistência do público - abria espaço
a momentos reflectivos através da inserção pontual de pillow shots
(conhecidos também como espaços intermediários). A funcionalidade
dos pillow shots assentava principalmente na necessidade de
assinalar a passagem do tempo de um modo neutro e desvinculado
de um só personagem – por regra, consistia simplesmente num plano
único de uma paisagem campestre ou industrial, um estendal de
roupa sujeita à vontade do vento, o registo circunstancial da
circulação de comboios ou barcos.
A and/OAR reconheceu perspicazmente o valor dos pillow shots
como pontos de referência passíveis de interpretação livre por parte
de diversos artistas sonoros - levando isso a que distribuísse por
algumas dezenas desses estetas um generoso número de pillow
shots, encorajando a que a imagem atribuída fosse considerada
como parte do filme a que pertence. O resultado materializou-se na
compilação Hitokomakura, que, além dos exercícios reunidos,
contém, em cada um dos seus discos, um ficheiro PDF que
corresponde cada pillow shot a seu dono e, assim, permite uma mais
completa contextualização de tudo o que por aqui desfila.
A partir dos múltiplos matrimónios instigados por Dale Lloyd (patrão
da and/OAR e participante directo em Hitokomakura), descobre-se
então o germinar de outros enquadramentos lógicos que poderiam,
porventura, passar despercebidos até aqui. Serve isso para
esclarecer que Ozu dedicava meticuloso cuidado às suas
composições visuais tal como às sonoras - sendo habitual escutar
aos seus filmes passagens que somam ou isolam o cantar de
pássaros, o ruído de transportes e o burburinho constante de uma
localidade habitada (gomos de uma mesma roda dos sons comuns).
Hitokomakura esmera-se por demais em prestar elegia a essa noção
de que Ozu era, além do celebrado poeta do quotidiano, também um
estudioso do som e do seu enquadramento na vida de cada dia. É
evidente que isso cativa estudiosos das propriedades do som como
Taku Sugimoto, Toshiya Tsunoda ou Marc Behrens – esses que, entre
outros, se servem do mote para, à sua maneira, elaborarem um
diário metódico directamente inspirado pelo tal pillow shot. A partir
de field recordings e instrumentos acústicos, obtêm-se postais
naturalistas que nem sequer deixam de parte a harmonia zen-budista
parcialmente presente no cinema de Ozu (essa perspectiva é
nitidamente constatável nas participações de Yoshio Machida e do
Aono Jikken Ensemble).
Contudo, cada levantamento verificado é inevitavelmente hipotético.
Hipotético porque, na vida tal como no cinema de Ozu (o corpo e o
seu espelho), tudo se encontra submisso a uma relativização a que
não há escape possível. Hitokomakura acaba por ser um objecto de
um valor imenso, pelas tais pistas que deixa soltas em relação à
composição sonora, enquanto subestimada extensão do génio de
Ozu. Além disso, repare-se que funciona em pleno mesmo quando à
revelia desse paralelo – assim dita o seu desdobramento em
paisagens perfumadas e divisões (templos) propícias ao apuramento
de uma estabilidade espiritual superior. Fica-se pelo excelente
mas... (Miguel Arsénio)
É surpreendente dar conta de que por vezes basta activar um
conceito inteligente para alumiar uma perspectiva até aí
desconsiderada ou pouco questionada. A partir de uma selecção que
privilegiou a consistência e validade da matéria, a and/OAR, selo
prestigiado de Seattle, conseguiu, através de uma dupla compilação,
provocar uma reavaliação da relação a manter com o cinema do
mestre japonês Yasujiro Ozu - conhecido também como o poeta do
quotidiano, tal era a sua tendência para retratar a rotina da classe
média japonesa do seu tempo, frisando aspectos globais como a
circularidade e o carácter transitório da vida, e recusando, sempre
que possível, colocar em prática acessórios ocidentais como a
moral fácil e artifícios melodramáticos.
Ao longo dos cinquenta e quatro filmes que compõem o seu muito
apreciado (e imitado) cânone, Yasujiro Ozu manteve-se fiel aos
mesmos temas e estrutura narrativa utilizada. Sobre a última, sabe-
se que progredia através de diálogos e outras vulgares ocorrências
familiares, e que - respeitando a resistência do público - abria espaço
a momentos reflectivos através da inserção pontual de pillow shots
(conhecidos também como espaços intermediários). A funcionalidade
dos pillow shots assentava principalmente na necessidade de
assinalar a passagem do tempo de um modo neutro e desvinculado
de um só personagem – por regra, consistia simplesmente num plano
único de uma paisagem campestre ou industrial, um estendal de
roupa sujeita à vontade do vento, o registo circunstancial da
circulação de comboios ou barcos.
A and/OAR reconheceu perspicazmente o valor dos pillow shots
como pontos de referência passíveis de interpretação livre por parte
de diversos artistas sonoros - levando isso a que distribuísse por
algumas dezenas desses estetas um generoso número de pillow
shots, encorajando a que a imagem atribuída fosse considerada
como parte do filme a que pertence. O resultado materializou-se na
compilação Hitokomakura, que, além dos exercícios reunidos,
contém, em cada um dos seus discos, um ficheiro PDF que
corresponde cada pillow shot a seu dono e, assim, permite uma mais
completa contextualização de tudo o que por aqui desfila.
A partir dos múltiplos matrimónios instigados por Dale Lloyd (patrão
da and/OAR e participante directo em Hitokomakura), descobre-se
então o germinar de outros enquadramentos lógicos que poderiam,
porventura, passar despercebidos até aqui. Serve isso para
esclarecer que Ozu dedicava meticuloso cuidado às suas
composições visuais tal como às sonoras - sendo habitual escutar
aos seus filmes passagens que somam ou isolam o cantar de
pássaros, o ruído de transportes e o burburinho constante de uma
localidade habitada (gomos de uma mesma roda dos sons comuns).
Hitokomakura esmera-se por demais em prestar elegia a essa noção
de que Ozu era, além do celebrado poeta do quotidiano, também um
estudioso do som e do seu enquadramento na vida de cada dia. É
evidente que isso cativa estudiosos das propriedades do som como
Taku Sugimoto, Toshiya Tsunoda ou Marc Behrens – esses que, entre
outros, se servem do mote para, à sua maneira, elaborarem um
diário metódico directamente inspirado pelo tal pillow shot. A partir
de field recordings e instrumentos acústicos, obtêm-se postais
naturalistas que nem sequer deixam de parte a harmonia zen-budista
parcialmente presente no cinema de Ozu (essa perspectiva é
nitidamente constatável nas participações de Yoshio Machida e do
Aono Jikken Ensemble).
Contudo, cada levantamento verificado é inevitavelmente hipotético.
Hipotético porque, na vida tal como no cinema de Ozu (o corpo e o
seu espelho), tudo se encontra submisso a uma relativização a que
não há escape possível. Hitokomakura acaba por ser um objecto de
um valor imenso, pelas tais pistas que deixa soltas em relação à
composição sonora, enquanto subestimada extensão do génio de
Ozu. Além disso, repare-se que funciona em pleno mesmo quando à
revelia desse paralelo – assim dita o seu desdobramento em
paisagens perfumadas e divisões (templos) propícias ao apuramento
de uma estabilidade espiritual superior. Fica-se pelo excelente
mas... (Miguel Arsénio)
WHITE_LINE (JULY 2007)
From a very simple premise, that of inviting experimental musicians
and sound workers to interpret the film work of a renowned Japanese
director, comes a startling and invigorating panoply of sounds and
visions in the form of the and/OAR double CD release,“Hitokomakura”.
Interlocking at the threshold of perception, “pillow shots” are a
device that film directors utilise to cut away between “action” or
narrative, a discrete segue that mainstream directors and audiences
alike invariably attach little significance to, in preference of the more
meaty intricacies of production, plot, narrative, action and acting .
Yasujiro Ozu, famed in the main for his intimate portraits of the
everyday, a series of seemingly mundane occurrences finely wrought
in hyperreal detail, and a gentle, enveloping pace,(his work
seemingly composed entirely of overlapping pillow shots in
themselves) has become the focus of attention for label curator,
and cinephile Dale Lloyd.
Hitokomakura is without doubt, Lloyd’s labour of love, and like the
recently released Extract booklet by NVO, shares a similar, towering
roster of some 25 artists,of varying pedigree. To focus attention on
any one artist from such a wealth of talent would be to relegate others
of equal stature, so I will save any kind of musical analysis or
critique for those braver and better than I.
One unique selling point of this scintillating double CD pack is that it
is enhanced by the addition of a series of Windows and Mac
compatible pdf files, that house some of Ozu’s images, and gives the
artists an opportunity to describe their approach. Very often, source
material is gleaned from the most obtuse and elliptical angles, and
each artist defines their approach concisely, elevating this release
way above it’s contemporaries for sheer entertainment value alone.
Needless to say, most of the soundworks on display here are subtle
workings and reworkings of pillow shots, or in some cases take the
pillow shots, or other fundamental elements of Ozu’s ouevre as the
point of departure, a catalyst for musical inspiration that in most
instances touches on beautifully nuanced, meditative works of Zen-
like ambience.
No longer a fledgling label, and/OAR has gained ground and
reputation on a series of releases with an almost obsessive focus on
field recording, and it’s associated personnel, and on Hitokomakura,
Lloyd simultaneously reconfigures the definition of what field
recording actually is, and in turn presents us with a simulacra, a
second hand field recording at a distance, but nevertheless, a
singularly beautiful collection of sounds ,images and texts..this is the
kind of stuff that I live for…exceptional. (Baz N)
From a very simple premise, that of inviting experimental musicians
and sound workers to interpret the film work of a renowned Japanese
director, comes a startling and invigorating panoply of sounds and
visions in the form of the and/OAR double CD release,“Hitokomakura”.
Interlocking at the threshold of perception, “pillow shots” are a
device that film directors utilise to cut away between “action” or
narrative, a discrete segue that mainstream directors and audiences
alike invariably attach little significance to, in preference of the more
meaty intricacies of production, plot, narrative, action and acting .
Yasujiro Ozu, famed in the main for his intimate portraits of the
everyday, a series of seemingly mundane occurrences finely wrought
in hyperreal detail, and a gentle, enveloping pace,(his work
seemingly composed entirely of overlapping pillow shots in
themselves) has become the focus of attention for label curator,
and cinephile Dale Lloyd.
Hitokomakura is without doubt, Lloyd’s labour of love, and like the
recently released Extract booklet by NVO, shares a similar, towering
roster of some 25 artists,of varying pedigree. To focus attention on
any one artist from such a wealth of talent would be to relegate others
of equal stature, so I will save any kind of musical analysis or
critique for those braver and better than I.
One unique selling point of this scintillating double CD pack is that it
is enhanced by the addition of a series of Windows and Mac
compatible pdf files, that house some of Ozu’s images, and gives the
artists an opportunity to describe their approach. Very often, source
material is gleaned from the most obtuse and elliptical angles, and
each artist defines their approach concisely, elevating this release
way above it’s contemporaries for sheer entertainment value alone.
Needless to say, most of the soundworks on display here are subtle
workings and reworkings of pillow shots, or in some cases take the
pillow shots, or other fundamental elements of Ozu’s ouevre as the
point of departure, a catalyst for musical inspiration that in most
instances touches on beautifully nuanced, meditative works of Zen-
like ambience.
No longer a fledgling label, and/OAR has gained ground and
reputation on a series of releases with an almost obsessive focus on
field recording, and it’s associated personnel, and on Hitokomakura,
Lloyd simultaneously reconfigures the definition of what field
recording actually is, and in turn presents us with a simulacra, a
second hand field recording at a distance, but nevertheless, a
singularly beautiful collection of sounds ,images and texts..this is the
kind of stuff that I live for…exceptional. (Baz N)
SMALLFISH (JULY 2007)
When an album of this calibre drops onto the Smallfish doorstep it's
really a rare treat. Based around the idea of legendary Japanese
filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu's 'Pillow Shots' ('still life or neutral images in
films that serve as visual and emotional resting points') the artist
were invited to choose a Pillow Shot by Ozu (and you can see these
in the accompanying PDF documents on the discs) and then compose
a track to accompany it having watched the entire film that the shot
came from to give it some overall context. The range of styles is,
frankly, marvellous and features some real heavyweights from the
world of contemporary electronic music, electro-acoustic sound and
field recordings. Steve Roden, Steinbruchel, Sawako, Kiyoshi
Mizutani, Alejandra & Aeron, Lawrence English, Roel Meelkop, label
owner Dale Lloyd, Heribert Friedl, John Hudak, Keith Berry and plenty
more all feature and from that list alone you should be able to get a
sense of how expansive this double CD is. From micro-fine
minimalism, through to deeply beautiful sculptured sound and on into
cleverly adapted field recordings that seem to capture the essence of
the frames perfectly. A brilliant work of musical art (literally and
otherwise) that really deserves your attention as work of this calibre
is something to savour. Remarkable. (Mike Oliver)
When an album of this calibre drops onto the Smallfish doorstep it's
really a rare treat. Based around the idea of legendary Japanese
filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu's 'Pillow Shots' ('still life or neutral images in
films that serve as visual and emotional resting points') the artist
were invited to choose a Pillow Shot by Ozu (and you can see these
in the accompanying PDF documents on the discs) and then compose
a track to accompany it having watched the entire film that the shot
came from to give it some overall context. The range of styles is,
frankly, marvellous and features some real heavyweights from the
world of contemporary electronic music, electro-acoustic sound and
field recordings. Steve Roden, Steinbruchel, Sawako, Kiyoshi
Mizutani, Alejandra & Aeron, Lawrence English, Roel Meelkop, label
owner Dale Lloyd, Heribert Friedl, John Hudak, Keith Berry and plenty
more all feature and from that list alone you should be able to get a
sense of how expansive this double CD is. From micro-fine
minimalism, through to deeply beautiful sculptured sound and on into
cleverly adapted field recordings that seem to capture the essence of
the frames perfectly. A brilliant work of musical art (literally and
otherwise) that really deserves your attention as work of this calibre
is something to savour. Remarkable. (Mike Oliver)
IGLOO (SEPTEMBER 2007)
These thirty-one imaginary soundtracks combined in a deluxe
two-pack are based on the films of Yasujiro Ozu. A very diverse
international compilation that includes work by John Hudak, Roel
Meelkop, Steinbruchel, Steve Roden, Taku Sugimoto, Marc Behrens
and many others. They've each created their own visual/visceral
sound experience for the listener to explore with conceptually
dramatic sequencing throughout. In a combination of field recordings,
samples and electronic experimentation, most of what is contained
herein is a wash of drone and ambience – especially noted in the
beautiful three-minute piece "Ukigusa" by Alejandra & Aeron.
Doors creak in syncopation, a stream flows quick and softly, with a
light roar from the mysterious outdoors. On Behrens' "Samma No Aji"
there's a dramatic shift between understanding the listening
experience as sine waves or the nature of crickets. The tone is sharp
and postured like stalking prey, while incidental chirping distracts the
potential of the situation. The work is dramatically dense and ordered,
and not necessarily through common sense, but the shared
experience, the happenstance of aural cinema perhaps. As you listen,
read deeply into the well-written liner notes from Masters of Cinema's
Doug Cummings, who truly gives a quick, yet rounded historical
interpretation of Ozu's film work and how it can possibly endure
through recordings such as this. The shaking feedback in Asuna's
short "From Scene 99 To The End - Kohayagawa-Ke No Aki" alludes to
the never-ending buzz of the fixed machine age. It changes the
continuum of energy here, but is much needed grounding.
Kiyoshi Mizutani presents two pieces titled two tables (1 and 2) where
field recordings of domestic scene, watching television in the kitchen
are layered with exotic birds and the hiss of a light rain. Part 1
sounds like the bass roar of a waterfall combined with the delicate
gathering of well water, or bathing. There are voices and knocking
(industrial or 'peckers?). Rustling through woods can be heard over a
fine din of more rapturous rain, along with vehicles whizzing by and a
few cawing birds. It's all quite noir, really. "Tooi Soba" is Sawako's
unusual free-form ambient noise contribution. Sauntering in slippers,
perhaps prepping breakfast with the clink of teacups, it's definitely
morning. There's a frustrated bit of pacing, and a few sparse words as
familiar birds call. This is the morning after (what though)? Dale Lloyd
contributes one of the few truly melodic pieces here called "Return To
Me Who Sleeps" which closes the set. Strumming on strings, with the
echo of a gong-like instrument, there's a distinctly Japanese quality to
the timing of his playing as it fades softly. (TJ Norris)
These thirty-one imaginary soundtracks combined in a deluxe
two-pack are based on the films of Yasujiro Ozu. A very diverse
international compilation that includes work by John Hudak, Roel
Meelkop, Steinbruchel, Steve Roden, Taku Sugimoto, Marc Behrens
and many others. They've each created their own visual/visceral
sound experience for the listener to explore with conceptually
dramatic sequencing throughout. In a combination of field recordings,
samples and electronic experimentation, most of what is contained
herein is a wash of drone and ambience – especially noted in the
beautiful three-minute piece "Ukigusa" by Alejandra & Aeron.
Doors creak in syncopation, a stream flows quick and softly, with a
light roar from the mysterious outdoors. On Behrens' "Samma No Aji"
there's a dramatic shift between understanding the listening
experience as sine waves or the nature of crickets. The tone is sharp
and postured like stalking prey, while incidental chirping distracts the
potential of the situation. The work is dramatically dense and ordered,
and not necessarily through common sense, but the shared
experience, the happenstance of aural cinema perhaps. As you listen,
read deeply into the well-written liner notes from Masters of Cinema's
Doug Cummings, who truly gives a quick, yet rounded historical
interpretation of Ozu's film work and how it can possibly endure
through recordings such as this. The shaking feedback in Asuna's
short "From Scene 99 To The End - Kohayagawa-Ke No Aki" alludes to
the never-ending buzz of the fixed machine age. It changes the
continuum of energy here, but is much needed grounding.
Kiyoshi Mizutani presents two pieces titled two tables (1 and 2) where
field recordings of domestic scene, watching television in the kitchen
are layered with exotic birds and the hiss of a light rain. Part 1
sounds like the bass roar of a waterfall combined with the delicate
gathering of well water, or bathing. There are voices and knocking
(industrial or 'peckers?). Rustling through woods can be heard over a
fine din of more rapturous rain, along with vehicles whizzing by and a
few cawing birds. It's all quite noir, really. "Tooi Soba" is Sawako's
unusual free-form ambient noise contribution. Sauntering in slippers,
perhaps prepping breakfast with the clink of teacups, it's definitely
morning. There's a frustrated bit of pacing, and a few sparse words as
familiar birds call. This is the morning after (what though)? Dale Lloyd
contributes one of the few truly melodic pieces here called "Return To
Me Who Sleeps" which closes the set. Strumming on strings, with the
echo of a gong-like instrument, there's a distinctly Japanese quality to
the timing of his playing as it fades softly. (TJ Norris)
AQUARIUS RECORDS (AUGUST 2007)
Yasijiro Ozu was a Japanese filmmaker (1903-1963) who had
emphasized restraint throughout the 54 films of his career, offering
emotionally rich, if purposefully understated narratives about the
simple pleasures and pains of everyday life. This compilation is a
tribute to Ozu's tableaux; and given that Ozu quietly punctuated his
tales with shots of clouds, arrangements of bottles, industrial
landscapes, and other environments, the tribute features a handful of
suitably quiet sound artists who often use field recordings or
environmental space within their work. Steve Roden is the perfect
artist for such a tribute; and fittingly, he opens this compilation. His
circular softness for chimed guitar and tapped drum patterns is a
wonderful departure in which Roden pushes his sound design closer
to the post-rock elegance of Bark Psychosis. Roden's piece is one of
the better tracks on this compilation, with other highlights including
Keith Berry's mournful grayscapes of drone and slow-motion crackle,
Toshiya Tsunoda's impeccable recording of aerated hiss, a series of
lilting lullaby chimes from John Hudak, There's plenty of raw
phonography from the likes of Hitoshi Kojo (aka Spiracle), Kiyoshi
Mizutani, Michael Shannon, and Ralph Steinbruchel. Taku Sugimoto's
piece has to be noted for its sheer blankness except for six piano
notes that emphatically emerge after 3 and a half minutes of silence.
This happens to be the second tribute to filmmakers from and/OAR,
following the now out-of-print compilation homage to Tarkovsky
Another Kind Of Language.
Yasijiro Ozu was a Japanese filmmaker (1903-1963) who had
emphasized restraint throughout the 54 films of his career, offering
emotionally rich, if purposefully understated narratives about the
simple pleasures and pains of everyday life. This compilation is a
tribute to Ozu's tableaux; and given that Ozu quietly punctuated his
tales with shots of clouds, arrangements of bottles, industrial
landscapes, and other environments, the tribute features a handful of
suitably quiet sound artists who often use field recordings or
environmental space within their work. Steve Roden is the perfect
artist for such a tribute; and fittingly, he opens this compilation. His
circular softness for chimed guitar and tapped drum patterns is a
wonderful departure in which Roden pushes his sound design closer
to the post-rock elegance of Bark Psychosis. Roden's piece is one of
the better tracks on this compilation, with other highlights including
Keith Berry's mournful grayscapes of drone and slow-motion crackle,
Toshiya Tsunoda's impeccable recording of aerated hiss, a series of
lilting lullaby chimes from John Hudak, There's plenty of raw
phonography from the likes of Hitoshi Kojo (aka Spiracle), Kiyoshi
Mizutani, Michael Shannon, and Ralph Steinbruchel. Taku Sugimoto's
piece has to be noted for its sheer blankness except for six piano
notes that emphatically emerge after 3 and a half minutes of silence.
This happens to be the second tribute to filmmakers from and/OAR,
following the now out-of-print compilation homage to Tarkovsky
Another Kind Of Language.
WIRE (SEPTEMBER 2007)
Japanese film maker Yasujiro Ozu became famous in the post-war
period for his depictions of family life amid the tensions of modernity,
and his influential use of 'pillow shots' - images of empty domestic
space inserted between the main scenes. The latter inspired this
wonderfully conceived and executed tribute to Ozu's art. Each artist
was invited to select one of these shots, electronic images of which
accompany the package, and compose a track to compliment it.
Despite the range of idioms on display, from delicate electroacoustic
tapestries (Bernhard Gunter) and meditative drones (Keith Berry) to
bucolic field recordings (Kiyoshi Mizutani) and frequent uses of
silence (almost all), each perfectly serves their respective image.
Highlights include Steve Roden's beautiful pairing of chiming guitar
and hushed percussive patterns; label owner Dale Lloyd's gently
shifting gamelan shapes; and Taku Sugimoto's "Tengu In Linguistics",
where he drops six strident piano notes into a reductive vacuum,
reflecting another of Ozu's themes, the eschewal of action in favour of
the contemplation of the surrounding space. (Spencer Grady)
Japanese film maker Yasujiro Ozu became famous in the post-war
period for his depictions of family life amid the tensions of modernity,
and his influential use of 'pillow shots' - images of empty domestic
space inserted between the main scenes. The latter inspired this
wonderfully conceived and executed tribute to Ozu's art. Each artist
was invited to select one of these shots, electronic images of which
accompany the package, and compose a track to compliment it.
Despite the range of idioms on display, from delicate electroacoustic
tapestries (Bernhard Gunter) and meditative drones (Keith Berry) to
bucolic field recordings (Kiyoshi Mizutani) and frequent uses of
silence (almost all), each perfectly serves their respective image.
Highlights include Steve Roden's beautiful pairing of chiming guitar
and hushed percussive patterns; label owner Dale Lloyd's gently
shifting gamelan shapes; and Taku Sugimoto's "Tengu In Linguistics",
where he drops six strident piano notes into a reductive vacuum,
reflecting another of Ozu's themes, the eschewal of action in favour of
the contemplation of the surrounding space. (Spencer Grady)
FUTHERNOISE.ORG (OCTOBER 2007)
The and/OAR label, which mainly focuses on “environmental
recordings,” has beaten the odds and delivered a highly engaging
concept record in the form of a double CD, various-artist tribute to the
late Japanese filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu. Steve Roden, Alejandra &
Aeron, Bernard Gunter, Marc Behrens, and John Hudak are a just a
few of the notable artists that contributed works.
At first glance, Hitokomakura could have been a disaster; seemingly
random contributions from big-name artists, 31 tracks long, a slightly
over reaching selection of genres - and for us audio snobs - the
apparent lack of a mastering engineer. To be fair, it would be next to
impossible to sequence this type of compilation to give it a natural
flow. However, this tribute succeeds because of its ability to draw
implicit parallels between Ozu's film making technique and the
aesthetic choices the compilation’s contributing artists employ to
create meditations on environmental space.
The handsome CD packaging includes a well-written introduction by
Doug Cummings that provides context to Ozu’s contributions to film.
We learn the filmmaker employed “pillow shots” to provide emotional
resting points or dramatic pauses in the narrative. Think of these
cinematic moments as “still lifes” where the content is devoid of any
meaning, but inserted to set pacing. I will admit to never having seen
an Ozu film, but after reading the introduction, I went straight to my
Netflix queue to fix that problem.
According to Dale Lloyd, and/OAR label boss, audio contributor, and
executive producer of Hitokomakura, “…all the artists featured on this
release were invited to choose one or more pillow shots from an
assortment of Ozu films; then watch the film (or films) and create new
pieces based on their impressions.”
Various Ozu screenshots, Lloyd’s liner notes, and other helpful
reading material are included as part of the overall product in a PDF
contained within the CD's.
I recommend that if you find a particular photograph or scene
compelling, skip to that track first then jump to the next interesting
scene or track using the PDF document as a reference. Remember,
all the pieces are derivative or inspired by some meditative scene or
pillow shot. This may help explain why I feel the CDs are not
cohesively sequenced when listened to straight through without any
visual context.
Hitokomakura contains artists working within a wide range of genres,
including microsound, onkyo, minimal electronic, phonography, and
acoustic ecology. In many ways their contributions feel like excerpts
from larger pieces, melodic ambient segue ways, or even interesting
noisy room tone recordings. Ozu’s “pillow shots” as expertly
translated by sound artists provide Yoga for the ears, and present a
case for more subtle, peaceful banality in our audio diet.
(Derek Morton)
The and/OAR label, which mainly focuses on “environmental
recordings,” has beaten the odds and delivered a highly engaging
concept record in the form of a double CD, various-artist tribute to the
late Japanese filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu. Steve Roden, Alejandra &
Aeron, Bernard Gunter, Marc Behrens, and John Hudak are a just a
few of the notable artists that contributed works.
At first glance, Hitokomakura could have been a disaster; seemingly
random contributions from big-name artists, 31 tracks long, a slightly
over reaching selection of genres - and for us audio snobs - the
apparent lack of a mastering engineer. To be fair, it would be next to
impossible to sequence this type of compilation to give it a natural
flow. However, this tribute succeeds because of its ability to draw
implicit parallels between Ozu's film making technique and the
aesthetic choices the compilation’s contributing artists employ to
create meditations on environmental space.
The handsome CD packaging includes a well-written introduction by
Doug Cummings that provides context to Ozu’s contributions to film.
We learn the filmmaker employed “pillow shots” to provide emotional
resting points or dramatic pauses in the narrative. Think of these
cinematic moments as “still lifes” where the content is devoid of any
meaning, but inserted to set pacing. I will admit to never having seen
an Ozu film, but after reading the introduction, I went straight to my
Netflix queue to fix that problem.
According to Dale Lloyd, and/OAR label boss, audio contributor, and
executive producer of Hitokomakura, “…all the artists featured on this
release were invited to choose one or more pillow shots from an
assortment of Ozu films; then watch the film (or films) and create new
pieces based on their impressions.”
Various Ozu screenshots, Lloyd’s liner notes, and other helpful
reading material are included as part of the overall product in a PDF
contained within the CD's.
I recommend that if you find a particular photograph or scene
compelling, skip to that track first then jump to the next interesting
scene or track using the PDF document as a reference. Remember,
all the pieces are derivative or inspired by some meditative scene or
pillow shot. This may help explain why I feel the CDs are not
cohesively sequenced when listened to straight through without any
visual context.
Hitokomakura contains artists working within a wide range of genres,
including microsound, onkyo, minimal electronic, phonography, and
acoustic ecology. In many ways their contributions feel like excerpts
from larger pieces, melodic ambient segue ways, or even interesting
noisy room tone recordings. Ozu’s “pillow shots” as expertly
translated by sound artists provide Yoga for the ears, and present a
case for more subtle, peaceful banality in our audio diet.
(Derek Morton)
TOUCHING EXTREMES (OCTOBER 2007)
We owe a lot to labels like and/OAR. Not only because they present
us with some of the most extraordinary environment-based aural
experiences, something that Dale Lloyd's imprint releases with
impressive constancy, but also for their contribution to what we
used to call "culture", either in terms of "learning to penetrate both
the essence of sound and the absence of it" (which, on a second
thought, means much more than culture) or "encouraging new artistic
interests" through cross-references to different fields of contemporary
creativity.
Enter Japanese filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu (1903-1963), a highly
respected figure in the opinion of movie connoisseurs, his art being
mostly constructed upon "insights into family relations, everyday
struggles and simple pleasures", as per Doug Cummings' liners.
Characteristics that, in today's self-indulgent world, assume a
fundamental meaning since our very life - the life outside the circles
of "powers" and "establishments", the good old "regular existence"
that once was a given if one just stayed on a course, and today is
threatened unless you bend to not exactly explained "rules" - can
keep going on exclusively by nourishing the core of normality, an
extraneous annoyance for the non-silent majority ("money, sex, fame"
is nowadays' single refrain). When one takes the whole under a
microscope, comparing the activity of listening "in" silence and "to"
silence to the inner balance that we should always maintain, and
which seems to stimulate abnormal behavioural responses in a
largely repressed human neighbourhood, then it's possible to
acknowledge the importance of such an edition.
A double CD comprising 31 tracks - their compositional methods
analyzed in the PDF booklet available as a file in both discs - whose
beauty is reinforced by a series of factors that include the depth of the
location recordings constituting the foundation of the large part of this
music, the sensitive use of instruments and electronics
complementing them, the pregnant hush that leaves spaces for the
mind to add its own variations and colours and, last but not least, the
earnestness of the participants (among the many, Marc Behrens,
Keith Berry, Lawrence English, Heribert Friedl, Bernhard Gunter,
Haco, John Hudak, Jason Kahn, Dale Lloyd, Roel Meelkop, Kiyoshi
Mizutani, Steve Roden, Sawako, Steinbruchel, Taku Sugimoto,
Toshiya Tsunoda). There are outstanding moments of contemplative
self-collection (a personal highlight is the Berry/Mizutani/Michael
Shannon consecutiveness on the second disc) and several sections
where we struggle to distinguish between record and reality (until, in
my case, I was brought back to the latter by the firing guns of the
nearby hunters during Gunter's wonderful flute meditation, reminding
that the battle against men's stupidity is definitely a lost cause). All
things considered, Ozu is probably smiling somewhere, as this is a
gorgeous piece of sound art that succeeds in every account, the
perfect tribute to painful sensibility. (Massimo Ricci)
We owe a lot to labels like and/OAR. Not only because they present
us with some of the most extraordinary environment-based aural
experiences, something that Dale Lloyd's imprint releases with
impressive constancy, but also for their contribution to what we
used to call "culture", either in terms of "learning to penetrate both
the essence of sound and the absence of it" (which, on a second
thought, means much more than culture) or "encouraging new artistic
interests" through cross-references to different fields of contemporary
creativity.
Enter Japanese filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu (1903-1963), a highly
respected figure in the opinion of movie connoisseurs, his art being
mostly constructed upon "insights into family relations, everyday
struggles and simple pleasures", as per Doug Cummings' liners.
Characteristics that, in today's self-indulgent world, assume a
fundamental meaning since our very life - the life outside the circles
of "powers" and "establishments", the good old "regular existence"
that once was a given if one just stayed on a course, and today is
threatened unless you bend to not exactly explained "rules" - can
keep going on exclusively by nourishing the core of normality, an
extraneous annoyance for the non-silent majority ("money, sex, fame"
is nowadays' single refrain). When one takes the whole under a
microscope, comparing the activity of listening "in" silence and "to"
silence to the inner balance that we should always maintain, and
which seems to stimulate abnormal behavioural responses in a
largely repressed human neighbourhood, then it's possible to
acknowledge the importance of such an edition.
A double CD comprising 31 tracks - their compositional methods
analyzed in the PDF booklet available as a file in both discs - whose
beauty is reinforced by a series of factors that include the depth of the
location recordings constituting the foundation of the large part of this
music, the sensitive use of instruments and electronics
complementing them, the pregnant hush that leaves spaces for the
mind to add its own variations and colours and, last but not least, the
earnestness of the participants (among the many, Marc Behrens,
Keith Berry, Lawrence English, Heribert Friedl, Bernhard Gunter,
Haco, John Hudak, Jason Kahn, Dale Lloyd, Roel Meelkop, Kiyoshi
Mizutani, Steve Roden, Sawako, Steinbruchel, Taku Sugimoto,
Toshiya Tsunoda). There are outstanding moments of contemplative
self-collection (a personal highlight is the Berry/Mizutani/Michael
Shannon consecutiveness on the second disc) and several sections
where we struggle to distinguish between record and reality (until, in
my case, I was brought back to the latter by the firing guns of the
nearby hunters during Gunter's wonderful flute meditation, reminding
that the battle against men's stupidity is definitely a lost cause). All
things considered, Ozu is probably smiling somewhere, as this is a
gorgeous piece of sound art that succeeds in every account, the
perfect tribute to painful sensibility. (Massimo Ricci)
CYCLIC DEFROST (JANUARY 2008)
Japanese filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu has never so much tried to
express his own thoughts as he has endeavored to help clarify those
of others. Hitokomakura, a double CD comprising thirty-one tracks,
may be taken as reciprocation, as a counter-gift or sacrifice on the
part of the artists involved. Steve Roden, Keith Berry, Bernhard
Gunter, Taku Sugimoto, and Toshiya Tsunoda, amongst a welter of
others, each select a 'pillow shot' by Ozu, view the remainder of the
film, and then fashion a work which portrays and carefully brings into
clarity the particular investments underlying the sublime scene in
question. The work thus stands as a a tribute and a festive challenge.
That each artist took pains to respect the structure of each shot is
evident enough, but in reflecting on the scenes in such an undistorted
manner, characteristics of a personal sort seep through its pores and
challenge the listener to reflect upon the ever-changing relation of
this filmmaker to present-day society. A concern with sound and
sonic relationships abounds. While flirting with silence, Bernhard
Gunter keeps the music mobile, leading the listener through a
succession of warm, often delicate, acoustic states. On a similar
wave-length, Taku Sugimoto has full, harmonically rich piano notes
ease ever-so gently into one another, until the piece comes to partake
in a rumination on still, seemingly neutral spaces, a common theme in
Ozu's works. Asides from compositions of an electro-acoustic bent,
the album canvasses a good many other forms, from minimalism to
sound art, and it does so with remarkable naturalness and lack of
contrivance, stressing the communicative aspects linking all of these
poles. One is left with a simplicity of construction and presentation
which has an elegant way of being open to interpretation.
(Max Schaefer)
Japanese filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu has never so much tried to
express his own thoughts as he has endeavored to help clarify those
of others. Hitokomakura, a double CD comprising thirty-one tracks,
may be taken as reciprocation, as a counter-gift or sacrifice on the
part of the artists involved. Steve Roden, Keith Berry, Bernhard
Gunter, Taku Sugimoto, and Toshiya Tsunoda, amongst a welter of
others, each select a 'pillow shot' by Ozu, view the remainder of the
film, and then fashion a work which portrays and carefully brings into
clarity the particular investments underlying the sublime scene in
question. The work thus stands as a a tribute and a festive challenge.
That each artist took pains to respect the structure of each shot is
evident enough, but in reflecting on the scenes in such an undistorted
manner, characteristics of a personal sort seep through its pores and
challenge the listener to reflect upon the ever-changing relation of
this filmmaker to present-day society. A concern with sound and
sonic relationships abounds. While flirting with silence, Bernhard
Gunter keeps the music mobile, leading the listener through a
succession of warm, often delicate, acoustic states. On a similar
wave-length, Taku Sugimoto has full, harmonically rich piano notes
ease ever-so gently into one another, until the piece comes to partake
in a rumination on still, seemingly neutral spaces, a common theme in
Ozu's works. Asides from compositions of an electro-acoustic bent,
the album canvasses a good many other forms, from minimalism to
sound art, and it does so with remarkable naturalness and lack of
contrivance, stressing the communicative aspects linking all of these
poles. One is left with a simplicity of construction and presentation
which has an elegant way of being open to interpretation.
(Max Schaefer)
BAGATELLEN (AUGUST 2008)
The second of and/OAR’s tributes to film directors, Yasujiro Ozu –
Hitokomakura, is an extensive work, which is to say nothing of its
uniqueness. Twenty-five musicians and ensembles put to tape their
interpretations of select still scenes from various Ozu films, in an
instance of art responding to art. I get enough from simply listening to
the comparatively short pieces across two CDs, but another
experience is delivered in taking Hitokomakura as a whole. Ozu is
known for his posthumously-coined “pillow shots” – those visual
segues between scenes with the camera seated before a snapshot of
the world as it might relate to humanity. Humanity is indeed the
defining characteristic of Ozu’s oeuvre, and the music here channels
the emotion and mystery well enough. Using still captures of chosen
pillow shots, the assignment was to then make music inspired by
what is seen. The musicians were also instructed to view the film
from which the shots were gathered, in the interest of interpreting the
poetic still frames as parts of the greater whole, and, I gather, to
allow more perspective from which the music could be made.
As music is a living art, it is always a crunched representation of
experience, no? The project’s most literal offering is the Aono Jikken
Ensemble’s “Kodama (echoes)”. It’s a four-minute piece that adheres
to the concept but goes a bit further by summarizing a complete
passage of the subject (The End of Summer, 1961), and not just the
shot itself. Live snippets of voice and acoustic instruments are laced
over field recordings. In this case, a pillow shot of crows atop
gravestones is the inspiration. The ensemble’s accompanying notes
to the music explain that the piece reflects upon the life of family
father Manbei, yet no summary may be required when studying the
frame alone. The ensemble’s field recording of crows is hardly
abstract, but through the additional gorgeously capture sounds –
confined to four-plus minutes – there is the unmistakable sense of
development, as in a miniature story. Other offerings included are
from Roel Meelkop, Steinbrüchel, Haco, Steve Roden, Jason Kahn,
Hitoshi Kojo, and Marc Behrens, to name a few. The discs also
contain a PDF-file, which include graphics (compliments of Criterion)
of respective pillow shots for each track, and, in some cases, the
musicians’ personal notes on inspiration/instrumentation. A sure
keeper that deserves to be heard and studied, and a lovely homage
to Ozu. (Al Jones)
The second of and/OAR’s tributes to film directors, Yasujiro Ozu –
Hitokomakura, is an extensive work, which is to say nothing of its
uniqueness. Twenty-five musicians and ensembles put to tape their
interpretations of select still scenes from various Ozu films, in an
instance of art responding to art. I get enough from simply listening to
the comparatively short pieces across two CDs, but another
experience is delivered in taking Hitokomakura as a whole. Ozu is
known for his posthumously-coined “pillow shots” – those visual
segues between scenes with the camera seated before a snapshot of
the world as it might relate to humanity. Humanity is indeed the
defining characteristic of Ozu’s oeuvre, and the music here channels
the emotion and mystery well enough. Using still captures of chosen
pillow shots, the assignment was to then make music inspired by
what is seen. The musicians were also instructed to view the film
from which the shots were gathered, in the interest of interpreting the
poetic still frames as parts of the greater whole, and, I gather, to
allow more perspective from which the music could be made.
As music is a living art, it is always a crunched representation of
experience, no? The project’s most literal offering is the Aono Jikken
Ensemble’s “Kodama (echoes)”. It’s a four-minute piece that adheres
to the concept but goes a bit further by summarizing a complete
passage of the subject (The End of Summer, 1961), and not just the
shot itself. Live snippets of voice and acoustic instruments are laced
over field recordings. In this case, a pillow shot of crows atop
gravestones is the inspiration. The ensemble’s accompanying notes
to the music explain that the piece reflects upon the life of family
father Manbei, yet no summary may be required when studying the
frame alone. The ensemble’s field recording of crows is hardly
abstract, but through the additional gorgeously capture sounds –
confined to four-plus minutes – there is the unmistakable sense of
development, as in a miniature story. Other offerings included are
from Roel Meelkop, Steinbrüchel, Haco, Steve Roden, Jason Kahn,
Hitoshi Kojo, and Marc Behrens, to name a few. The discs also
contain a PDF-file, which include graphics (compliments of Criterion)
of respective pillow shots for each track, and, in some cases, the
musicians’ personal notes on inspiration/instrumentation. A sure
keeper that deserves to be heard and studied, and a lovely homage
to Ozu. (Al Jones)
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