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 featured on this release was asked to choose one or more "pillow
shots" to use as inspiration for their pieces. A large assortment of pillow shots
was provided for the artists to choose from. 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:
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).
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 featured on this release was asked to choose one or more "pillow
shots" to use as inspiration for their pieces. A large assortment of pillow shots
was provided for the artists to choose from. 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:
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)
