Kaoru Watanabe / The Arch / New Amsterdam / Figure 8 0 ▲ Ban Ban Ton Ton 42 minutes ago · Music · hide Kaoru Watanabe is a New York-based musician, classically trained in a wide range of traditional traditional Japanese instruments. An in demand collaborator, he’s worked with a long list of western artists, including Laurie Anderson and Andre 3000. “The Arch” is his sophomore solo album. The set takes its title from a short story by Akutagawa Ryunoskue, and reflects on Watanabe’s life spilt between Japan and the American mid-west. Contemplating the contradictions that exist between these worlds. Attempting to link the two. Having travelled to his parents’ homeland to study with masters, Watanabe’s pieces are improvisations that employ current digital compositional tools to produce a distinctive mix of ancient and modern. Built around Zen zithers, patiently plucked and picked koto strings, glissandos, whistling woodwinds, shinobue and ryuteki flutes, taiko drums, learned on Sado Island, and ceremonial narimono percussion. Saxophones, Sci-Fi synths, and glitchy, but graceful, electronics… Commenting on Bubbles has been removed. Why? If you want to talk about this post, write to the author, use the comments on their blog if it has them, or reply with a "RE:" post on your own blog. Suggestions? feedback@bubbles.town
