The Squid's Ear
Writing about improvised, contemporary, experimental and unusual music,
following the activities of Squidco...
  •  •  •     Join Our Mailing List!



The Squid's Ear
Facebook: Squidco Sales

Heard In

Reviews of artist releases:
cd's, books, magazines, &c.


  Satoko Fujii 
  Piano Music
  (Libra Records) 


  
   review by Thomas Mellish
  2022-06-23
Satoko Fujii: Piano Music (Libra Records)

For two reasons Piano Music is an intriguing work. The first concerns the form of this album: it is typified by a cohesiveness in that each of its minutiae sprawl like a tree extending toward the sun. Yet, despite this appearance of organicity, this album is the product of sounds being sewn and stitched together. The second reason regards the title of this album: it is ironic. Fujii obfuscates the signs of the piano such that they can no longer be recognized; the instrument that is borne from this series of blurring can only be called a "piano" nominally.

Rather than using its keys, Fujii uses the strings of their "piano" to produce the individual moments that are aggregated to compose their sonic tapestry. Among other methods, through either affixing EBows to its high strings or by rubbing its low strings with a big felt mallet, Fujii uses their "piano" to engender foreign tones and alien textures.

Piano Music begins with "Shiroku." Initially, this track unfurls to reveal a throbbing, organ-like drone. The rigidity provided by this drone is juxtaposed with swarms of shimmering movements. These swarms eventually phase out and give way to individual shrieks; however, these shrieks merely dissipate into the void, going unanswered. Such shrieks are redolent of those singular whales that sing haplessly into the oceanic abyss, dreaming of a response. The next track, "Fuwarito," breaks away from "Shiroku." In the former, elongated drones are substituted for rhythmic flurries, which go into remission just as quickly as they metastasize. However, in another sense, "Fuwarito" is a continuation of "Shiroku." Just like the latter, the former contains swarms of shimmering movements. The swarms of "Furwarito," though, have a different character to them, possessing a nebulae-esque serenity as each of their elements glisten, piercing through the mix.

Fujii says that she wants to make music that no one has heard before. Not that this was ever in doubt, but Fujii continues to realize this sentiment. The tones and textures produced in this album are far beyond the conceived rubric of the piano; new sonic territory has been discovered. I wonder what new land Fujii will find next.



Satoko Fujii: Piano Music
Is Sold at Squidco!
Squidco




Comments and Feedback:



The Squid's Ear presents
reviews about releases
sold at Squidco.com
written by
independent writers.

Squidco

Recent Selections @ Squidco:


Berlin Art Quartet (
Schubert /
Bauer /
Muller /
Bruggemann):
Live At MIM
(Unisono Records)



Jimmy Lyons:
Rivbea Live! Series,
Volume 3
(NoBusiness)



Erik Klinga:
Elusive Shimmer
(thanatosis produktion)



Das B (
Mazen Kerbaj /
Mike Majkowski /
Magda Mayas /
Tony Buck):
Love
(thanatosis produktion /
Corbett Vs Dempsey)



Brass Clouds:
Escape Vessels
(Bathysphere Records)



Fire! Orchestra:
Echoes
[2 CDs]
(Rune Grammofon)



Sophie Agnel /
John Edwards /
Steve Noble:
Three On A Match
(Otoroku)



Satoko Fujii
This is It! (
w/
Natsuki Tamura /
Takashi Itani):
Message
(Libra)



Sorry For Laughing (
G. Whitlow /
M. Bates /
Dave-Id /
E. Ka-Spel):
Rain Flowers
[2 CDS]
(Klanggalerie)



New Origin (
feat. Christoph Rocher /
Joe Fonda /
Harvey Sorge):
The Poet Walks
(Listen! Foundation (
Fundacja Sluchaj!))



Simon Nabatov:
Agree to Disagree
(Listen! Foundation (
Fundacja Sluchaj!))



Von Schlippenbach, Alexander /
Barry Altschul Quartet w/
Joe Fonda &
Rudi Mahal:
Free Flow
[2 CDs]
(Listen! Foundation (
Fundacja Sluchaj!))



Thelonious Monk with
Sonny Rollins:
1953 To 1957
Revisited
(ezz-thetics by
Hat Hut Records
Ltd)



Daniel Carter /
Ayumi Ishito /
George Draguns /
Ed Wilcox:
Makeshift Spirituals
(577 Records)



Kory Reeder:
Homestead
(Another Timbre)



John Cage:
Chamber Works 1943-1951
(Another Timbre)



Josh Sinton:
Couloir &
Book Of Practitioners
Vol. 2
Book "W"
[2 CDs]
(FiP recordings)



Elliott Sharp /
Scott Fields:
Reimsi Geara
(Relative Pitch)



KnCurrent (
Brennan /
Cooper-Moore /
Davis /
Hwang):
KnCurrent
(Deep Dish)



Biota:
Measured Not Found
(Recommended Records)







Squidco
Click here to
advertise with
The Squid's Ear






The Squid's Ear pays its writers.
Interested in becoming a reviewer?




The Squid's Ear is the companion magazine to the online music shop Squidco !


  Copyright © Squidco. All rights reserved. Trademarks. (42564)