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The Squid's Ear Magazine

Kobi, Christian (solo and with Taku Sugimoto / Yoko Ikeda / Wakana Ikeda
Atta!

Kobi, Christian (solo and with Taku Sugimoto / Yoko Ikeda / Wakana Ikeda: Atta! (Monotype)

Four solo saxophone improvisations, two on tenor and two on soprano, using remarkable technique and concentration from Swiss improviser Christian Kobi performing live in Tokyo and Osaka in 2017, plus a live quartet improvisation with flutist Wakana Ikeda, violinist Yoko Ikeda, and guitarist Taku Sugimoto for an open-approached performance of detailed, minimal improv.
 

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product information:

Personnel:



Christian Kobi-tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone

Wakana Ikeda-flute

Taku Sugimoto-guitar

Yoko Ikeda-violin


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UPC: 5902249000757

Label: Monotype
Catalog ID: mono093
Squidco Product Code: 25244

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2017
Country: Poland
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold
Recorded live in Tokyo, Kanuma, and Osaka in April, 2017, by Fabio Oehrli.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"The cover also lists Wakana Ikeda, Taku Sugimoto and Yoko Ikeda, but as a quartet they appear on one long track (eighteen minutes), while the other twenty-five minutes are by saxophone player Kobo solo. Hence I think it is best to call this a solo CD by him.

Kobi is from Switzerland and has played with Phill Niblock, Jurg Frey, Keith Rowe and Sugimoto before. 'Atta' was recorded in April 2017 in Japan and has three pieces by Kobi playing tenor saxophone, and one soprano. In all of these solo pieces the emphasis lies on the minimal exploring of sound material, either with longer sustaining blocks of sounds, such in the second (all are untitled) piece, which maybe counts for some Phill Niblock influence or inspiration, but in the fourth and fifth piece it is more about using separate sounds and textures, and the saxophone becomes an acoustic objects that produces all kinds of sounds which are not necessarily usually derived from this instrument. These are two contrasts that work quite well.

On the quartet piece Wakana Ikeda plays flute, Taku Sugimoto plays guitar and Yoko Ikeda plays violin. In this piece they effectively blend together the two contrasts of longer sustaining notes and a more (electro- but sans electricity) acoustic approach towards instruments-as-objects in an ultra-controlled atmosphere of slowly unfolding minimalist music. This may all be very quiet but it is also very intense and it all works very well. Play this at a modest volume and let the musical frequencies do their work in your space."-Frans de Waard, Vital Weekly

Also available on vinyl LP.
Get additional information at Vital Weekly

Artist Biographies

"Born in Berne (Switzerland). Studied classical music at the Hochschule für Musik in Basel with further studies undertook in Paris (Cité Internationale des Arts), Lucerne (postgraduate degree) and Zurich (Master of Music in Performance) in the fields of improvisation and contemporary composition. Numerous appearances at home and abroad, solo and together with various improvising music ensembles in Australia, USA, Japan, UK, Lybanon etc. 2004 Founder and artistic director of "zoom in", a festival for improvised music at Berne Minster. 2006 Co-founder of the new music label "CUBUS RECORDS". 2012/13 Artistic director of Szofa Budapst (supported by Pro Helvetia)"

-Christian Kobi Website (http://www.christiankobi.ch/index.php/biography.en.html)
7/7/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.
"Wakana Ikeda: Flute player

Born in Tokyo on Jan 19, 1991.

Graduated from Toho Gakuen University flute major. Organized by Suidobashi Chamber Ensemble. Former Yoshida Yohei group

She started playing the flute at elementary school, and then take interest in Classical music, Rock music, Folk music, Jazz music, Improvised music, and Contemporary music and more.

2013 Graduated from the Toho Gakuen School of Music University.

Study under Ryu Noguchi, Masahiro Arita, and Yuji Numano.

2012 Performed at Music Festival Argerichi's Meeting Point in Beppu 2012. Collaborated with Martha Argerich, and Mischa Maisky.

2013 The Rock band "Yoshida Yohei Group" had joined and performed at Fuji Rock Festival 2014. But to leave a group on 2016.

2013 Formed the improvisation group as "hatten". Some cassette tapes and CDs were released.

2015 Participated of Taku Sugimoto "Septet" on Ftarri Festival.

2016 Formed the "Suidobashi Chamber Ensemble" (Member is Yoko Ikeda, Masahiko Okura, Taku Sugimoto, Aya Naito, Wakana Ikeda.) Regularly held a concert to play contemporary music. And Released CD "Suidobashi Chamber Ensemble (meenna-988)"-Wakana Ikeda Website (http://wakanaikeda-freshlettuce.com/about/)
7/7/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Taku Sugimoto is a Japanese guitarist.

He initially gained attention in the late 1990s for his restrained, melodic playing, unusual in the world of free improvisation. Critic Bruce Russell describes this era of Sugimoto's music by writing: "Sugimoto is perhaps the pre-eminent stylist on the guitar ... He brings a golden glow to every session he partakes in, having abandoned amped up noise in favour of a much more introspective and calligraphic style of play."

Around 2002 his music became increasingly abstract, all but eliminating melody and featuring extended periods of silence.

He has collaborated with other Japanese musicians involved in the Onkyo movement, such as Sachiko M, Toshimaru Nakamura and Otomo Yoshihide. He has also collaborated with musicians from European free improvisation scenes, notably trombonist Radu Malfatti and guitarist Keith Rowe."

-Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taku_Sugimoto)
7/7/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Ikeda started classical violin at the age of three and studied with Yoshio Tsuda. In her mid-20s, she finally realized that it was all right to produce sounds which were not written in a score. Seeking true things in sound, she shifted to improvised music, which she continues to perform. In addition to improvisation, which is her main focus, she also plays violin and viola in various genres including theater music, recitation performance, bands, and experimental music."

-Ftarri (http://www.ftarri.com/festival/2015/yikeda-e.html)
7/7/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. Tenor Saxophone - Solo 5:59

2. Tenor Saxophone - Solo 6:59

3. Quartet 18:03

4. Soprano Saxophone - Solo 4:10

5. Tenor Saxophone - Solo 6:57

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Free Improvisation
lowercase, reductionist, micro-improv, sound improv, onkyo sound
Japanese & Asian Improv/Rock
Solo Artist Recordings
Quartet Recordings

Search for other titles on the label:
Monotype.

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