Taku Sugimoto // Since 2016 LP

This is a record released by Tokyo guitarist Taku Sugimoto in January 2024 on the Texas-based experimental/ambient label Full Spectrum in a limited edition of 1 copies.

Contains 9 minimal improvisational songs with guitar, voice, and saxophone. DL code included.

Below is a commentary by the label.

"Full Spectrum welcomes legendary guitarist and Japanese free improvisation stalwart Taku Sugimoto to announce their first LP release of the new year, ``Since 2016.''

Shot in various locations around Tokyo between 2016 and 2022, the new album serves as an unofficial "best of" compilation of some of Taku's favorite compositions from this period. Among these nine sonic miniatures, his signature unprocessed, ultra-minimalist guitar playing takes center stage, and was naturally recorded outdoors. In addition, Saeki Minami and Christian Kobi (soprano saxophone) add further color to the performances that form the backbone of the album.

Each song on the album is composed of a modal melody using only a limited number of sounds. There is no chord structure or stable rhythm.

The effect is a masterful exercise in concentration and restraint, weaving subtle musical events into a tranquil grid. This kind of quiet, relaxed music is a command to "calm down" in response to the ever-increasing din of an accelerating civilization. "

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Includes DL code. 12" black vinyl. Edition of 100.

tracklist:

1. Vertical Modulation 2 05:29
2. 4, Version for Solo Guitar 01:35
3. Nexus 4 03:07
4. More #1 02:14
5. b 02:48
6. f 01: 18
7. A Chant by Oto-Tachibana 02:06
8. Solo for the E String of Guitar 02:29
9. Vertical Modulation 2, a 2023 Version 25:39

"Full Spectrum welcomes the legendary guitarist and Japanese free improvisation heavyweight Taku Sugimoto into the fold for an album that we are absolutely honored to present as our first LP release of the new year – 'Since 2016.'

Captured at various sites across Tokyo between 2016 and 2022, this new body of work serves as an informal “best of” that compiles versions of some of Taku's favorite compositions from this time. Across these nine sonic miniatures, his signature unprocessed, hyper-minimalist guitar playing takes center stage – recorded, naturally, at outdoor locations – while Minami Saeki [voice] and Christian Kobi [soprano saxophone] shade additional color into the album's skeletal performances.

Each composition on the album consists of modal melodies, using only limited tones. Neither chordal structure nor steady rhythm is present. Some pieces are as simple as an unadorned melody, accompanied only by the aleatoric backdrop of whatever park Taku has chosen for the session, while others include subtle gestures towards counterpoint and more intricate structure. On “Vertical Modulation 2,” for instance, each of three players [soprano sax, voice, and guitar] perform different fragments of melody based on a 6-tone scale in different registers, while tracks like “More #1” and “A Chant by Oto-tachibana” are intended for two [or more] players.

The effect is a stunning exercise in focus and restraint, weaving microscopic musical events into a hushed latticework – the sort of quiet, spare music that stakes a claim for itself against the ever-rising din of our accelerating civilization and says, 'be still. ' "

Artist: Taku Sugimoto

Label: Full Spectrum Records

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