Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto: Summvs

Following the release of multiple collaborative EP’s between Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto, including ‘Insen’ in 2005 which is reviewed here, the latest release in the series, ‘Summvs’ presents further refinement in this highly unusual combination of improvised piano performance and digital processing. This album also sees a more experimental approach of writing with a more sophisticate soundworld achieved through the digital processing of far more dissonant piano performance compared to some of the earlier releases in the series.

Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto: Summvs

The release contains 10 tracks, running at approximately an hour in length. Some of the most interesting material lies within the trio of compositions entitled ‘Microon I’, II and III which illustrate a curiously ambient approach from Alva Noto who is best known as a proponent of the burgeoning glitch electronica tradition. As alluded to briefly earlier, throughout these tracks Sakamoto’s piano performance incorporates a more experimental approach to harmony, employing extended passages of dissonant chord constructions.

The ambient treatment of Sakamoto’s piano performance continues through to other tracks beyond the ‘Microon’ trio, tracks such as ‘Halo’ continue in this vein. In this track for example Noto creates extended sustained drones from a piano performance that at first could be mistaken as a Debussy work. From even a brief listen to the material on offer, the progression in terms of timbres achieved electronically from earlier releases in the series is conspicuous, as is an improved approach to audio production.

Having noted the enhancements to timbre achieved throughout this album, it is pertinent to mention in particular ‘Pioneer IOO’ which acts as a very interesting ‘missing link’ between Alva Noto’s glitch and ambient aesthetics, incorporating various glitch elements alongside the drone-based processing seen in other tracks. This occurs while Sakamoto creates a piano performance around a somewhat ‘bluesy’ scale set, later also using prepared piano techniques, originally introduced by John Cage, which blend well within this psudo-electronic setting.

This album proves to be one of the finest releases in Alva Noto’s series of collaborations with Sakamoto and remains highly original in its conceptual origins.



View Tracklisting

Tracklisting:

1. Microon I
2. Reverso
3. Halo
4. Microon II
5. Pioneer IOO
6. Ionoscan
7. By This River
8. Naono
9. Microon III
10. By This River - Phantom

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Alva Noto: Insen

Released in 2005 by Carsten Nicolai, better known as Alva Noto, in collaboration with pianist Ryuichi Sakamoto, Insen is the second album in an ongoing series by the duo. Alva Noto has to date released a total of 45 albums under various aliases since his 1996 debut 'spin.' This album however presents an intriguing marriage of ambient piano technique with Noto's distinctive Glitch Electronica composition.

Texturally, most of the album is quite minimal but with Noto's extensive treatment of piano to create grooves, sustains and even percussive rhythms, the album remains a highly credible work. Stylistically, the approach to composition features typical glitch technique but lacks the pace of much Noto material previously released and presents a series of 7 tracks, a total of 43 minutes, of intriguing pseudo-Ambient material.

In a way, for the attentive listener, the minimal instrumentation presents a slight tedium. For this reason, the 4th track, 'Moon,' deserves a special mention for its textural variety and construction of new additional timbres from Sakamoto's piano playing. Much of the album must be considered a complete work rather than a series of tracks, given the fantastic development throughout from its early minimal ambient beginnings to the more notable integration of glitch elements seen in 'Iano' and the highly processed sombre ending, 'Avaol.'

For a review of Noto's later 'Unitxt' album, click here.

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