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| (.es) Exploring new areas of expression. Photo © Motonori Inagaki |
If anything
distinguishes Japan from the rest of the world is its ability to maintain
respect for tradition while adapting (and even anticipating) the modern world. Today
I present you (.es) a duo from Osaka that perfectly exemplifies this peculiar feature
of the Japanese.
Formed in
2009 as a contemporary music unit based at “Gallery Nomart”, the duo includes
Takayuki Hashimoto (guitar, saxophone, harmonica ...) and Sara (piano, cajon,
dance ...), being the third member in the shadow Satoshi Hayashi, curator and
producer of their recordings. Their music could be, should be described as Free
Improvisation, but with a slightly different approach than the rest of the
scene. So far I have had the opportunity to hear two of their recordings and I
can assure that their quality is remarkable. What sets them apart from the rest?
Their ability to convey warm emotions as angry explosions from the first to the
last second of their performances. Between the two of them they manage to
create textures full of intensity with echoes from artists like Kaoru Abe, La
Monte Young or Paco de Lucía, transporting the listener to unimaginable
landscapes in which sensitivity and fury shake hands amicably, full of colors
that have their own sound, like an impossible union between the most placid
nature and the most solemn architecture, demonstrating a flawless technique
when using their extensive range of instruments, making that apparent chaos
sound totally cohesive. There is so much talent, of very high quality coming
from this duo.
Being Their
influences as varied as punk, flamenco, traditional Japanese music, jazz and
avant-garde influences, in addition to being directly connected to contemporary
art in the form of collaborations with artists from different fields, their performances
reflect a natural interest in creating a sound tissue around a concept that,
like their music, will vary and change stylistically without leaving any defining
lines. Currently they have published 6 albums, impeccably edited, packaged with
a taste for more modern graphic design, while retaining the amateur style of
underground art. They have also collaborated, among others, with the likes of
Toshiji Mikawa, member of the legendary Incapacitants, proving that they are
promising artists that have to be considered.
If you
really want to know more about this extraordinary duo I recommend you to click
on the links bellow that will take you to their webpage and dig out the video
that accompanies this short introductory article about two artists that will
give much to talk about in the future. Hope you like it.
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