Many listeners not inclined to more experimental sounds, often connected to modern classical music or improvisational jazz, would probably abandon Anechoic, the new album by Tokyo composer, producer, and acoustic researcher Bajune Tobeta. Yet, if they delve just a bit further in, they might be in for a surprise they have not initially expected.
Tobeta, who initially studied under Ryuichi Sakamoto, takes the concept of anechoic chamber a room engineered to absorb all reflections of sound, from one of its experimental sides to a few others, all experimental, but giving that term a few other aspects that son’t have atonal qualities to those that his mentor and classical composers like Erik Satie have explored – those that as he might put it, research the space between sound and silence.
While ‘Memories’, the composition that follows the opener seems to be an homage to Sakamoto, his mentor, tackling both his piano and subtle electronics combination, he delves further into the sound and silence relation and spaces in between in ‘After the Silence’ (with the help of Christian Fennesz) and more into Satie further on both ‘Gymnopedie’, remixed by AOKU takamasa, somewhat akin to the concept Akira Rabelais did on his album Eisotrophobia, wrapping it all up with yet another direct reference to Satie in ‘Satie’s Dream’.
It is all brief and to the point here, leaving the listener to simply ask for more, or even better, repeated listening, which will constantly reveal more.
