artist: KIYOSHI MIZUTANI
title: Scenery Of The Border
catalog number: and/22
release year: 2005 / 2006
format: CD x 2
status: sold out
title: Scenery Of The Border
catalog number: and/22
release year: 2005 / 2006
format: CD x 2
status: sold out
and/OAR is very pleased to present this double CD release by Japanese sound
artist Kiyoshi Mizutani. The second CD is a cross platform enhanced CD
containing audio that can be played on a regular CD player, plus two PDFs that
can be viewed on a computer.
One PDF contains a photo gallery of Kiyoshi's journey around the Tanzawa
mountain region of Japan. The second PDF contains a very large topographic
map with recording points corresponding to the track numbers. Since the map
is a very large file size, it is recommended that you drag the PDF onto your
desktop for faster viewing. The closer into the map one goes, the more detail of
the landscape one sees. Both the audio and the PDFs can be accessed at the
same time on a computer. The insert also contains a quick reference map
corresponding to each track number.
The audio portion of this release relays a kind of tranquil and introspective
sonic journey through the rugged yet mystical terrain. The region is full of
historical significance, natural beauty and folklore (as referred to in the title).
Although this release mostly features straight field recordings, there are also
some composed impressionistic moments that have been inherent in much of
Kiyoshi's previous work.
Also presented are recordings of certain Shinto and Buddhist ceremonies and
rituals rarely heard outside of Japan.
"These just released field recordings were made in the Tanzawa region
southwest of Tokyo. The Tanzawa range, a group of isolated mountains
separating the areas formerly known as Kai, Musashi, and Sagami, has a vivid
history. It was the scene of many historic conflicts, including the battle
between Takeda and Hojo; a home and hiding place for defeated soldiers
fleeing the enemy; and the site of such legends as the tragedy of the losing
army's princess. It was also the location of the Hasuge and Hinata ascetics'
route, a few traces of which can still be found. The recordings came about as a
result of my interest in this mountainous "border" region - the people who have
lived there, the natural features, the scenery. In addition to presenting Tanzawa
as it is today, it sheds light on the area's past. The recorded sounds can be
divided into categories such as natural occurrences, animals, man-made
structures, and folk traditions. The combination of elements found in a
particular location determines the character of its atmosphere. To make this
CD, I put the different combinations together in a manner of a sonic photo book.
Rather than looking for a meaning in individual sounds, I suggest listening with
the feeling of gazing at various landscapes, one after another. In any case, the
cognitive consistency one maintains when listening to contemporary music is
not a requirement here." (Kiyoshi Mizutani)
artist Kiyoshi Mizutani. The second CD is a cross platform enhanced CD
containing audio that can be played on a regular CD player, plus two PDFs that
can be viewed on a computer.
One PDF contains a photo gallery of Kiyoshi's journey around the Tanzawa
mountain region of Japan. The second PDF contains a very large topographic
map with recording points corresponding to the track numbers. Since the map
is a very large file size, it is recommended that you drag the PDF onto your
desktop for faster viewing. The closer into the map one goes, the more detail of
the landscape one sees. Both the audio and the PDFs can be accessed at the
same time on a computer. The insert also contains a quick reference map
corresponding to each track number.
The audio portion of this release relays a kind of tranquil and introspective
sonic journey through the rugged yet mystical terrain. The region is full of
historical significance, natural beauty and folklore (as referred to in the title).
Although this release mostly features straight field recordings, there are also
some composed impressionistic moments that have been inherent in much of
Kiyoshi's previous work.
Also presented are recordings of certain Shinto and Buddhist ceremonies and
rituals rarely heard outside of Japan.
"These just released field recordings were made in the Tanzawa region
southwest of Tokyo. The Tanzawa range, a group of isolated mountains
separating the areas formerly known as Kai, Musashi, and Sagami, has a vivid
history. It was the scene of many historic conflicts, including the battle
between Takeda and Hojo; a home and hiding place for defeated soldiers
fleeing the enemy; and the site of such legends as the tragedy of the losing
army's princess. It was also the location of the Hasuge and Hinata ascetics'
route, a few traces of which can still be found. The recordings came about as a
result of my interest in this mountainous "border" region - the people who have
lived there, the natural features, the scenery. In addition to presenting Tanzawa
as it is today, it sheds light on the area's past. The recorded sounds can be
divided into categories such as natural occurrences, animals, man-made
structures, and folk traditions. The combination of elements found in a
particular location determines the character of its atmosphere. To make this
CD, I put the different combinations together in a manner of a sonic photo book.
Rather than looking for a meaning in individual sounds, I suggest listening with
the feeling of gazing at various landscapes, one after another. In any case, the
cognitive consistency one maintains when listening to contemporary music is
not a requirement here." (Kiyoshi Mizutani)
REVIEWS
VITAL WEEKLY (MAY 2006)
In the releases of the and/OAR label field recordings are always important,
but the label doesn't exclusively work with that. The double CD by Kiyoshi
Mizutani should be listened with headphone or in winter time with all
windows closed. Recordings were made in the Tanzawa Mountains,
where-ever that might be, or why they are special, I don't know. Probably it
is some kind of holy place, since we hear some tracks of people chanting.
The majority of the pieces however deal with bird sounds, water falls, rain
but also a power-plant and a substation. All recorded with no sound
processing whatever, meaning all the recordings are presented in the
purest form. Some of the pieces mingle very nicely with your environment,
certainly when on hot spring day windows are open. Is that my bird or your
bird, Mizutani? A beautiful sound picture these two CDs, excellent
recordings. A pity that the information side is a bit sparse, but that would be
my only complaint. The pictures are great! (Frans De Waard)
In the releases of the and/OAR label field recordings are always important,
but the label doesn't exclusively work with that. The double CD by Kiyoshi
Mizutani should be listened with headphone or in winter time with all
windows closed. Recordings were made in the Tanzawa Mountains,
where-ever that might be, or why they are special, I don't know. Probably it
is some kind of holy place, since we hear some tracks of people chanting.
The majority of the pieces however deal with bird sounds, water falls, rain
but also a power-plant and a substation. All recorded with no sound
processing whatever, meaning all the recordings are presented in the
purest form. Some of the pieces mingle very nicely with your environment,
certainly when on hot spring day windows are open. Is that my bird or your
bird, Mizutani? A beautiful sound picture these two CDs, excellent
recordings. A pity that the information side is a bit sparse, but that would be
my only complaint. The pictures are great! (Frans De Waard)
PARIS TRANSATLANTIC (JULY 2006)
Once a member of Merzbow, in recent times Kiyoshi Mizutani has shifted
the focus of his work towards field recording, capturing the reality of almost
forgotten, obscure signs of life. I became aware of his recent output through
the fantastic collaborations with Daniel Menche, Garden on Auscultare
Research and Song of Jike on Niko, on which the Japanese soundscaper
weaves a timestretching mantle of environmental recordings around the
shoulders of his American partner. So Scenery of the Border is not only a
safe bet – it's a spiritual initiation. Tanzawa is a Japanese mountain region
whose desolate beauty is finely documented by the author's photos in the
exquisite cover artwork (more pictures are available on the enhanced
second disc). He applies the same basic principles to his recordings:
between November 2002 and February 2004 he took 24 aural snapshots of
these territories, translating broken silences, sacred ceremonies,
background energies and his own self-imposed solitude into a wholeness
we can observe respectfully while remaining in awe of acoustic
phenomena that ignorance might define as "normal" but which are
essential for the organic life of our being, even when taken out of their
original context. Birdsong, for example (one of Mizutani's best albums, Bird
Songs on Ground Fault, consists of little else): chirps and whistles are
captured with such mastery you can almost see the morning light through
the branches and feel the dampness around you. Other impressive
segments feature the rustling noise of feet on fallen leaves, the poignant
mumble of passing airplanes (another favourite sound in this writer's
emotional archive), the humming of power plants and substations and the
ominous severity of the wind brushing on the microphone. But what really
seems to be omnipresent is water: a continuous flow of rain, waterfalls,
streams and rivers, a moisture you can almost smell. The path to
awareness starts here. (Massimo Ricci)
Once a member of Merzbow, in recent times Kiyoshi Mizutani has shifted
the focus of his work towards field recording, capturing the reality of almost
forgotten, obscure signs of life. I became aware of his recent output through
the fantastic collaborations with Daniel Menche, Garden on Auscultare
Research and Song of Jike on Niko, on which the Japanese soundscaper
weaves a timestretching mantle of environmental recordings around the
shoulders of his American partner. So Scenery of the Border is not only a
safe bet – it's a spiritual initiation. Tanzawa is a Japanese mountain region
whose desolate beauty is finely documented by the author's photos in the
exquisite cover artwork (more pictures are available on the enhanced
second disc). He applies the same basic principles to his recordings:
between November 2002 and February 2004 he took 24 aural snapshots of
these territories, translating broken silences, sacred ceremonies,
background energies and his own self-imposed solitude into a wholeness
we can observe respectfully while remaining in awe of acoustic
phenomena that ignorance might define as "normal" but which are
essential for the organic life of our being, even when taken out of their
original context. Birdsong, for example (one of Mizutani's best albums, Bird
Songs on Ground Fault, consists of little else): chirps and whistles are
captured with such mastery you can almost see the morning light through
the branches and feel the dampness around you. Other impressive
segments feature the rustling noise of feet on fallen leaves, the poignant
mumble of passing airplanes (another favourite sound in this writer's
emotional archive), the humming of power plants and substations and the
ominous severity of the wind brushing on the microphone. But what really
seems to be omnipresent is water: a continuous flow of rain, waterfalls,
streams and rivers, a moisture you can almost smell. The path to
awareness starts here. (Massimo Ricci)
SMALLFISH (JULY 2006)
This enchanting piece of environmental sound / field recording work is a
wonderfully relaxing and engaging way to begin or end your day. Believe
me, I was chilling to it last night and again first thing this morning. Mizutani
has captured the essence of the magical sounds that are to be found in the
unspoilt Japanese mountains (something I'm lucky enough to have
experienced first hand). Be it the gentle burbling of a river, the general
ambience of the forested hillsides or the hypnotic chanting in a Buddhist
temple, he takes you on a voyage of discovery that, for me, is easily up
there with the work of Chris Watson. A beautifully packaged and realised
work. Superb. (Mike Oliver)
This enchanting piece of environmental sound / field recording work is a
wonderfully relaxing and engaging way to begin or end your day. Believe
me, I was chilling to it last night and again first thing this morning. Mizutani
has captured the essence of the magical sounds that are to be found in the
unspoilt Japanese mountains (something I'm lucky enough to have
experienced first hand). Be it the gentle burbling of a river, the general
ambience of the forested hillsides or the hypnotic chanting in a Buddhist
temple, he takes you on a voyage of discovery that, for me, is easily up
there with the work of Chris Watson. A beautifully packaged and realised
work. Superb. (Mike Oliver)
WIRE (JANUARY 2007)
Record Of The Year - 2006 (Clive Bell)
Record Of The Year - 2006 (Clive Bell)
AQUARIUS RECORDS (APRIL 2007)
A few years back, Kiyoshi Mizutani ventured into the Tanzawa mountain
range located to the southwest of Tokyo in order to document the sounds of
that very isolated region. In the liner notes to this album, Mizutani explains
that this region enjoys a complex history with centuries worth of military
endeavors and legends including one tragedy which Mizutani alludes to
about "the losing army's princess." Needless to say, the mountains may
have been of strategic importance to any number of rival factions; but by
now, their remoteness and desolation harbors only a small population. He
focuses his attention upon three aspects of those mountains: the natural
(which is the dominant voice of the Tanzawan environment), the ceremonial
folklore of the people, and the residual noise of the man-made. Mizutani's
love of bird sounds was evident on one of his early sound works simply
entitled Bird Songs; and the spirited chatter of many a bird dots Mizutani's
field recordings. Crickets, cicadas, and plenty of insect choruses also
feature into Scenery Of The Border, as does a broad range of watery
recordings from quiet drips from a misty rain to the immersive white noise
of waterfalls. The few recordings that feature a human presence are of
restrained Shinto and Buddhist ceremonies, which Mizutani mentions have
rarely been heard outside of that region. It's these ritualistic stompings and
hushed bits of chanting that stand amongst the highlights of this incredible
field recording document. (Jim Haynes)
A few years back, Kiyoshi Mizutani ventured into the Tanzawa mountain
range located to the southwest of Tokyo in order to document the sounds of
that very isolated region. In the liner notes to this album, Mizutani explains
that this region enjoys a complex history with centuries worth of military
endeavors and legends including one tragedy which Mizutani alludes to
about "the losing army's princess." Needless to say, the mountains may
have been of strategic importance to any number of rival factions; but by
now, their remoteness and desolation harbors only a small population. He
focuses his attention upon three aspects of those mountains: the natural
(which is the dominant voice of the Tanzawan environment), the ceremonial
folklore of the people, and the residual noise of the man-made. Mizutani's
love of bird sounds was evident on one of his early sound works simply
entitled Bird Songs; and the spirited chatter of many a bird dots Mizutani's
field recordings. Crickets, cicadas, and plenty of insect choruses also
feature into Scenery Of The Border, as does a broad range of watery
recordings from quiet drips from a misty rain to the immersive white noise
of waterfalls. The few recordings that feature a human presence are of
restrained Shinto and Buddhist ceremonies, which Mizutani mentions have
rarely been heard outside of that region. It's these ritualistic stompings and
hushed bits of chanting that stand amongst the highlights of this incredible
field recording document. (Jim Haynes)
