The Arch by Kaoru Watanabe (Japanese based in New York) invites music lovers into an interstellar nebula formed of ambient, traditional Japanese music, subtle touches of contemporary classical modernity, and vintage electro.
Watanabe creates dynamic and vibrant canvases of varied hues and textures with a multitude of traditional and Western instruments (shinobue flute, ryuteki, hichiriki, taiko, atarigane, suzu, ame uchiwa, koto, soprano and alto flutes, tenor saxophone, piano, synthesisers, harp). The most impressive thing is that he plays them all. It is therefore a rather abundant studio and multi-track work. The atmospheres created by Watanabe are often contemplative, although some pieces are reasonably energetic. Traditional settings are of course evoked, such as Hokusai and Utamaro prints, but modern manipulations intrude into these initially deceptive frames, sometimes even stemming from contemporary sound explorations (for example, in Hiraeth). Nevertheless, Watanabe never ventures far from an accessibility for a “curious and receptive” general public. As a music lover, one enjoys being lulled by the eleven little pieces he draws in a program that intertwines both Elsewhere and Here, both characteristic and unexpected.
An album that invites escape without the predictable clichés for lazy tourists.
