KIYOSHI MIZUTANI & KIYOHARU KUWAYAMA / INTERLUDE ( CD 2011 either/OAR USA )
catalog number: either/6
format: CD

http://www.and-oar.org/pop_either_6.html
and/OAR (via either/OAR) is very pleased to present what is without a
doubt among the very best of both artist's electronic-based work.
Throughout much of this highly charged release, brooding clouds of
swarming tones and drones envelope the listener, either inducing a
hypnotic trance or a deep contemplative listening state.
This work is the result of a mail exchange. At first, Kiyoshi created the
feedback sound in the studio using a suspended microphone, mixer and
some effects. Sometimes drum sticks, steel and wooden chair were used
to influence the sound. Kiyoshi's recorded sound was sent to Kiyoharu who
then processed the materials and edited and mixed the sound with his
own materials.

Reviews

There is, like with most releases by Kiyoharu Kuwayama not a lot of information on the cover (or websites) with details about the recording, but more than some other times. Kiyoharu Kuwayama plays "handmade electronics, contact mic & mix" and Kiyoshi Mizutani just gets credit for feedback. Mizutani was in the 80s a member of Merzbow, and after leaving Merzbow he did a couple of releases, ranging from the heavy noise field to field recordings, including collaborations with Daniel Menche and Hideaki Shimada. Kuwayama is perhaps best known as Lethe and has created a bunch of releases that deal with large spaces in which he plays cello, metal objects and electronics. This release with Mizutani is one that was generated through mail, which I think is a rarity in his catalogue. Mizutani recorded feedback using a suspended microphone, mixer and effects, influencing the sound with drum sticks, steel and wooden chair. Kuwayama then processed this material and did further editing.
The result is excellent. The feedback produced by Mizutani is never 'loud and dirty' as one could easily think these things would be (think harsh noise walls), but refined and varied. The sustained sounds move through your home space in an excellent way, and Kuwayama treats them with great care. The ten pieces flow into each other and form a great unified wholeness, which reminded me of the best of Arcane Device. A highly varied disc of music, excellent treatments and fine composition.

(FdW) Vital Weekly 801
Interlude est le re´sultat d'une collaboration par mail entre Kiyoshi Mizutani
et Kiyoharu Kuwayama (Lethe), le premier aux larsens, et le second a`
l'e´lectronique "fait maison". Le duo offre une musique e´trange et
inattendue, une musique calme et sereine faite de nappes, de drones, et
de fre´quences tenues longuement. Comme une sorte de noise tonale,
une noise qui aurait trouve´ ses repe`res et se complairait a` l'inte´rieur de
son cadre. Car la musique de ce duo n'est jamais agressive, elle est bien
au contraire pluto^t me´ditative et contemplative. Une musique ou` Lethe
fait tre`s attention aux propositions de Mizutani et ta^che de ne jamais
jouer contre lui, mais toujours avec, dans une sorte d'osmose
complaisante et autosuffisante. Pendant une heure, le duo livre une suite
de courtes pie`ces aux ambiances toujours diffe´rentes, aux sonorite´s
statiques ou organiques, ultra basses ou tre`s aigue¨s. Des univers qui
changent a` chaque fois de tonalite´s mais qui en me^me temps se
ressemblent toujours, car on est a` chaque fois dans une atmosphe`re
caracte´rise´e par l'e´trangete´ et l'alte´rite´, chaque pie`ce forme en effet un
univers surprenant, autre, et singulier; un univers auquel on n'est pas
habitue´ et qui semble surgir de nulle part. Vagues de larsens et drones
statiques participent a` des atmosphe`res litte´ralement inoui¨es, renforce´es
par la distance qui a se´pare´ les musiciens durant l'enregistrement.
10 pie`ces qui naviguent entre une plane`te industrielle et liquide, une
plane`te re´gie avant tout par des sons autosuffisants, une plane`te ou` la
lumie`re est de´risoire, car l'ambiance est souvent sombre et obscure,
froide mais vivante. Que dire de plus, Interlude est surtout un album
curieux pour les gens curieux d'expe´riences nouvelles, un disque assez
accessible et pas trop extre^me. (Julien Heraud)

IMPROV SPHERE (OCTOBER 2011)