Der sowohl an zeitgenössischer elektronischer Musik als auch an klassischer höfischer Gagaku geschulte japanische Komponist Hiroshi Ebina bringt Ende des Monats ein neues Studioalbum heraus. “In science and the human heart” basiert in weiten Teilen auf Tapetechnik und ist von einer warmen und zugleich luftigen Klanggestalt, der Intention nach ist die Musik auf eine angenehme, im besten Fall heilende Wirkung hin angelegt. Ebina verarbeitet darin eine in jungen Jahren durchlebte Depression und knüpft auch von diesem Hintergrund her an die vorausgegangene EP “Faraway Vicinity” an, die sich unter den Auswirkungen der Pandemie mit sozialer Isolation beschäftigte. Das Album erscheint als Tape und digital bei Kitchen.Label.
“With this release, Ebina opened up about overcoming depression during his early adulthood and created this work as a personal therapeutic process to cope with the experience. Meditative, gentle and minimal, In science and the human heart is a calming recording. The artist produced the music via a system of open-reel tape processing in conjunction with modular synthesizers and acoustic instruments such as music boxes, glockenspiel and guitars. The album starts with the sound of the tape machine (a half-a-century-old NAGRA IV) turning on, and a music box recorded onto 1/4 inch tape slowly reverberates along with a subtle drone. Ebina changes the play-back speed, and mics the output from the recorder’s built-in speaker. The method resulted in capturing some sounds of the tape machine itself, and these were purposefully left in the final mix. Jewel-toned plucked sounds, tape noise and the sounds of found objects alternate with cascades of light and fragile beauty, creating an aura of stillness and an indescribable sense of balance. Light harmonics and decay that hovers throughout the album add its imminently lingering quality. In science and the human heart has an unhurried and lulling quality that lends itself well as a background for meditation or creating a peaceful atmosphere for sleep.
The instrumental exploration seems to speak directly to the heart, which enfolds the listener in a comforting curve of sound. Ebina states, “Each song is a small message card to listeners. I hope they might be signposts for your life when you need them as they did for me.” Mastered in New York by Joseph Branciforte, Hiroshi Ebina’s In science and the human heart will be released on November 18, 2022 on limited edition cassette tape and digital formats.” (Kitchen.Label)
Foto © Yoichi Onoda