Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Masayoshi Fujita & Jan Jelinek - Bird, Lake, Objects

Masayoshi Fujita & Jan Jelinek
Bird, Lake, Objects
(2010, Faitiche)
RIYL = Uh, Jan Jelinek, Chihei Hatakayama, Sawako

No disrespect to Masayoshi Fujita, because whatever his contribution is here, it’s a good one (considering the results as a whole), but this is essentially, for me, a Jan Jelinek record. To which I say, it’s about time! It’s been about four years since his best-of-the-decade Tierbeobachtungen was released, and I’ve been itching for something new. Bird, Lake, Objects is the approximate fulfillment of those wishes. And, to be polite – because me and Mr. Fujita, we were just introduced – let me share with you a bit about Jan’s collaborative partner. Turns out my man is a vibraphonist, which is certainly recognizable over the course of the record, plinking and resonating, lightly puncturing Jelinek’s lapping electronic current. The interplay between the two here is seamless. A perfect meshing of live instrumentation with looping electronic manipulation, allowing for a stream of consciousness meditation on the jingle and hum. While Jelinek could be marked specifically for the subtlety in his craft, Bird, Lake, Objects delves even further into interiority, strained pacing and micro evolutions. The tender static, reverberating vibraphone ring, the oscillating minimalism; artistically, this may not be a revelation for the two, but that familiar echo can still evoke a rapture that is strictly Jelinek.

-Thistle

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