Recorded:
Side A1: Vevey (Switzerland), July 2009
Side A2: Gatineau (Canada), September 2007
Side B: Live performance at Dampfzentrale, Bern (Switzerland), February 2010
Although I do not formally know Hitoshi & Carole Kojo, after having immersed myself in the sounds of Jüppala Kääpiö’s latest release, I cannot help but feel they draw their inspirations from nature and the currents of the very aether which surrounds them.
Many of the sounds you’ll find here are, from what I can tell, acoustic and location-specific, appearing to have been left un-affected. Loops of bowed and creaking metal intertwine with meandering, operatic vocals and the sounds of bird songs, all of which layer atop one another in perfect balance, never once tipping too far into one direction or another.
Perfectly restrained, methodical and professional, the “Tomentum Totem” cassette skirts the cacophonous but never allows itself to become abrasive.
This is very intimate music. The atmosphere that Hitoshi & Carole create is deep and meditative, but often surreal and whimsical. It is rare to find work of this caliber that is not overtly dark. This alone merits a critical listen. We could all use something pretty in our lives, every once in a while. Wouldn’t you agree?
