Hossu No Mori |cs271

Solo percussion, quite active and containing a high percentage of rubbed surfaces. Any number of like-minded approaches come to mind, from Lê Quan Ninh to Seijiro Murayama and others. The dynamics vary widely and there are some nice sustained effects but by and large, I don't hear much that distinguishes the music from any number of free percussionists and, as is often the case, there's an insistence on activity that grates on me, never the sense of producing a sound because it's necessary. Again, it's all well done, not a problem, just a bit too routine by this point in history. Brian Olewnick (Just Outside)

The title of this solo-release by Japanese (but currently living in Paris) drummer and percussionist Naoto Yamagishi, whose artistic range is not strictly limited to the fields of electro-acoustic and so-called non-idiomatic improvisation due to his collaboration with many kind of artists, is an interesting metaphor of his sonic art: the expression "Hossu No Mori" could be translated as "forest of Hossu", being the hossu that wood or bamboo "haired" stick, which is a sort of symbol of authority and a shield against desire (it's often used to keep flies and other insects away without killing them!) by Zen priests. You could imagine it as an enhanced drum stick, which can gently hit many objects , so that it could stand as a nice description of Naoto's style. Even if you have to consider it was recorded on 1st of June 2011 in Japan, some techniques could sound not really original as many other improv musicians could have widely tested some of them - for instance the sound which opens the initial track "kurohae" derives from the brushing of drum skin by means of metal objects or sheet as well as the squealing noises on the following track "Ukisu" -, but some camouflage of used instruments are really amazing and there are many moments where he's using horns or strings instead of drums and percussions, where the only unaltered and unperturbed element is the steady thud from an unidentified taiko that he often hits. Vito Camarretta (Chain DLK)

Peau sur peaux, tiges sur peaux, archet sur peaux, ongles sur peaux, Naoto Yamagishi indispose le silence de ses crissements et grincements. Inlassablement, il râcle les futs, écartèle doucement les périphéries et s’abandonne à quelques ricochets sur percussions sensibles. Se risque parfois à coordonner le désordre et à impulser quelque drone accidenté. Mais, trop souvent, passe et repasse par le même chemin. Luc Bouquet (Le Son du Grisli)