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Sawako - Bitter Sweet [12K - 2008]

Bitter Sweet is sound and ambient artist Sawako forth album and it finds her pulling and morphing organic instrumental colours into beautiful, atmospheric and detailed  sonic sheens and lush drone expanse. Though electronic processing is used through out it never feels synthetic or cold, it’s always feels very real, natural and organic as if growing from out of your play back system filling your listening and head space with an often  warming sonic glow.

She utilizes  instrumental colours of  others playing be it cello, violin or acoustic guitar to make her dense yet lush sonic constructions that are often grounded in rich harmonic warmth and keen expansive atmosphere. But it never becomes too cinematic or big and brash, she makes sure the sound is kept personal and felt through-out. She also users sparing and stirred in field recordings mainly of natural and animals that never become to invasive and are left to subtle drift here and there. The album tracks shift through sonic seasons from spring’s budding life and wonder, to summers warmth and carefree joy, To autumns crisp air and underfoot, bone white skies in sombre mood, to winters white changed landscapes, skeletal trees, warming log fires and contemplation. Sometimes she lets the instruments pick, pluck or bow hover, glide or wonder near untouched- there harmonic resonance clear, beautiful. At other times you can just make out the instruments original tone as she pulls them out into rich harmonic sheens and drifts

Another seamless and highly reward mix of electronic textures with organic instrumental sound and field recordings from the always consistent 12k label. With Sawako fitting nicely in with the rest of the labels out put yet making this very much her special sonic place you’ll want to revisit often.

Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5

Roger Batty
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