Ryoko Akama — Places And Pages

Places And Pages is a two-CD collection of varied & moody modern composition/electro-acoustic works from this British-based, Japanese performer and female composer.  The release appears on the always worthy & dependable Sheffield based label Another Timbre.

The idea of this release was to realize fifty of the composer's texts score- then play them in various random places. Forty-five of the compositions are featured on these two discs- with the remaining five tracks been found online. Each disc is packaged to its limit with nearing eighty minutes, and each disc is varied, often unsettling & unbalancing with its selection of tracks.

Runtime wise the tracks fall between thirty seconds and nearing nine minutes. And the tracks run to sonic gambit from sparse & angular drone studies, onto wavering & sourly slurred pitch shifts. Through to strange & unpredictable sonic landscapes built around texture pitter-patter ‘n’ grain, sting picks ‘n’ scuttles,  and whiney harmonics. Onto creaking & slurred field recording unwell-ness sometimes alive either sudden piano darts or string simmers. Though to simmering & angular mood works.   There’s a very distinctive atmospheric open-ness about all of the pieces here, with Ms. Akama showing a clear understanding of creating mood, as well as creative & surprising compositional make-ups.

I’ve now played through this albums nearing three-hour runtime on numerous occasions. And it still retains both it’s keen sense of surprise & unpredictability, with an air of freshness & invention always abound. So in conclusion if your on the look-out for unbalancing & often unpredictable modern composition with an often stark & moody tilt I can well see you enjoying what’s on offer on Places And Pages.