masayoshi fujita & jan jelinek: bird, lake, objects

ltd repress. The Faitiche label presents a collaboration between Berlin-based vibraphonist Masayoshi Fujita and Faitiche label-head/electronic musician Jan Jelinek. Queried on his favorite word in the German language, Masayoshi Fujita will pick "getragen" for its semantic signifiers, its inherent sense of "expansive, deep, quiet and sombre." And yet, "getragen" leaves plenty of room for interpretation. Does this definition apply to Bird, Lake, Objects? Only to a limited extent. Compared to previous Faitiche releases, Bird, Lake, Objects is certainly the most "getragen" of them all. From a distance, these tracks seem rather introspective, cautious even -- and reflect the recording situation: deliberately pared down, reduced to a single microphone in space and a separate track for all other instruments -- each movement and action chronicled by the treacherous mike. This presented multiple issues and external influences during the recording process: fire engine screams, street noise and footfalls became part of the recordings and part of their improvisatory nature. Each movement required careful orchestration, fully aware of its irrevocable nature. Space itself was always present and an audible entity, except on "Stripped To RM" (recorded without a microphone or vibraphone track). This record is a contemplative, aural meditation combining washes of ever-expanding electronic crackles and pulses with the gentle, droning resonance of the vibraphone. Masayoshi prepared his instrument with pieces of metal, strips of foil and similar objects. The resulting new sounds, akin to distortions, help to expand the vibraphone spectrum without eroding the instrument's intrinsic character or even abandoning it altogether. Besides his extremely reduced and deliberate style of playing, it is this aural redefinition that makes Masayoshi Fujita's craft so remarkable. Masayoshi's wood prints on the cover and booklet of Bird, Lake, Objects present concise, abstract and monochrome landscapes that are a visual complement to this music.