To Listen To As Far As Possible

Recorded (1-5) at the Škuc Gallery, Ljubljana, January 10, 2022, and (6, 7) at the Studio Asylum, KUD Mreža, Ljubljana, January 2022 © 2022 All images courtesy of Gianpaolo Arena Seijiro Murayama is a drummer/percussionist and improviser/composer who lives in Paris. His first CDs on Ftarri's three labels (Hitorri, Ftarri and Meenna) came out in 2009, and he has since released a total of 12 solo, duo, trio and quartet albums on Ftarri labels. Of the solo albums, the first was "Downdate" (2017), followed by "The Empire of Slip of the Tongue" (2018) and "mi-tai" (2020). While "Downdate" and "The Empire of Slip of the Tongue" are electro-acoustic works, "mi-tai" is an album of improvisation with percussion and voice. This album is Murayama's fourth solo release on the Hitorri label. Like the preceding album, it's a compilation of improvisational performances. The seven tracks (each between 4 and 11 minutes long) were recorded in Ljubljana, Slovenia, in January 2022. Murayama uses instruments including cymbal, bass drum, snare drum, voice, and various small objects. Along with the previous work ("mi-tai"), this album is an ideal introduction to Murayama's boundlessly original and distinctive work as an improviser.