Akira Kosemura - Grassland

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Press release
Soundclips

4...according to our Phil on Wed 24 Feb, 2010.

Just to confuse matters there's two different versions of the new Akira Kosemura album. There's a regular single CD version which contains all the kinds of things you'd find in that kind of package (ie cardboard sleeve and shiny musical face mirror thing). There's also a CD/DVD version which is six quid more and features the aforementioned goodness plus an extra DVD which I've not seen yet. So I'm not sure if it's worth the extra quid for the seven track DVD. Maybe if I get some time soon I'll watch it and let you know somehow through some modern medium like Twitter or something else equally as stupid. Here Akira creates a more organic sound featuring the likes of Paniyolo, Haruka Nakemura, Aspidistrafly etc. It still features all the twinkles and the like... the things you come to expect from a new CD on Schole. It seems less electronic that previous releases I've heard from him. There's still lots of micro electronics and piano but there's plenty of acoustic guitar poking it's head around pastoral corners. It's all very pretty and nice, perhaps too nice but I'm not sure if anything can really be too nice. The vocals that pop up on the odd track are also refreshing and the collaborative efforts here make this an interesting (yet nice) release. Lovely.

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the musicians for CD
the misfortunes of gerald, toma itoko, me:mo, paniyolo, aspidistrafly, haruka nakamura, akira kosemura

the directors for DVD
shin kikuchi, yuma saito, yugo chiba, mario cavalli

CD:

01 grassland
02 petrarca
03 light
04 marriage
05 xiao ge er
06 little dipper
07 ballet
08 over the horizon
09 just a few minutes
10 amour
11 ensemble

DVD:

01 grassland
02 petrarca
03 light
04 xiao ge er
05 it's on everything
06 venice
07 light dance