Sawako - bittersweet and melancholic
» Published by trym on Nov 17, 2008
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Label: 12k / Anticipate
Year: 2008
Format: CD
This soundspot is dedicated to one of yours truly’s personal favourites – an audio and video artist born in Nagoya, Japan now living in New York in recent years following her Master’s degree at New York University. Four solo albums into her career, the sound has distinctly manifested itself – though diverse and always innovative – with a common factor which is trademark Sawako – which we take a closer look at here while reviewing her two most recent albums Madoromi (on Anticipate) and the newest Bittersweet (out on 12k in 2008).
In recent years her releases have come out on Taylor Deupree’s 12k and Ezekiel Honig’s Anticipate labels, all three musicians established names in the electronica scene now resident in New York. To name a few of her notable collaborations, we would mention Taylor Deupree, Asuna, HYPO, Ryan Francesconi, Toshimaru Nakamura, Taku Sugimoto, Andrew Deutsch, Jacob Kirkegaard, Kenneth Kirschner, Daisuke Miyatani, Radiosonde, Pandatone.
Rewind to Sawako’s music though and the prevailing theme of her sound. First of all, music that bears Sawako’s signature is very personal and intimate-felt, through her music Sawako shares herself with the listener and the resulting soundscapes reach deep within to home in on the listener’s own personal experiences and create some very rare moments felt in electronic music. The sound is also romantic and very child-like in its approach, and Sawako’s samples are often based around sounds of infants, toys, music boxes and other things reminiscent of childhood, that resultingly creates a hazy and intoxicating fray of sound to immerse yourself in. Often Sawako’s own gentle, hushed vocals are interspersed and the sound takes on a very feminine atmosphere; a rosy, tinted hue that feels tremendously relaxing on any tension – physical or mental.
In a way Sawako’s first outing on 12k with Hum shares some themes with Bittersweet, while the album for Honig’s Anticipate – Madoromi – has a bit more of a playful, glitchy theme to it. Here are repetitive patterns based around clicks and snickering sounds, some mechanic, other melodic from some toy-like source, in between the more familiar hazy soundscapes. Bittersweet however seems to depart a bit from the child-like of Sawako, but retains the feminine character of her sound, and shows a musician who has come of age as a key figure in the electronic music scene she is part of – and has performed in numerous times – in New York. Bittersweet also flows more melodiously between each song with motifs that present themselves then fade and the listener is left with a myriad of sounds swirling and forming as the album flows on through not too dissimilar themes. In the end, Sawako has treated you to a selection of her minimalist soundscapes – with the support of the duo Radiosonde, guitar by Ryan Fracesconi and the cello of Jacob Kirkegaard. A truly mellow and marvellous release by a truly creative and fascinating artist who deserves the great reputation she has come to earn on the electronica scene.