This work was created by Tokyo-based electronic musician "H.Takahashi" based on an original essential oil made of 100% natural ingredients that evokes the image of "daytime" and the image evoked by the scent.
Yudai Osawa, who also designed the logo for Kankyō Records, was in charge of video production and package design. Mastering was done by Chihei Hatakeyama. 【Kankyō Records】
Kankyo Records, a record store with a focus on ambient and new age music and a concept of "listening in the living environment," has launched the "Sound incense" series. When I heard the outline of the project, which was to create music that would accompany the fragrance of the organic essential oils created under the themes of "morning, noon, and night," I was surprised and impressed by the resolution of H.Takahashi's concept of Kankyo Records, and was impressed by his ability to make his music more focused on our lives. I was knocked to my knees as I realized that this was one of the ways he was making the music he transmits more focused and accessible to our lives.
As many of you know, when you visit the Kankyo Records web page, the first thing you see is "Select by Your Environment," and you are prompted to choose the music that best fits your environment. The user can select the time of day (Morning, Noon, Night, etc.), the bath room, or the atmosphere in which he or she lives. With the spread of the coronavirus and changes in lifestyles, the way people relate to and listen to music had to change drastically, and it is perhaps inevitable that Kankyo Records, which presents music content and new ways to enjoy music in a living environment, was born in the midst of this change. In this vortex, Kankyo Records was born. Furthermore, while record stores of all shapes and sizes have sprung up and disappeared like bamboo shoots after rain in Japan, there is probably no other store that so straightforwardly practices environmental music.
H.Takahashi, who is an architect as well as an ambient artist, released his music on the prestigious US underground label "NOT NOT FUN" shortly after he started making music. He was working at a company at the time, and he told me that he wrote songs on the platform of the train station during his commute to work, using only Garage band, a music production application built into his iPhone. I was impressed by what he said about how architectural design and music assembly are very similar.
In short, for him, the act of making music and having people listen to it does not force anyone to do anything, but it is like a flower casually displayed in the living room, blending into daily life and giving a little moisture and peace of mind, and is connected to the act of designing buildings and housing people. It is like a single flower displayed in a living room.
Let's start by smelling the essential oil that inspired the music for "Orange". The complex mixture of trace elements makes it hard to pinpoint the exact smell, but a refreshing citrus note spreads through the nostrils and passes easily from the tip of the nose. After that, there is a slight scent of elegant wood and rosemary, which is probably aromatic wood, so there is a perfect balance of freshness and sweetness, and it is a deep and harmonious scent with a refreshing yet relaxing mood. After enjoying the warm and positive effects of the aroma, which changes with time, let's listen to the sound.
If you are imagining the introspective, minimalistic, and beautiful soundscape that is a part of H.Takahashi's style, you may be a little surprised. The work is filled with tropical instruments such as marimba and kalimba, environmental sounds reminiscent of a tropical rainforest, and birdsong, and as the time axis passes by with the fragrance, various scenes come and go, and a sweet and dangerous fragrance that seems to open the eyes of those whose perception has been sharpened by aromatic oils, appears densely in a nocturnal sleep. It is an exotic New Age work, interspersed with small daydream-like pieces. Relax and let your nose and ears be abundantly delighted, dive into the sea of memories and images, and broaden your perceptual horizons from scent to sound, from smell to hearing, and a deeper sound trip awaits you.[DJサモハンキンポー]
ご存知の方も多いだろうが、Kankyo Recordsのwebページにアクセスするとまず”Select by Your Environment(あなたの環境に最適な音楽を選択してください)”という文字が現れ、Morning、Noon、Nightといった時間軸だったり、Bath RoomやEatといった生活する上での様々なシチュエーションを選択することができる。コロナウイルスが蔓延し、生活様式が変わる中で、人々の音楽に対する関わり方も聞き方も大きく変わらざるを得なかったわけだが、その渦中において住環境での生活に寄り添った音楽コンテンツと新しい音楽の楽しみ方を提示するKankyo Recordsが生まれたのは必然の流れであるかもしれない。さらにいうと、国内に雨後の筍のように様々な形のレコードショップが誕生しては消えていく中で、ここまで真っ直ぐに環境音楽を実践している店も他に類を見ないだろう。
アンビエント作家の他に、建築家としての顔も併せ持つH.Takahashiだが、音楽を作り始めて間もなく、USアンダーグラウンドの名門”NOT NOT FUN”からリリースを果たしている。ちょうどそのタイミングで曲作りについての話を聞いたことがあるのだが、驚いたことにiPhone内蔵の音楽制作アプリGarage bandのみを使い、当時会社勤めだった彼は、通勤時の駅のホームで曲作りをしていると言うのだ。その時に建築の設計と音楽の組み立て方はとても似ている、という旨の話をしていたのがとても印象に残っている。
つまるところ、彼にとって音楽を作って聞いてもらう、という行為は誰に何を強いるわけでもなく、日々の生活の中に溶け込み、少しの潤いと安らぎを与える、建築物を設計して人を住まわせるといった行為と地続きの、リビングにさりげなく飾られた一輪の花のようなものではないだろうか。
All Tracks Written & Recorded by H.Takahashi
Mixed by H.Takahashi
Cassette Design & Book Design by Yudai Osawa (osawayudai.com)
All Tracks Mastered by Chihei Hatakeyama (chihei.org)
Manufactured by Kankyō Records (kankyorecords.com)
Reduced, simple sounds, reminiscent of minimal kankyo productions.
Slow + calming ambient with distinct patterns rather than all-encompassing fields. Karl Grundmann
These patient, organic modular synth works were recorded during Wil Bolton’s second artist residency at EMS in Stockholm. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 3, 2023
If you know my tastes, you know I love environmental atmospherics.
This surf & turf tone poem is by Tokyo trio Atoris, who counts the great sound artist H. Takahashi among its members.
Peep the visuals if you're high. Charlie Moonbeam