September 23, 2011
ANNOUCEMENT : CHANGE OF WEBLOG ADDRESS
We have moved to a new address for our news weblog.
http://www.kitchen-label.com/news
Please update your bookmarks, thank you!
June 12, 2011
「6月の水辺」haruka nakamura live at UrBANGUILD (Kyoto)
photo by haruka nakamura
Friends in Kyoto, haruka nakamura will be performing at UrBANGUILD again tonight. This would be the first time since the previous Kyoto tour with label mates aspidistrafly in 2009. Chiaki Nishimori, tomtom and Eiichi Kimura will also be appearing as guest performers.
Event : 「6月の水辺」
Date : 2010.6.12
Time : open 18:30 start 19:30
Tickets : 前売2300円 当日2500円(with 1 drink)
Venue : UrBANGUILD
Tel : 075-212-1125
Email : urbanguild@w7.dion.ne.jp
June 12, 2011
Janis crunch live at note et silence (Kichijoji, Tokyo)
Our friend and the voice of most haruka nakamura compositions, Janis Crunch, will be performing her first solo set at note et silence (Kichijoji Branch) as part of the note et sort exhibition tonight.
Event : note et sort vol.1 Janis Crunch live
Date : 2010.6.12
Time : 19:30
Tickets : 2500円(with 1 drink + light food)
Venue : note et silence (Kichijoji branch)
Email : noteetsilence@gmail.com
May 18, 2011
ironomi “sketch” review by Electroacoustic Tales (Germany)
The wonderful Kitchen. Label from Singapore is well-known for their beautiful and well designed artbook releases. Their latest (KI-005) masterpiece has been released in December 2010 – ‘Sketch’ by Ironomi. ” ‘Sketch’ attempts to conjure something of the glaring light and torpid air of a Japanese summer using sound alone. The titles of these compositions invoke a literal kind of emotional color – specific nuances associated with the unique hue of summer insects, or the underside of leaves in the shade. The names of these colors belong to a romantic, anachronistic vocabulary found in literary works that date from the Heian period (794-1185), like Sei Shonagon’s The Pillow Book.” [taken from the introduction printed in the artbook].
Ironomi is Junya Yanagidaira and Yu Isobe. Whilst Isobe’s part is the more electronic manipulation (laptop), Yanagidaira delivers the beautiful piano music. Often reminding me of Claude Débussy – mostly due to the often used pentatonic – their music seems to be mainly inspired by impressionists musically. Also regarding the artbook with the descreet and sometimes even pale colours this impression is increased visually. Regardless of this theoretical inspection ‘Sketch’ is a truly beautiful piece of work. Following the nearly jazzy ‘Twilight’ album by Haruka Nakamura ‘Sketch’ appears to be more experimental and classically orientated. The song form cannot be found in any piece, instead Ironomi presents a collection of piano loop collages. A brilliant overall sound is delivered through the complete 33:30 minutes (which is pretty short for an album like this! But the repeat-button extends the pleasure for another half an hour…). With the piano arpeggios looped and newly arranged to peaceful sound collages the album appears like a warm auditory summer rain, both refreshing and recreative. Again this impression is increased through the visual aspect, the photographs by April Lee are full of warmth, showing often healthy nature or even summery colours. A perfect combination of auditory and visual elements. A beautiful sketch of summer, light, warmth, rain and life in general.
The format – CD plus artbook – still is a very special way to release music. It’s a feast for the eyes as a collector’s item and to image the music itself. However, the Kitchen. Label artbooks are top-notch pieces of art, both the artbook and the CD – but especially the combination of both.
[ 4.9 / 5 ]
- electroacoustictales.wordpress.com
May 18, 2011
aspidistrafly on JUICE – WANDER Singapore City Guide 2011
aspidistrafly is featured WANDER – a Singapore city guide by JUICE magazine. The updated 2011 edition is ow available at all major book stores island wide in Singapore. Thanks Wayne and Min!
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“Scintillating and ethereal, aspidistrafly does a seamless melding of visual art and music, so your listening/viewing experience is entirely beautiful and not unlike the warm embrace of summer breeze.”
1 – Who and what makes up aspidistrafly?
April Lee (vocals, guitar, programming) and Ricks Ang (guitar, programming, producer). The both of us compose and arrange music. While musical notes are not running through our minds, we also run a design studio/music label called Kitchen.
2 – What gives you the greatest satisfaction being in aspidistrafly?
It’s such great enjoyment to compose aural collages just like how a painter daubs on layers of color to create a certain expression.
Also, being able to work with other like-minded musicians, and touring other cities to bring to foreign listeners a small piece of Singapore.
3 – How should one best enjoy aspidistrafly?
aspidistrafly is enjoyed best when you hide yourself into a pocket of time when the sun filters into the trees with only the sound of wind and when the night is pitch-black with only the sound of crickets.
4 – What are your thoughts on the local music scene?
It’s the scene that aspidistrafly was born in 2001 and it is certainly much better than it was 10 years ago.
5 – Who’s a local music hero of yours, and why?
Leslie Low, for inspiring my generation of musicians, for still owning his own recognizable sound even though his style of music has been evolving over time.
6 – Complete this sentence: without music…
Without music, there would still be other kinds of interesting sounds to enjoy like droplets of water or the crunching of dry leaves while walking, and then music would be reinvented and evolve again.
