Name: Nº 35 In science and the human heart - Hiroshi Ebina
Availability: InStock

CATALOGUE NO.
KI-035

FORMAT
CS, Digital

LISTEN ON
Streaming Services ⟶

SPECIFICATION
CS: Pro-dubbed C36 recycled frosted tape housed in white cassette case with J-card

RELEASE DATE
25 Nov 2022

“Each song is a small message card to listeners. I hope they might be signposts for your life when you need them.”

In science and the human heart is Hiroshi Ebina’s latest foray into the realms of sound and spirit. The Tokyo-based artist first made his mark on KITCHEN. LABEL with Faraway Vicinity EP — a collaboration with composer Kin Leonn, created in the early, uncertain days of the pandemic, offering solace through its tranquil tones. Ebina’s new album pushes that concept further, exploring the intricate balance of sound to create an environment that feels both weightless and intimate. Its immersive, free-floating ambiance is designed to invite relaxation, promote a sense of ‘sound health,’ and — more intriguingly — delve into the complexities of the human heart.

With this release, Ebina opened up about overcoming depression during his early adulthood and created this work as a personal therapeutic process to cope with the experience. Meditative, gentle and minimal, In science and the human heart is a calming recording. The artist produced the music via a system of open-reel tape processing in conjunction with modular synthesizers and acoustic instruments such as music boxes, glockenspiel and guitars.

The album starts with the sound of the tape machine (a half-a-century-old NAGRA IV) turning on, and a music box recorded onto 1/4 inch tape slowly reverberates along with a subtle drone. Ebina modifies the playback speed and mics the output from the built-in speaker. The method resulted in capturing some sounds of the tape machine itself, and these were purposefully left in the final mix. Jewel-toned plucked sounds, tape noise and the sounds of found objects alternate with cascades of light and fragile beauty, creating an aura of stillness and an indescribable sense of balance. Light harmonics and decay that hovers throughout the album add its imminently lingering quality. In science and the human heart has an unhurried and lulling quality that lends itself well as a background for meditation or creating a peaceful atmosphere for sleep.

The instrumental exploration seems to speak directly to the heart, which enfolds the listener in a comforting curve of sound. Ebina states, “Each song is a small message card to listeners. I hope they might be signposts for your life when you need them as they did for me.”