[Microsound-announce] Fwd: [12k] TAYLOR DEUPREE + EISI 'every still day' (noble, japan)

[richard chartier / LINE]

> 12k : june 27th, 2005
>
> now available on Noble Records (Japan) and available in 12k's online 
> shop:
>
> ARTIST: TAYLOR DEUPREE + EISI
> TITLE: EVERY STILL DAY
> CAT.NO: CXCA1164
>
>
> 12k info page: http://www.12k.com/cxca1164.htm
> 12k online shop: ;http://www.12k.com/paypalshop
> label website and audio sample: http://www.noble-label.net/release/?en
>
> ----- info:
>
> The Noble label releases albums under the concept of "music for your 
> daily life." Now Noble is proud to announce its 10th release: Every 
> Still Day by Taylor Deupree and Eisi. The sound artist based in New 
> York, Taylor Deupree, reconstructed the seventh release from the Noble 
> in 2003, the album titled awaawa by Eisi, a 3-piece band consisting of 
> vocals, acoustic guitar, trumpet, upright bass, and synthesizers.
>
> First released in 2003, melodies spinning softly upwards into the 
> gentle air, the ethereal voice of Mujika Easel melting into serenity, 
> Eisixs awaawa brought forth a storm of quiet excitement among 
> listeners.
>
> New York-based musician Taylor Deupree liked awaawa and requested to 
> work on the reconstruction project. Deupree owns three labels of his 
> own: 12k, LINE and Happy, and he has also released albums from major 
> world labels such as Mille Plateaux, Raster-Norton, and Sub Rosa.
>
> Eisi sent Deupree individual tracks of the songs on the original 
> album, live recordings, and unreleased versions. Deupree preserved the 
> organic quality of the original tracks as he applied his own style of 
> delicate digital processing, weaving the layers and fragments into the 
> sonic tapestry that is this album.
>
> San Francisco musician Christopher Willits added his characteristic 
> warm guitar-work to the album.
>
> In his recent work Deupree has revealed glimpses of his more melodic 
> style of music and interest in japanese pop music. This fresh and 
> unique electro-acoustic masterpiece is one place where Derupree has 
> arrived in a musical journey toward acoustic sounds.
>
>
> ------ a text for "Every Still Day" by Taylor Deupree
>
>
> I came in contact with Junji Kubo from noble label through my label, 
> Happy, in Tokyo during the summer of 2000. Happy was the result of my 
> long-time interest in unconventional japanese pop, and was quite a 
> different direction from the minimalist microsounds of my flagship 
> label 12k. Little did I know at the time, but the worlds of Happy and 
> 12k would soon merge.
>
> Upon hearing eisi's awaawa CD from Noble I was struck by the beauty, 
> simplicity, and unpretentious experimentalism of their sound. I found 
> their use of traditional instruments and the airy, haunting voice of 
> mujika easel to be unique and captivating. Due to my growing interest 
> in acoustic sound sources I approached Kubo-san with a concept of 
> recreating awaawa in its entirety using the band's original tracks as 
> source material for digital manipulation and building them from the 
> ground up. It was an opportunity for me to explore more pop-based 
> production techniques and to take my own sound in new directions.
>
> Every Still Day(a phrase taken from the lyrics of "Soshite Hossuru") 
> was started in the late summer of 2004 and quickly became one of the 
> most challenging projects I had ever worked on. I had to 
> simultaneously balance the integrity of eisi's original work with my 
> own fresh interpretation while loosely adhering to the "rules" of pop 
> music. Eisi kindly supplied me not only with every individual track 
> from each song on the original album, but also multiple takes of each 
> track as well as outtakes that never appeared on the album. The source 
> material was daunting, but enormously deep. Added to this was a sense 
> of sadness as I found out that eisi had recently disbanded, so my work 
> immediately became an elegy of sorts.
>
> My initial concept for Every Still Day was to take eisi's songs, which 
> are acoustic and freeform in nature, and to stretch them in two 
> opposite directions. On one hand, I wanted to add more structure and a 
> sense of "popness" and on the other blending in my own style of 
> digital experimentalism. Given the immense possibility of source 
> material at hand I often chose to keep much of the main 
> instrumentation intact, keeping a direct reference to the original 
> songs, not getting distracted by too many choices and technological 
> possibilities. To this I would add layers and fragments of digitally 
> processed sounds and build new arrangements. In addition to the 
> original tracks I created 3 interludes sourced from eisi's live 
> recordings. These short pieces appear on the album as an intro, an 
> interlude, and an outro. I also asked San Francisco guitarist 
> Christopher Willits, a friend, collaborator, and artist on 12k to 
> supply some guitar parts using his signature folded guitar technique. 
> His work appears on "Note 1."
>
> I want to extend my warmest respects to each of the members of eisi 
> for allowing me complete freedom to manipulate their recordings. As an 
> artist myself I know how difficult it is to let go of work and allow 
> someone to change or recontextualize it. For this opportunity I am 
> deeply grateful. I believe that my work offers a unique interpretation 
> of "awaawa," approaching it from my own point of view with my own 
> influences, and in the end it was one of the most exciting and 
> important projects I've ever had the pleasure to work on. It was my 
> wish that eisi would equally enjoy hearing their songs in a new light 
> and perhaps discover elements or sonic relationships that they had not 
> noticed before. It appears that they did indeed like my work: upon 
> hearing some of the early demo versions the band decided to get back 
> together.
>
> Despite all of the challenges, excitement and creative energy I 
> experienced during the writing of Every Still Day I still believe that 
> my work is merely a peek inside eisi, from a stranger's point of view, 
> and that the beauty of their original songs and performances can never 
> be improved upon.
>
> Taylor Deupree
> April, 2005
>