himorogi (Crystal clear vinyl) [Vinyl]

日本環境、新古典雙人組 ironomi 的第十張作品，一直以來圍繞在地球萬物與四季的共鳴作為靈感的源頭，透過十七絃的日本箏、鋼琴以及電子聲景探索日本文化與自然間的流動關係；專輯名稱來自日語的「神籬」，日本文化長期以來認為天神居住在山、石、樹木與海洋等... 自然界的元素中，早期祭祀這些自然景物以及召喚天神時所建立的聖域即為「神籬」。六首歌的排序就像是一個生命週期的循環，在優雅的冥想下找回內在的平靜。

“The sky opens and the sun leads the flowers to bloom, rain connects the sky with the earth. The dance of joy and sadness blossoms.”

himorogi is the tenth album by ironomi. Divining Japanese mythology and its relationship with nature, the new album is an aural pastorale that fosters deeper territory in the realm of spiritual searching through dreamy, drifting piano, 17-string koto (jūshichi-gensō) and new form electronic processing.

ironomi desire to commune with mother Earth and its season colors has always served as a continual inspiration for their music. In himorogi, the duo delves into a more spiritual focus in their journey towards musical impressionism. Japanese culture has long held the idea that heavenly spirits live in many elements of the natural world, such as mountains, rocks, trees, and the sea. The album title comes from the Japanese word Himorogi (神籬), which in Shinto terminology is translated as “divine fence,” which refers to sacred areas that a celestial spirit enters.

Six songs were created in chronological order, ama-saki (Bloom in the Sky), yume-asobi (Playing in Dream), sakura-ame (Cherry Blossom Rain), hibiki-sora (Echoing Sky)*, ama-yadori (Rain Shelter), chumu (Abstract Nil Space). On each, they move organically in the nature they were recorded, as rain connects the sky with the Earth, giving life to it with blossoming flowers. Once the hues of autumn bid their farewell, another life cycle begins. Rather than arriving at a state of tranquility, the idea is to reach a state of nothingness as suggested in the zazen-inspired chumu.

Junya Yanagidaira sublime, elegant phrasing of subtle polyphony and melodic piano lines fall like rain through a picturesque blue horizon over calming koto sways by multi-instrumentalist Yu Isobe. Flashes of sunlight momentarily refract through the water surface in the form of bright starlit keyboards, at times weaving child-like melodies of enchantment. The lightest touch of koto strings seems to hover and balance the murmur of a garden stream. It beckons you closer as the gentle caress of the music awakens your inner senses. himorogi will remain timeless because the duo created music that absconded with time and place with their endless visions of beauty.