Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto
Glass


4.2
excellent

Review

by praise jimmy EMERITUS
February 19th, 2018 | 30 replies


Release Date: 2018 | Tracklist

Review Summary: High vibration go on.

Glass is as austere as it is brimming with creativity; an anomaly that beckons its willing listeners into immersing themselves into the chilling aura the composition will undoubtedly evoke. The sounds you hear throughout Glass are cold and sparse, with nothing more to alleviate the sense of creeping terror. Alva Noto's works with Ryuichi Sakamoto have always crossed the realms of finely abstract electronics, but never before has it been so anxious and mysterious. The building in which they performed and recorded Glass itself (the titular Glass House) is an instrument sheltering the clicks and glitches that permeate the room and begrudgingly join in with the vaguest of melodies, whenever such a thing does arise. The piece never wanders but doesn't allow itself to remain as it once was, for its path deviates from normality quickly and never returns to that residual one-note hum. Instead, Glass goes through a sequence of icy maneuvers and stark additions to the crushingly silent atmosphere the Glass House provides for Noto and Sakamoto. Patience is the key to the evolution of Glass, using tonal shifts and ghostly textures to compliment the improvisational mastery we are bearing witness to, whether or not it becomes something much more ghastly than beautiful.



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user ratings (15)
3.7
great


Comments:Add a Comment 
Frippertronics
Emeritus
February 19th 2018


19629 Comments

Album Rating: 4.2

I may be wrong, you may be crazy



Here are two versions:



Live at the Glass House, September 1, 2016: http://theglasshouse.org/media/alva-noto-and-ryuichi-sakamoto/

Glass, the "Album" Version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swXEqFp6g4o&t=1s

luci
February 19th 2018


12844 Comments


we get it, you like ryuichi sakamoto

Frippertronics
Emeritus
February 19th 2018


19629 Comments

Album Rating: 4.2

how could you tell

Conmaniac
February 19th 2018


27705 Comments


as an architecture major I approve

Frippertronics
Emeritus
February 19th 2018


19629 Comments

Album Rating: 4.2

Your professor may balk at the fact they rub stuff on the glass to make ~spooky~ noises

ramon.
February 19th 2018


4204 Comments


really pretty review. liking the embedded track quite a bit, tyty.

Conmaniac
February 19th 2018


27705 Comments


was sliding thru the video, looked quite interesting and I'm sure any (respectable) architect would adore this idea of melding art forms

Frippertronics
Emeritus
February 19th 2018


19629 Comments

Album Rating: 4.2

If that little taster was to your...taste, the whole shebang and its base live form is included for posterity. Watch 'em in action or listen in comfort, the choice is yours!

Frippertronics
Emeritus
February 19th 2018


19629 Comments

Album Rating: 4.2

The concept of a building/architecture as an instrument, while not a new idea, is one that has yet to reach a realization, due to the acoustics and structure itself being a factor. So, to record a piece within such constructs is a bold idea although an astounding task to tackle. It could fail, like James Murphy's attempt at making the NYC subways an instrument (although, from memory I think the city shut that down) or it could work rather well like this did, although there are probably better examples than the ones I've used. With this, I believe Noto and Sakamoto rehearsed the piece once before performing it, with some liberties taken as with most improvisation.

Papa Universe
February 19th 2018


22502 Comments


Coolsies.

Frippertronics
Emeritus
February 19th 2018


19629 Comments

Album Rating: 4.2

The classiest snooziest snooze of 2018 so far

ramon.
February 19th 2018


4204 Comments


sweet ass profile pic

Frippertronics
Emeritus
February 19th 2018


19629 Comments

Album Rating: 4.2

Bugs had to take a break (lest we get another person pointing out Willie had that exact same av a few years ago)

Jots
Emeritus
February 19th 2018


7587 Comments


i like how you reviewed the album cover and used that as the album review

Conmaniac
February 19th 2018


27705 Comments


probably a joke but that sounds like a damn fun game...reviewing / guessing what an album will sound like based off the album cover.

id say this one matches the sound relatively well

luci
February 19th 2018


12844 Comments


cool list idea. show a list of album covers and each person has to write a soundoff based on just the cover art

Tyler.
February 19th 2018


19033 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

yes more ryuichi please

Conmaniac
February 19th 2018


27705 Comments


anyone wanna do it with me?

SenatorPalpatine
February 19th 2018


22 Comments







butcherboy
February 19th 2018


9464 Comments


Fripp, the one paragraph wiz.. will be listening on a walk tonight.. always the mental pos



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