Michiko Akao "Yokobue"

Michiko Akao
Yokobue
Universal Music/HMV record shop (Japan) 2022
TP-80162 (LP) Promotional copy. w/obi, insert.
sleeve : NM
media : NM/NM

This is the masterpiece debut album released in 1983 by the Japanese female transverse flute player Michiko Akao, who transcended the boundaries of gagaku and flexibly engaged in various activities, including collaborations with the San Francisco/Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Seiji Ozawa. Produced by composer Nariaki Saegusa, the album features musicians such as Hiroyuki Nanba and Yoshihiro Naruse, who are active in crossover fields. Both sides of the album consist of long compositions by Saegusa Side A prominently features synthesizers and vocoders, blending Japanese flavors with progressive rock-like developments in a symphonic ethno-jazz style. Side B is centered around Michiko Akao's solo transverse flute performance, creating a meditative sound akin to a dry landscape garden. Highly recommended throughout. This is a Japanese reissue in 2022.