Maki Ishii “Mono Prism / Afro Concerto”

Maki Ishii

Mono-Prism / Afro-Concerto

JVC (Japan) 1984

SJX-1176 (LP) w/obi, insert.

sleeve : NM

media : VG+/EX(some slightly noises. the silent part of the beginning on A1 has click noise.)


An album released in 1984 featuring two works by Maki Ishii, who emerged as a prominent composer in the contemporary music scene in the early 1970s. Part of JVC's "Masterpieces of Contemporary Japanese Music 2000 Series." Both sides of the album are concertos for percussion and orchestra. Side A features Mono-Prism, performed by the Sado-based taiko drum group Ondekoza, led by Den Tagayasu, and the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra. The dynamic interplay between Ondekoza's energetic taiko drumming and the orchestra is remarkable. Side B presents Afro-Concerto, performed by percussionists Kazunori Momose and Takako Yamaguchi, accompanied by the NHK Symphony Orchestra. The piece begins with percussion that moves like a living organism, creating a sense of spaciousness, and gradually builds into a dramatic and dynamic progression. Both sides come highly recommended.

There is a very small scratch in the silent section at the beginning of A1, causing intermittent ticking noise, but it disappears just before the track starts.