Succinct EP from Japanese post-classical musician Jun, guitarist from Gargle who also records under the name Yawning- Noah his solo project on Fluttery Records. Whereas polish was the missing factor in terms of some clumsiness affecting his earlier Selected Works, Jun’s exploration of sentiment driven by the bittersweet and reflective is continued on the Noah EP. Support from new label Fluttery has resulted in more realised complexity and less forced composition, the added production values allowing highly emotional pieces timing improvements not executed as capably on Selected Works.
That immense yet delicate juxtaposition Japanese artists have honed through the ages is certainly evident on Noah. The arrangements suggest soaring through vivid landscape, armies descending from the clouds or a single flower petal the only colour in a snowstorm. This is a decidedly measured work; every piano note every string every pause. Impressively this is managed without sounding overly calculated. The music still flows.
But it can’t be said that Jun is truly extending the edgier listener’s appetite, however those new age aficionados who like a cup of tea and some mental veg-out will probably not be hankering for anything more than the melancholy bliss delivered. Personally I couldn’t help but think Kitaro upon hearing Yawning’s Noah and for me that entails memories of shattered car journeys as a child with Silk Road winding terminally in the cassette player.
Yukkoff
