Satoshi Ashikawa: Still Way (Wave Notation 2) Vinyl LP Satoshi Ashikawa

“Like the moment of stillness, after the wind passes through the garden, when the rain stops for a brief second…” Satoshi Ashikawa’s minimal ambient masterpiece gets a long-overdue reissue, courtesy of WRWTFWW. Released on Ashikawa’s own Sound Process imprint in 1982, Still Way would be the second entry in the ground breaking Wave Notation series, following Hiroshi Yoshimura’s equally important work of environmental music, Music For Nine Postcards. Along with his wife Masami on flute, Midori Takada on vibraphone, Yuko Utsumi on harp, and Tomoko Sono on piano, Satoshi Ashikawa sought to create “a musical landscape or a sound object — not something that would stimulate listeners but music that should drift like smoke and become part of the environment.” The result speaks for itself – a meditative and calming experience draped in subtle sophistication and emotional elegance. With Japanese ambient music getting more attention than ever these days (thank you Youtube algorithm and Through The Looking Glass), it comes as no surprise that Still Way has found its way out of obscurity to inspire a whole new generation of listeners. This official 2019 reissue includes full liner notes from Satoshi Ashikawa himself, along with contemporary Midori Takada, and Irish composer Gareth Quinn Redmond. Highly Recommended.

• liner notes by Midori Takada, Satoshi Ashikawa, and Gareth Quinn Redmond
• 350gsm jacket w/ UV high gloss varnish
• music label: WRWTFWW Records 2019

reviewed by Otakun 10/2019