Midori Takada recorded Through the Looking Glass as her first solo album in 1983. The four-piece work centres on percussion and uses instruments including marimba, vibraphone and other acoustic sound sources, building an intricate world from layering and repetition rather than from a conventional band. The album later became a highly sought-after recording before being internationally reissued.
What interests me is how little the music behaves like a demonstration of percussion technique.
Takada uses repeated patterns to create space.
A marimba figure may remain simple while another rhythmic layer slowly alters how we hear it. The ear begins noticing relationships rather than individual hits.
It is almost the acoustic equivalent of sequencing.
Except every repetition has passed through a human body first.
That distinction becomes more audible the longer the music continues.
A loop can repeat perfectly.
A performer can repeat with intention.
Those are not quite the same thing.
https://wereleasewhateverthefuckwewantrecords.bandcamp.com/album/through-the-looking-glass
