Tenniscoat's new album finds the couple operating in a slightly more experimental, but certainly no less engaging vein. Temporacha was recorded in collaboration with Lawrence English after he flew to Japan with his field recording gear. The three traveled to points outdoors both urban and rural to craft an incredibly beguiling collection of music that seems to literally hum in unison with the geography upon which it was recorded.
Koen Holtkamp, of Mountains, enthused to me awhile back about the married Japanese couple who comprise Tenniscoats, saying something along the lines that they were one of the most interesting groups making music today. I greatly admire Koen's ability as a listener, so such a statement from him carries a lot of weight for me, and he has definitely been proven right about Tenniscoats, as far as I'm concerned. They've been active since around 2000, and only seem to be getting better as they go along, with their song-oriented release for Hapna back in 2007 being a particularly strong point in their catalog, and one of my favorite albums from that year. Their latest release is for Aussie imprint Room 40, and it finds the couple operating in a slightly more experimental, but certainly no less engaging vein. Temporacha was recorded in collaboration with Lawrence English -- who had a very fine release of environmentally based soundscapes last year on Touch -- after he flew to Japan with his field recording gear. The three traveled to points outdoors both urban and rural to craft an incredibly beguiling collection of music that seems to literally hum in unison with the geography upon which it was recorded. Every piece was recorded in situ, and rarely have I heard such a successful collaboration with nature realized. This is an incredibly thoughtful music operating at the intersections of folk, electronic, and avant-garde, always inventively played, and as corny as it is to say it, filled with a palpable sense of wonder. This music is too modest to garner all of the accolades it truly deserves, but I'm already convinced its one of the best records of the year.
-Michael Klausman (March 17, 2009)
LINER NOTES:
I visited Saya and Ueno at the Majikick house in June last year to catch-up, hang out and chat about what another record from them on ROOM40 might feel like. I'd come fresh from RM40 HQ in Brisbane, working with Lawrence on Noriko's 'U' and was packing a clutch of his recent solo stuff. The house was fascinated with 'Studies for Stradbroke' a CDr released on Wind Measures of hydrophone recordings made in the gorgeous natural lakes on Stradbroke Island, just off the coast of Queensland.Perhaps something like this could be the basis of a new Tenniscoats record? We talked through a bunch of ideas with Lawrence plugged in on Skype from Oz and got all excited about what it might actually turn out like.A few months on and Lawrence is en route to the Amazon via Tokyo. With Lawrence packing his field recording kit, the three set off for various locales - Wako-Jurin Park and the Koma-Gawa river for some in-situ 'field recordings' of Tenniscoats in their natural environment.Its these recordings that have become 'Temporacha' - Seven exquisite, spacious miniatures. Essentially live recordings, the playing works around and with the sounds of the recording space - tunnel reverb and passing traffic, rocks tossed into the river… Even with all of that going on and Saya's vocals less to the fore it still feels powerfully Tenniscoats - their wonder and energy let loose in the wild.John Chantler, London, February 2009
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