Mkwaju Ensemble (Midori Takada): "KI-Motion" LP

Label: WRWTFWW Records

Genre: Experimental

Release Date: 7/6/2018

Article: F_0935

Heavy cardboard old Stoughton tip-on sleeve. WRWTFWW Records present the official reissue of legendary album KI-Motion by Japanese percussionist Midori Takada's MKWAJU Ensemble, originally released in 1981. A highly creative and transcendental fusion of marimba, vibraphone, bamboo percussion, and synthesizers, KI-Motionwas recorded in 1981 and captures the birth of Midori Takada's exploration of minimalism, African rhythmic tradition, and ambient music. The album takes its conceptual inspiration from the tamarind ("mkwaju" in Swahili), a drought resistant tree notably used to craft some of the first mallets and marimbas but also known for its culinary and medical uses, an essential symbol of life and identity for the Central African grasslands. Drawing from the region's culture and music as well as the crucial notion that rhythms represent the very fabric of life, Midori Takada leads her ensemble into environmental heaven to create one of the highlights of her recording career and an absolute must-have from the golden age of Japanese ambient -- the ideal companion to her majestic opus from 1983, Through The Looking Glass (WRWTFWW 018LP/019CD/019LP).