The first thing that comes to mind about Kumi Takahara’s new track ‘Tide’ is how it seems to have perfectly captured the essence of it’s namesake.
The opening ambient sounds give way to swirling, constantly moving interwoven string melodies that seem to drift from plaintive, to wondrous and uplifting, back and forth.
Delicate vocals and instrumentation build into an evolving and deep piece that does indeed remind of moving waters, and showcases a real talent in arranging and composition from Takahara, who it seems is under the influence of Phillip Glass. This of course is by no means a bad thing…
The accompanying video only adds to the experience of the music with natural imagery, soft focus, light patterns, and intriguing time lapse shots in a demonstration of elegance and taste.
There is a lot to like here and thankfully there is more to come as a debut album titled ‘See-Through’ is due for release February 24th also. Takahara describes it as “Introspective and expansive at the same time, — a collection of classical music with a contemporary spirit.” which seems apt based on the evidence so far.
For now ‘Tide’ is the only track available from the record, but if it is is anything to go by then the album should be a very interesting listen.
