Jay Chakravorty expresses emotion with grace, in ‘Alexia, Berlin’

Live performance of 'Alexia, Berlin', recorded between lockdowns in 2020.Taken from the forthcoming album, 'A Map With No Memory', out April 23rd 2021 on Unp...

Putting aside time for solo work, Chakravorty partners with Unperceived Records to release debut album ‘A Map With No Memory’

Self -taught composer Jay Chakravorty has worked to find his place as a musician, experimenting with different projects created under different names, breaking into TV and film and honing his talents in classical leaning electronica along the way. As a session musician Chakravorty has worked with names like Bright Light Bright Light, Bryde and Emma McGrath. Now however, he seems intent on bringing forward his own sound, which promises to be worth listening out for.

Like the projects he’s been involved with Chakravorty’s style is fluid and varied, but now that his debut solo album is on the brink of release we’ve had a glimpse of what a totally independent approach will sound like. The tracks released so far approach from different genres, but each ventures into environments cinematic and imbued with emotion.

‘Sunlight at Stratford Station’ takes on heavier waves of synth but remains a meditative track, slow paced and gentle rhythms building up a quiet intensity. Our featured track ‘Alexia, Berlin’ moves much further into neo-classical, drawing on Chakravorty’s skills as a multi-instrumentalist, as well as those of his supporting cast of musicians. Strings and piano filter through to create a track where melody is tended to with painstaking care and patient love.

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Constantly in motion - Kumi Takahara shares elegant new video for 'Tide'

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.

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Listen to the label- Flau Records
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The magical world of Masakatsu Takagi

While many features on our blog are about up and coming musicians, part-timers, or those looking for a break, Masakatsu Takagi is very much a professional musician. While not a household name by any stretch, those interested in anime will have no doubt heard Takagi's work before. He has been a frequent collaborator with Mamoru Hosoda and has scored his highly acclaimed animation films, Wolf Children (2012), The Boy and the Beast (2015) and this year's Mirai (2018), which has already garnered rave reviews both in Japan and around the world.

The film was recently released in America through GKIDS. The soundtrack which contains our featured track, "Inner Garden" was released the same day by Milan Records based out of LA. While I haven’t had the chance to watch Mirai yet to comment on how the music harmonizes with the image, from what I've heard of the score, including this whimsical little number "Inner Garden", it more than stands on its own as a beautifully composed, emotional soundtrack.

Masakatsu Takagi has been compared to some great composers like Ryuichi Sakamoto, Goldmund, Philip Glass, Alexandra Streliski and more, but his work really stands on its own. There's a magical quality to his compositions. There’s a feeling of being in touch with nature, a simplicity, free of noise and clutter.

Our featured track, "Inner Garden" is a wonderful example of Takagi's talent and contains rich instrumentation ranging from delicate piano flutters, to chimes, wood blocks, strings and more. There's an Asian feeling to the tune, leaning towards Buddhism or Shintoism, as bells, blocks, chimes and a feeling of serenity loom throughout. There's almost a cyclical feeling emoted, which I'm sure has to do with themes in the film as, Mirai deals with a young boy travelling through time to meet his relatives from different generations.

The soundtrack to Mirai was recently released and comes highly recommended to fans of animation music, soundtracks, classical music and piano music. This is a piece of art everyone should really discover. It's a chance to shut off the noise of the world for a bit and be transported to a magical world created by Masakatsu Takagi.

Animation fans make sure to catch Mirai, especially if it's playing a theater near you. For the rest of us, if “Inner Garden” has piqued your interest, make sure to check out Masakatsu Takagi's other art, both in audio and visual form on the following platforms below:

Web
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