kotonoha, by ironomi

kotonoha

by ironomi

supported by

mring Beautiful.
The music invites you deep into the green forest, just like the photo on the cover of the album.

It was a very precious day in my life when I met this music.
It's a joyful encounter with music, just as it is with people.
I will listen to this album again and again

ILM x BC - ONLINE GLOBAL MARKET thumbnail

ILM x BC - ONLINE GLOBAL MARKET KITCHEN. LABEL (Singapore)

8 x test pressings “kotonoha” - ironomi - Previously sold out

Michael Mueller Absolutely sublime, piano-led classical ambience, and a surefire inclusion in my top-ten albums of the year.

At times, the piano lines here as a delicate as falling rain. Silence is definitely used, but a bubbling lightness of touch, blended in with sustained notes and subtle polyphony are used, rather than the more predictable Satie-like lines.

The supporting instrumentation - on traditional Japanese instruments is delicately rendered, creating an album both light and lingering.

Sublime. Favorite track: 歩風 ayumikaze.

Fabio Viola Ironomi are incredible. I fell in love with their previous album “Niji” and this one managed to make me fall even deeper. If heaven existed and you actually went there, the cloud/speakers would be playing this. Favorite track: 月導 tsukishirube.

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CD
Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album
Glass-mastered CD housed in a die-cut thick board mounted on a 4-panel case, outer slipcase, offset printed, full colour on premium matt paper

Includes unlimited streaming of kotonoha via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

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Test Pressing
Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
Limited test pressing of ironomi - kotonoha

Includes unlimited streaming of kotonoha via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

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12" Transparent Green Vinyl
Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
Transparent green vinyl, 12″ sleeve + 2pp insert, offset printed, full colour on premium matt paper. LP ships with tracking.

Includes unlimited streaming of kotonoha via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

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	1.	栞日 shioribi 07:05
	2.	波空 namisora 07:26
	3.	歩風 ayumikaze 04:19
	4.	葉衣 hagoromo 05:58
	5.	月導 tsukishirube 08:12
	6.	舞子 maigo 06:03

about

“kotonoha” is ironomi’s 8th album and first ever release on vinyl. A tonal portrait of microscopic nuances particular of a Japanese midsummer saunter through deep emerald green forests and tranquil fields, transcribed into a meditative pastoral reverie created with crystalline piano playing, lute acoustics and real-time processing.

The title “kotonoha” (琹の葉) comes from a poetic anachronistic metaphor, combining form of leaves (葉 ha) and plucked string instruments (琹 koto) depicted in classical antiquity. With a distinctive sound that matches the sonic architecture of Japanese aesthetics, ironomi adds “koto no ha” into their extensive catalog already defined by its uniquely committed minimalism and serenity.

“kotonoha” was originally built on a sequence of four continuous scenes that makes up one long-form composition. The titles of these improvisational pieces (shioribi, namisora, ayumikaze, hagoromo) invoke a literal kind of sensuous, fleeting phenomena. The beauty and charm of these tracks lie in their impressionist fusion with Japanese nature and sensibilities. ironomi’s pieces rarely build and despite their sparse acoustic density, they have a presence that cuts sweetly into the listener’s reality. ironomi created their very own brand of “environmental music”, the literal translation of the Japanese term kankyo ongaku (環境音楽) - music designed to harmonise with, rather than dominate, its natural surroundings. In the specific spatial context of “kotonoha”, the record heals the aural sense away from our jangling cities and restless daily environments.

The album includes two additional compositions “tsukishirube” and “maigo”, the latter being regularly featured as the concluding passage that brings ironomi’s live performances to an end. The expanded cadence remained a firm fan-favourite since 2010 and now documented in recording for the first time.

ironomi releases “kotonoha” on 30 August 2019 via KITCHEN. LABEL worldwide. Available on limited edition translucent green vinyl LP (Estimated shipping: 29 Sep 2019), CD and digital formats, with artwork by Tokyo-based photographer Yoichi Onoda. This record is mastered by Gen Tanabe at Studio Camel House in Yamanashi, Japan.

credits

released August 30, 2019

Junya Yanagidaira - Piano
Yu Isobe - Lute, Computer Programming

All compositions by ironomi
Mastered by Gen Tanabe at Studio Camel House, Japan

Design by Ricks Ang
Photography by Yoichi Onoda

Ⓟ & © 2019 KITCHEN. LABEL
www.kitchen-label.com

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about

ironomi Japan

ironomi is a duo consisting of pianist Junya Yanagidaira and Yu Isobe on lute & laptop. iro-no-mi literally means “fruit of color”, a meaning unique in Japanese to describe the quintessential Japanese aesthetic centered on the four seasons.

discography

himorogi

Feb 2023
kotonoha

Aug 2019
niji

Dec 2015
sketch

Dec 2010

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