Really really surprised at their soundscape, to be honest.

The album "Glow" released in June 2022 was produced by a twin guitar project Yuji MUTO & MIZUKI. Yuji is already known as a guitar virtuoso with musical diversity like jazz, rock, metal, hardcore, ambient, or something, and has been quite active for launching various projects like Next Order, Palstic Dogs, and some duo improvisational jazz rock projects. He invited another glorious guitarist, Mizuki, as a partner for this new unit, and the two geniuses created an enchanting album full of unpredictable but comfortable ambience. I've already heard from Yuji that this album was completely kinda fantastic and an ambient ensemble but could not believe it in a sudden manner ... I assumed there would be something heavy or metallic somewhere in this production, actually. But his words are really true, and I pleasantly find his 'greatly ambivalent' guitar technique with Mizuki's wondrous storytelling can grab my heart out strictly.

From the beginning of the first shot "Thaw", calm, fluent, gorgeous phrases are wrapping the audience up. They extend mysterious polyrhythmic sentences around the turf but we cannot feel any awkwardness via them. Sounds like their eye and mind contacts should have perfectly been united and matured. They play such crazy complicated melodic and rhythmic lines in a normal, 'without-struggle' way. The third "Astral", where female hummings are addictive, is also a complex tune but we cannot find any turbulence nor weariness but heartwarming, relaxing atmosphere deeply in it. "Sakura (Cherry Blossom)" has simple repetitive phrases saturated with momentarily dreamy texture. Very monotonous but never boring nor disappointing. We can enjoy slow tempo peaceful quietness plus brilliant mysticism via "20-6", one of my favourite tracks ... let me say this is a sorta musical icon of theirs. On the contrary, the following one, "Caelum", possesses clear, unambiguous guitar-oriented personal touches all around. Also this should be their flavourful flavour, methinks. The last "Beginning" (pretty sweet that they play the song with such a title at the last of this album) makes us feel their primitive positive intention, regardless of calm, easygoing vibes. Every single track involves heartwarming marvelous aroma. Recommended for lots of people tired under such a tough situation.

Delicious.

This album "Vale Tudo" (in Portuguese, anything is alright), released on January 16 2021, was created / produced by Yuji MUTO & Nana OMORI, the third free / improvised jazz duo project of Yuji. The material for this creation has been recorded live on August 22 2020 at Jazz Club Intersat. Yuji's recorded and released other two albums in collaboration with great drummers like Mieko SAKAI or Mako KIMATA, and we have been looking forward to his forthcoming opus cooperated by a pianist of multiplicity Nana. Yes they do not betray our expectations.

Just curious how Nana synchronizes Yuji's kaleidoscopic guitar plays, and we can notice two musical cogwheels can engage with each other in a complex and perfect manner. Already we know well Yuji plays the guitar diversely (jazz, rock, metal ... and so on) but Nana's piano sound launching should not be defeated at all. Take a listen to the first track "Introduction" and we can get immersed in his smooth, sliding guitar plays, followed by Nana's sensitive but vivid piano performances. The power of their combination expands dozens of times actually. "Bloodshed On The Desert" is another revolution of sound, lyrically combined with two talented activities just like a fireworks display. Via the three Improvisations we can enjoy their natural appearances in the air. Wondering why they can work together quite smoothly and precisely. And another highlight: In "Desert Yellow" Nana's heavy desert piano oscillations are completely chasing Yuji's metallic dissonant guitar paranoia. On the contrary, the last "Someday My Prince Will Come" is soft and quiet, as if they would appreciate the prince, namely the upcoming era we will be safe and sound.

Sounds exactly like the two virtuosi say 2021 will not be bad. Believe them, and make a toast for the new year with such a tremendous creation.

"Fission" was released in May 2020 as the second shot of Yuji's improvisation series, in collaboration with a female metalcore drummer Mako KIMATA. Each of them has already been renowned as a session musician in other metal / jazz / avantgarde units as you know, and you have definitely been looking forward to such a instrumental battle between the two talented artists. Wondering where two eccentric originality would go ... if they could be united or not. An everlasting amazement will end up with this brilliant stuff.

The first track "Killer Hornet" kicks you away from the real world, along with Yuji's deep, heavy, explosive but sincere, polite guitar play and Mako's eccentric, complicated, strict drumming. An improvised magnificence is perfectly concordant with another play. Let me say at first, this superb session was live upon stage, actually. "Killer Hornet 2" gets more impressive and innovative. The middle part full of melodic cores and dramatic drumming is kinda killer. You can easily suppose such a powerful, complex stuff could not be played at one stretch without breathing.

On the contrary, the second one "Fission Improvisation" gets started with Yuji's quiet, gentle, but eccentric guitar phrases. Sounds like his guitar might give a speak to the audience in front of him, and Mako's drumming be supportive of Yuji's attempt to be a poet, especially the former part of this track. However, the latter stage is crazy ectopic and dissected. Their excessive play reminds you slightly of Behold ... The Arctopus, in spite of the fact they are only two.

In "A World Inside A Dew Drop" Mako's percussion play fills your brain with percussive dew drops. A gorgeous, beautiful tune really ... happy to imagine the audience listened to this one with tremendous emotion. The last "20-6", that I don't know the real meaning of, is quite relaxing. Apparent is such an expression the two instrumental atmosphere got merged and crystallized completely. You can feel aftereffects of comfort, after being knocked out by their bombastic plays.

An evaluation for improvisational creations should owe a lot to how technical and completely harmonized. In this sense, their works are great indeed. On the other hand, quite difficult to find and get to so-called sound innovation via such material. All the same, this album is fantastic.

Foundation is everything. Sounds like STANCE TONGUE's second creation "Our" mentions these words via the nine tracks by the quintet, let me say at first. A Nagoya-oriented jazz / funk quintet STANCE TONGUE were founded in 2014 featuring five individual talented musicians each of whom has different musical basis and taste from the others, but they can be merged, unified, harmonized, and completely crystallized as a perfect sound collective in this album (and maybe on stage, I've not attended yet though). Every tone via their instruments gets synchronized together and knocks our mind door step by step. Without any eccentricity nor oddness, the five gemstones polish themselves to brilliant gems through modest but steady play technique.

Keyboard-based beautiful lines here and there created by Hiroaki are wonderful, as if we lay down in a flowergarden. In "Freeway" it's crazy fascinating that fantastic saxophone vibes and percussive drumming are chasing after each other. Yumi's saxophone play should colourize their entire soundscape, it's apparent. Eizo's complicated guitar phrases in "No. 179" (means what?) is great indeed but no exaggeration nor bombast around him ... what an importance. Needless to say, the rhythm section - Nobukazu's drumming and Atsutomo's bass play - keeps supporting the whole sound atmosphere as a ground basis. The two fundamental players especially the bassist have no grandeur nor extraordinariness, but they make themselves behave as a backbone of the quintet ... yikes, their strict pay in a supportive, modest manner should be quite tougher than under the spotlight.

In any situation or under any circumstance, we can enjoy their sincere play.

You cannot avoid Yuji's phantasmagoric guitar expression and Mieko's drumming in a full-minded manner. This newest call titled "Reflection" created by a super duo Yuji and Mieko was performed and recorded upon stage via an improvised gig. Quite amazing to know the reason the two brilliant artists can get perfectly harmonized and crystallized under such an improvisational situation, and you can realize each player should completely understand the other one, simultaneously tense atmosphere at a gig, in collaboration with the enthusiastic audience.

The first titled track is kinda great touch. Slow, gentle guitar stream in the beginning gives you massive expectation. Percussive, dramatic, and sometimes assertive drumming drives you crazy. Their synchronized battle of play sounds like a dragon flying up to the heaven. Through the second "Desert Yellow" you can hear sorta tough circumstance upon a desert along Yuji's crazy heavy guitar explosions, and something shining via Mieko's strict but heartwarming drumming and percussion play. Colourful sound diversity can be noticed, according to Yuji's guitar sounds inspired by rock, jazz, metal, and so on.

The last and the longest one "The Beginning" can be recognized as one of the most primitive improvisational chasing for the duo. Here is definite flexibility-flooded sound appearance. Speedy, fire-flamed musical crosstalks, dramatic phases like a moonshine, deep, heavy interactive performances will remind you of Eiliff's "Close Encounters With Their Third One". Musically "alternative" should be here for them, let me say. But at the same time simply enjoyable. It's a pity I could not attend their fantastic gig ... wish I could have peered and contemplated their super-artistic play.

And let me say too ... the sleeve is quite fantastic too!