近年來日本著名音樂家坂本龍一(Ryuichi Sakamoto) 積極跟當前新一代電子音樂高手合作,包括曾一起來澳演出的德國後極微電子音樂家Carsten Nicolai(aka Alva Noto) 、奧地利實驗電音大將Fennesz,最近則與美國電音怪傑Christopher Willits合作出版專輯《Ocean Fire》。
關於坂本龍一相信不用多作介紹了,能夠到了這個年紀還那麼有型有格,緊貼時代脈搏,不忘跟年輕人探索新音樂,也透過他的名氣讓更多人接觸新音樂,單這點已經難能可貴了。Christopher Willits的名字則可能比較陌生,其實他在實驗電子音樂圈頗負盛名,被視為三藩市灣區獨立搖滾、前衛、實驗電子圈的中堅人物,也被著名線上新音樂雜誌Tokafi 譽為“聲音藝術的畢卡索”他透過專屬電腦軟體將吉他聲響重新定義,讓西方音樂傳統架構:節奏、旋律、和聲呈現更複雜的互動連結,七年來已出版十五張個人專輯,每張皆力圖突破固有框架,潛力無限。身為密爾斯學院(Mills College)電子音樂碩士的他,專攻音樂結構產生過程(structure-generating processes in music),不但是Pauline Oliveros 和Fred Frith的學生,也與同校傑出校友John Cage、Steve Reich等一脈相承。
在這張《Ocean Fire》當中,可說是二人向海洋的一次崇高聲音致敬,坂本華麗的鋼琴聲與Willits電腦/吉他聲響處理,從最初兩人在坂本錄音室的即興探索,幾經修改,最後塑造出如瀑布般的激烈音調與和諧肌理,產生前所未有的浩瀚深邃聲音之海,一波波旋律如浪濤衝擊著聽者的心弦,莊嚴、低調而神秘,他們想以這張專輯表現出海洋世界微妙的療癒與復元力量,確實散發出一股耐人尋味的張力。
Christopher Willits and Ryuichi Sakamoto’s new release, Ocean Fire, is a sublime soundtrack for the ocean. It is an intense and stirring wash of cascading tones and textured harmony. Willits + Sakamoto surprise with rare form in this collaboration, creating a sound world unlike anything they have produced previously. Each artist has gently pulled the other into new sonic territory. Sakamoto’s gorgeous processed piano sound reflects Willits’ beautiful shimmering clusters of notes, a new aspect of Willits’ pioneering guitar/computer approach. Together, their sounds merge effortlessly, creating deep and seamless swells of gigantic melodic waves.
Ocean Fire was recorded live at Sakamoto’s studio in NYC in spring 2006. The improvisations found their final form through some further editing in the months to come, and final mastering by Clayx in Berlin. We hear the artists exploring their relationship to each other, new sounds, and the ocean’s boundless force and importance. This release is dedicated to the healing and restoration of our fragile oceans.