Norihito Suda - Light Snowfall
Music is not necessarily created by the musician – the musician conjures her from the well of silence, of what was already there. She waits for someone to open the door...
Norihito Suda has the pleasure of doing just that, not so much creating beautiful ambient music but rather bringing it into reality from its dreamy state, nudging it out of its cosy womb of thoughts, awakening it, developing and nurturing it in a dark room of sound, and then giving it the chance to brave the cold, snowy world beyond.
Light Snowfall effortlessly glides through the air. Deeply in tune with itself and at one with its own slow-moving atmosphere, frail flakes fall in step with the music, which is as light as a snowflake upon landing....
The delayed sounds and reverb-laced notes are slow to unfold, taking their time to do so. Suda’s ambient music is a soft, smudged wash of sound that paradoxically radiates both stillness and progression. Like a band of leaden, pregnant clouds, heavier, grey tones occasionally pass overhead, but when it breaks up, the sky’s illuminated by a rippling of notes.
The long-form nature of the music not only induces but deepens a feeling of wanted calm. Hazy and yet immediate, the music is like a friend, a benevolent, out-of-focus spirit that stays forever by your side, drifting in a pale halo of light. Background fizzles are dampened by long distances until they resemble lost echoes at a low volume, like a faraway television set tuned to a missing channel, with its white scrawls imitating a swirling flurry of snow.
Light Snowfall is soul-warm and isn’t indicative of the cooler, muted season it finds itself in. As the tracks amble along, Suda’s composure shines through. Steady hands are required when dealing with longer works, and Suda guides the music through its ambient phantasms. The subtle details define the music; it leaves a lasting impression in its ruffling draughts, a ripple gracing a pond, the sunshine spilling into a leaf; the higher pitches and the elevated levels of serenity.
The album leaves a lingering kiss of compassion on the lips in what is a hopeful and open sound. Norihito Suda has ushered out a beautiful ambient work which is all the more stunning for its quiet composure and calm.
Simplicity at its finest...
We have gone all out on this one with no expense spared: Two tone / 4 panel hand made letter-pressed Somerset cotton covers, 2 x glass mastered CDs, 32 page deluxe perfect bound photographic book printed on luxury uncoated paper, white sage scent. All of the above rests inside individually hand numbered / hand-made Japanese soft letter-pressed envelopes made from 100% recycled cotton. Understated beauty...
Download codes will be sent in advance including .WAV/FLAC audio along with 32 high resolution images captured by Daniel on a recent field trip that are included in the photographic book.
Credits:
Music written, recorded and produced by Norihito Suda
Mastering by James Plotkin
Photography and design by Daniel Crossley
