OJP009 / Sachiko Nagata / Le Hamon

Cover art treated pic by Kiekebiche

OJP009 : Sachiko Nagata / Le Hamon

Recorded part in studio and part live in Paris in October 2009, Le Hamon is a very original sounding album as it shares 2 very intriguing instruments with, at times, some more traditional percussions.

Sachiko Nagata (see also OJP006, website) is a percussionist and improviser mainly using the iron slit drum called « Hamon ».

She is known for her solo works and collaborations with other artists from all over the world.
She plays mostly free improvisations sets t

rying to approach the simplicity of percussion with the call from the players for the buddhist temple.

Hamon is an original instrument made by Japanese artist Teppei Saito being inspired by the sounds of the traditional Japanese garden ornament called Suikinkutsu.

She has a long love relationship with France where she went in the 70ties as a student.
40 years letter, she returned in Paris to record this album.
As she speaks French, she wrote this little piece about her instrument:

Le hamon et moi

Le hamon, objet d’art plastique mais aussi sonore,

objet qui, bien que métallique, évoque au toucher le monde végétal. La beauté très simple de sa forme procure une sensation de calme.

De même qu’un la cloche d‘un temple ,

chacun de ses sons évoque un univers et pénètre le cœur des gens.

Aux résonnances du hamon de petite taille, j’associe une fée.

Aux resonnances du hamon de grande taille, j'associe la terre.

Ses sonorités se fondent avec le vent, la pluie, le cri d’un insecte.

Elles ne sont jamais en discordance avec les bruits de la nature.

Quand je joue du hamon, je fais corps avec lui

et je pars pour un voyage dans un univers peuplé d’impressions et de souvenirs lointains.

Sachiko Nagata

hamonと私

音の出る造形作品　hamon

鉄なのに植物のような感触

その形はとてもシンプルで、佇まいは静かで美しい

寺の梵鐘のように、その音はひとつの音で宇宙を持ち、

人の内側の扉を開く

小さなhamonは妖精のように

大きなhamonは大地のように響く

その音は、風、雨、虫の音、など自然の音と溶け、けっして対立しない

演奏する私は、hamonと一体になり、ここではない、どこかへ旅立つ

遠いはるかな記憶の世界へ・・・　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　永田　砂知子　　

In the studio and live, she was joined on some tracks by Christophe Souron on percussions and Pierre Malbos on piano Baschet-Malbos.

The piano Baschet-Malbos was built in 2003 from the collaboration between French sculptor François Baschet and piano master builder and composer Pierre Malbos.

François Bachet is also known for his gigantic sonore sculptures he created for the Steal pavillon of the 1970 Osaka exhibition for which Toru Takemitsu composed and played 'Seasons'.