Kyogokuryu-Sokyoku ‘Shinshunfu’

The latest instalment of EM Records' archive series focuses on a single piece by Japanese composer Kohei Amada (1892-1985). A friend of pioneering koto player Michio Miyagi, Amada was a multi-instrumentalist who later specialised in the Irish harp. Like Miyagi, Amada brought a spirit of neoclassicism into contemporary Japanese music, utilising his training in traditional forms alongside the aesthetics of Western art music. The piece archived on this release, ‘Shinshunfu’, is a work for two harps, two kotos, sho (mouth organ), taiko (drum) and voice.

Intended as a joyful celebration of spring and the harmony of nature, the piece is divided into two halves. The first is a harp/koto ensemble. It features cascading polyphony, combining the Japanese hirajoshi scale with Western harmony. The second half transitions into a gagaku-inspired song form, replete with glistening sho drones and sparse taiko. It's a fascinating and unusual piece by an under-documented composer, rightfully earning its inclusion in this archive series. Less essential is the 2018 reworking by Sugai Ken, which blends elements of the original with electronics. While this reimagining is an accomplished work of electro-acoustic production, the connection to Amada's work is rather tenuous.