Ukouk

Ukouk (round-singing) celebrates over a decade of Marewrew’s entrancing Ainu songs, with tonkori collaboration from Oki Kano on several tracks. Existing fans of Marewrew will have heard many of the album’s tracks before, but Kassian Troyer’s remastering provides a new clarity, depth and invigoration to Marewrew’s voices. Tracks such as ‘Sonkayno – Game Song’ and ‘Sikata Kuykuy – Snow Falling From a Tree’ exemplify how the deceptively simple canons of the upopo tradition can create an incredibly rich sonic experience. What begins as a short phrase, builds, layer by layer, into a complex and all-enveloping bubble of song which seems imbued with a feeling of perpetual motion. Marewrew’s melodies swoop and soar, blending smoothly, yet their individual voices are still distinctive, contributing additional textural interest. ‘Orouro Roahun – Lullaby’, brings a different dynamic. The track, in contrast with the rest of the album, features a single soft voice over a repetitive tonkori accompaniment. The tonkori’s inclusion is a nice addition and adds textural and harmonic interest. ‘Yaykatekara – Wedding Song’ and ‘Kanerenren – Bear Ceremony Song’, also with voice and tonkori, see the addition of drums which bring a real groove – a true contemporary take on a living musical tradition.