Way of the Drum

Mugenkyo Taiko (Limitless Reverberation) are one of the longest running taiko groups in the UK, whose interdisciplinary approach has led to multiple collaborations and appearances at the Brit Awards and the BBC Proms. The present recording is based around the group's Way of the Drum theatre show, which was first premiered in 2003 and has toured extensively since. That the set has been honed over a decade and a half comes across fully in the confidence and panache with which it's delivered here.

Consisting largely of arrangements of traditional taiko pieces, as well as several original compositions, the set is consistently varied and engaging. Beginning with a short spoken welcome, the opening trio of ‘Buchiawase’, ‘Kitsune’ and ‘Summer Storm’ draw on festival music, Noh and Kabuki theatre, as well as making novel use of interlocking vocal chanting. ‘Daha’ – a shakuhachi solo that uses forceful breathing techniques to evoke the manifestations of a strictly disciplined mind – tempers the energetic mood. Sparing use of sound design and voiceover effects, such as on the bustling train station of ‘Hanayaka’ and the samurai TV drama of ‘Gezan-bayashi’, give a sense of place, context and mood. These additions are welcome, given that many recordings of taiko run the risk of sounding dry. A sense of humour runs through much of the album, especially on the comedy piece ‘Mr Hyottoko's Holiday’ – a tribute to a popular festival comic character. This sense of fun continues into the closing ‘Honen Ondo’, an Okinawan processional song, replete with jaw harps and castanets – a celebratory close to a stunning and diverse recording.