Детали релиза : Yuka Honda - Eucademix (2004) [FLAC (tracks + .cue)]

Personnel

Brandt Abner: Keyboards
Thomas Bartlett: Voices
Trevor Dunn: Bass
Timo Ellis: Guitars, Drums
Petra Haden: Voices
Miho Hatori: Voices
Yuka Honda: Drum Programming, Bass, Guitar, Piano, Keyboards, Sampler, Voices
Japa Keenon: Drum Machine
Phantom: Rain
Marc Ribot: Guitars


Tzadik

Eleven moody, funky, jazzy compositions from Yuka Honda, a founding member of the popular band Cibo Matto and a vital member of the Downtown scene since moving to NY from Tokyo in 1987. Her second CD for the Oracles Series is her best yet, featuring her soulful lyricism and hip break beats augmented by distinguished guest musicians like vocalists Petra Haden and Miho Hatori, instrumentalists Marc Ribot, Trevor Dunn and a host of others. Eucademix is an intimate journey through the mind and heart of one of the most honest and original musicians working in experimental pop today.


Amazon

EUCADEMIX picks up where Yuka Honda's excellent prior solo album MEMORIES ARE MY ONLY WITNESS left off, offering a distinctive set of tracks that taken as a whole display a individualistic musical vision. The tracks are relatively short (the longest is four minutes in length), and vary from a solo acoustic piano piece ("Seed Of Seed Of Peach") to cuts with layers of electronics, including several with dance beats and/or funk elements, and bits of jazz and rock elsewhere. Although many of the tracks have melodies, they seem an equal part of the entire soundscape, as opposed to the arrangements taking a supportive, background role behind the tunes. For the most part the tracks have a reflective and moody feel, with occasionally harsher elements via edgy guitar solos ("Spooning With Jackknife," "When The Monkey Kills") or free-form improvisation ("Why Are You Lying...").

For the first time on either of her solo albums, Yuka has a vocal track with lyrics ("I Dream About You") that piles on addictive hooks yet still veers left of the pop-culture center. Given that ex-Cibo Matto co-leader Miho Hatori is the lead vocalist I suppose this could be considered a reunion of sorts. But not really ... even this track is more consistent with Yuka's current musical approach than that of Cibo Matto. Several other cuts have wordless vocals on this otherwise instrumental album. If I had to choose between Yuka's two albums I'd prefer EUCADEMIX by a small margin (I's say because all of the tracks here are allowed a little more time to develop). Both CDs are recommended, though.