It is a work of the Tokyo-based voice performer and pianist, Keiko Higuchi, and the Rome/Berlin-based sound artist, Cristiano Luciani (Cris X).
Lost and coming into a cave, the breathing of each other can be heard in obscurity. The found scarlet "primodia" in the unlit world is icy cold yet hot. Like a burning coal concealed with care, the calm pathos, however, sealed in their stirring sound, are going to "melt".
released 23 March 2014
this CD was released by the japanese label Musik Atlach.
“Italy's Cris X has been reviewed before and his works are sometimes in collaboration with others, mainly Japanese, musicians such as Merzbow and KK Null and here with Keiko Higuchi. I never heard of her, but she's a singer and piano player. They recorded this album together, already in 2010, in Rome. This is certainly not easy music. It's orchestrated, but quite sparsely at that. It's full on an empty space, if you know what I mean. Everything seems careful here. The piano playing, the singing, the electronics, field recordings or the rattling of a metallic percussion in the title piece. Everything is performed with care, with space between the music. It has a vague, modern classical feel to it. It is very spacious, yet not entirely in the world of cosmic music. The opening fire crackles of 'Ceaseless/Do You Care?' reminded me of Etant Donnes circa 'Blue' and makes this is all a bit more musique concrete like. At thirty-five minutes this may seem like a rather short album, but it's an album that requires a lot from the listener. Probably this one of those albums if you listen only without much effort or concentration, one that will easily be dismissed; however if you open up and fully concentrate on this music, you will find there is much beauty in here”. (FdW)
Frans de Waard - Vital Weekly number 924, week 12 2014
Keiko Higuchi:
Keiko Higuchi is a vocalist, pianist, performer residing in Japan. She has started out playing improvisation when she was in the united states with a band named "Saturnalia".
After she came back to Japan in 1998, she has made some tours with the butoh dancer, Imre Thormann and the cellist, Yasumune Morishige, and also have worked with various musicians and groups. Her work is not only limited to her improv. vocal work, but she also works as a singer with the pianist, shin-ichiro kanda,where she does more of a "conventional" way of singing, her solo piano/vocal work, and as a group/ unit, she works in DUEL (Mitsuru Tabata, ASTRO, Kelly Churko and keiko higuchi), KYOHANSHA (isshee on bass, keiko higuchi on drums), etc, there are many units she has been in. As an improviser, she has performed with many musicians/ groups in and out of Japan.
she also works as a writer, photographer, vocal teacher and so on.
for more reference, please check
www.geocities.jp/cleokkk
CRIS X:
Cristiano Luciani was born in Rome, Italy, in the 1976. He is a sound and visual artist and he works and lives in Rome (Italy) and Berlin (Germany). Cris X’s solo project exploring the synthesis of composition and improvisation and Its music moving from electronics and noise to expressionist ambient and musique concrète. He composed and performed music for theatre productions, contemporary ballet and live film scorings, along with the soundtracks of his own video production.
He has collaborated and played with musicians and artists from different cultures and art scenes as Merzbow/Masami Akita, KK Null/Kazuyuki Kishino, MB/Maurizio Bianchi, Phil Minton, Tristan Horsinger, Sachiko, Michiko Hirayama, Hamayoko/Yoko Higashi, Gene Coleman, Eugene Chadbourne, Torturing nurse among others.
released November 3, 2015
Recorded in Rome during a surreal evening in the centre of the capital city at the squat Cantiere