Anchorsong
Ceremonial

The listening experience of the second album by Masaaki Yoshida, known as Anchorsong, leaves a pleasant sensation.

Spicy oriental flavors, woody fragrances and dense networks, melodic origami flying over percussive forests that unfold throughout the album and change from track to track, drawing a sonic geography that is recognizable in its details and phantasmagoric as a whole.

We've already heard world music merge so many times that the umpteenth occurrence might seem one too many: you might think, I've heard enough.

But no: give this Japanese artist transplanted to London a chance, who declares his devotion to Orchestre PolyRythmo de Cotonou https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh4jOWYP8EM, Fela Kuti https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axcQwDGgTJg, Francis Bebey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7033W-8meI, and, digging into the tradition of African music, extracts tones, colors, hypnotic repetitions to mold his material with grace and elegance, while keeping intact the energies released by the intersection of rhythms and organic sounds with the digital element, thanks to an evident attention to sound care and an aptitude, which seems natural, for fluidity in composition: non-artificial layering but all enjoyable, inventive, magical.

In short, the album was released in 2016, I only discovered it today, I'm listening to it again as I write and I confess a soft spot for the guy: to tell you, the opening triptych of the album alone is worth the price of admission.

I didn't know anything about him, so I searched around and found some interviews that you can read and watch here: http://griotmag.com/it/conversazione-anchorsong-un-moderno-tradizionalista/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aBH73G4c7k

You can listen to the whole album on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-LhW50cwio

If you want an incorporeal copy, try looking here https://tunesies.us/anchorsong-ceremonial-2016

P.S. It seems he doesn't disappoint live, on the contrary. If you happen to see him, will you let me know? Thanks.