Tiger Thrush by Ami Yoshida

In the early 2000s, improvisational music featuring elements such as extended techniques and many faint sounds and silences became a worldwide movement. Along with Berlin and London, Tokyo was one of the centers of this kind of music and the focus of much attention, as was the term "onkyo-ha." The names most closely associated with this term were Taku Sugimoto, Sachiko M, Otomo Yoshihide, Toshimaru Nakamura. Another "onkyo-ha" musician was voice performer Ami Yoshida. Her amazing performances, comprised of high-pitched vocal sounds that seemed to be squeezed out through the tight constriction of the throat, astonished the international improvised music scene.

"Tiger Thrush" was released on the Improvised Music from Japan label in 2003, when the name Ami Yoshida, along with the term "onkyo-ha," was becoming a worldwide phenomenon. Long out of print, it's just been re-released on the Hitorri label, with a simple two-sided paper sleeve replacing the original gatefold cardboard cover. The recording consists of 99 tracks, most less than a minute long. Yoshida's vocal sound is unaltered in some tracks and computer-processed in others. A famed recording of the 2000s has come back to life!!

2000年代初頭、微弱音と無音の多用や拡張奏法などを特徴とする即興音楽が世界的な広がりを見せ、ベルリン、ロンドンと並んで東京も中心地のひとつとして、「音響派」という名前とともに大きな話題を提供していた。当時、音響派に属すると目されていた代表的な演奏家には、杉本拓、Sachiko M、大友良英、中村としまるがいたが、ヴォイス・パフォーマーの吉田アミもそのひとり。喉をきつく締め、無理矢理絞り出すように発する高音ヴォイスで構成した演奏は圧倒的な存在感を持ち、それは世界の即興音楽シーンを驚嘆させた。

『虎鶇』は、「音響派」と共に吉田アミの名前が世界的なものとなっていた2003年に Improvised Music from Japan レーベルよりリリース。久しく品切れだったが、オリジナルの見開き４面極厚紙ジャケットを簡易な２面紙ジャケットに変えて Hitorri より再発となった。吉田の生の声によるトラックと、コンピュータで声に加工を施したトラック、ほとんどが１分以下の全99トラックを収録。2000年代の名盤がここに復活！！