It has been more than 10 years since I bought this album, and I was lucky enough to get the Japanese limited version of the cd. It was released in the record label 12k that was founded by Taylor Deupree, and he has multiple releases. 12k is a label focusing on minimalism, electronic and ambient music since the end of the 90s. The cover of the album is not of a surprise, as it shows some green and orange waves, a picture that was taken from Deupree himself. Also, as expected the album tracks are related to sea and water with titles such as 'Toward Water', 'Sea Plains', or 'Ocean Sky Remains'.
Sakamoto has collaborated with so many artists in his career, with one of my favourite collaborations are with Alva Noto in the Raster Noton label. Looking at my music collection I have lots of albums from Sakamoto, but not a single solo album from Willits. However, after doing some research he has collaborated again with Sakamoto, but also Deupree, and most of the releases are in Ghostly International.
What is different since the last time I listened to this album? Totally the impression and the curiosity of the title. The various sound layers definitely give you a notion of the sea, when it is peaceful when it is violent when you have the sense that there are secrets and dangers within the sea. Even for a listener that put its ears inside the sea gives you different listening experience. And while I am re-listening to this album I feel like I'm inside a jar with water with connected electrodes that disturb the surface all the time. Maybe because the computer elements in this album take a big part of the sound environment and the ambience.
For Sakamoto the sound elements of playing through his computer are much more dominant compared to the usual piano tunes/ sounds that most of us are used to during his long and amazing music career. One hypothesis might be the drone playing from Willits and processed sounds through his computer that Sakamoto had to adapt. It seems that this sense of minimalism could be achieved for the two artists through their computer and processing sound. Sakamoto is using his piano and his computer. On the other hand Willits uses his guitar and his computer to create the drone recordings.
The tracks are as expected long and minimalistic. In tracks such as 'Sentience' you get some type of frozen elements in the sounds, like expecting some tidal waves to arise. Although there is no much noise in the music, the drones and cold harmonies create a sense of something unexpected to rise. The last track of the album 'Ocean Sky Remains' is the longest of the album, not only in duration but also the ways that the sounds extend in the track. My favourite track is the first track of the album, 'Toward Water'. The track is very rich in the different sound layers and textures and prepares the ground for the next tracks and the ambience that the listener might expect.
For a moment I thought that the album was recorded after the Tsunami in Japan in 2011, but it was recorded before...maybe not the best resemblance for this tragic accident. However, the purpose of albums like is to enable us to create our own experiences, projections, and memories, especially in relation to the sea and in a way suggests a different acoustic point of view with these natural elements. And my personal experience was of something that is expected to come out of this sea of electronics and drones.
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