(Free Jazz, Free Improvisation) [CD] Masahiko Togashi Quartet - We Now Create - 1969 (2006 Japan Edition), FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Exact Audio Copy V1.0 beta 3 from 29. August 2011
EAC extraction logfile from 27. May 2014, 11:05
Masahiko Togashi Quartet / We Now Create
Used drive  : ATAPI   iHOS104   Adapter: 1  ID: 1
Read mode               : Secure
Utilize accurate stream : Yes
Defeat audio cache      : Yes
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Delete leading and trailing silent blocks   : No
Null samples used in CRC calculations       : Yes
Used interface                              : Native Win32 interface for Win NT & 2000
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Command line compressor         : C:\Program Files (x86)\Exact Audio Copy\Flac\flac.exe
Additional command line options : -8 -V -T "ARTIST=%artist%" -T "TITLE=%title%" -T "ALBUM=%albumtitle%" -T "DATE=%year%" -T "TRACKNUMBER=%tracknr%" -T "GENRE=%genre%" -T "PERFORMER=%albuminterpret%" -T "COMPOSER=%composer%" %haslyrics%--tag-from-file=LYRICS="%lyricsfile%"%haslyrics% -T "ALBUMARTIST=%albumartist%" -T "DISCNUMBER=%cdnumber%" -T "TOTALDISCS=%totalcds%" -T "TOTALTRACKS=%numtracks%" -T "COMMENT=%comment%" %source% -o %dest%
TOC of the extracted CD
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        2  | 11:57.70 |  7:12.50 |     53845    |    86294
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        4  | 28:34.67 |  8:55.58 |    128617    |   168799
Track  1
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Track  2
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Track  3
     Filename C:\EAC Rips\Masahiko Togashi Quartet - We Now Create (1969) [FLAC]\03 - Artistry Of Percussions.wav
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     Accurately ripped (confidence 1)  [D8DD80A7]  (AR v1)
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Track  4
     Filename C:\EAC Rips\Masahiko Togashi Quartet - We Now Create (1969) [FLAC]\04 - Fantasy For Strings.wav
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All tracks accurately ripped
No errors occurred
End of status report
---- CUETools DB Plugin V2.1.3
[CTDB TOCID: SCy8H6KcxeZCuSEhEA42r7YS0pg-] disk not present in database, Submit result: SCy8H6KcxeZCuSEhEA42r7YS0pg- has been uploaded
==== Log checksum AED982F314DC31D7A900FFF35CB42FB54BD28E200D591A65490B4A9A488AD30F ====

REM GENRE Jazz
REM DATE 1969
REM DISCID 2B08CA04
REM COMMENT "ExactAudioCopy v1.0b3"
CATALOG 4988002209118
PERFORMER "Masahiko Togashi"
TITLE "We Now Create"
FILE "01 - Variations on a Theme of 'Feed-Back'.wav" WAVE
  TRACK 01 AUDIO
    TITLE "Variations on a Theme of 'Feed-Back'"
    PERFORMER "Masahiko Togashi"
    ISRC JPVI06900020
    INDEX 01 00:00:00
  TRACK 02 AUDIO
    TITLE "Invitation to 'Corn Pipe' Dance"
    PERFORMER "Masahiko Togashi"
    ISRC JPVI06900030
    INDEX 00 11:55:33
FILE "02 - Invitation to 'Corn Pipe' Dance.wav" WAVE
    INDEX 01 00:00:00
  TRACK 03 AUDIO
    TITLE "Artistry in Percussions"
    PERFORMER "Masahiko Togashi"
    ISRC JPVI06900040
    INDEX 00 07:10:13
FILE "03 - Artistry in Percussions.wav" WAVE
    INDEX 01 00:00:00
  TRACK 04 AUDIO
    TITLE "Fantasy for Strings"
    PERFORMER "Masahiko Togashi"
    ISRC JPVI06900050
    INDEX 00 09:21:61
FILE "04 - Fantasy for Strings.wav" WAVE
    INDEX 01 00:00:00

[CUETools log; Date: 04.11.2014 21:36:16; Version: 2.1.5]
[CTDB TOCID: SCy8H6KcxeZCuSEhEA42r7YS0pg-] found.
Track | CTDB Status
  1   | (1/1) Accurately ripped
  2   | (1/1) Accurately ripped
  3   | (1/1) Accurately ripped
  4   | (1/1) Accurately ripped
[AccurateRip ID: 0006ad35-001a5274-2b08ca04] found.
Track   [  CRC   |   V2   ] Status
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 02     [35a7f1e5|8ce07c26] (1+0/2) Accurately ripped
 03     [d8dd80a7|e40d43a7] (1+0/2) Accurately ripped
 04     [5423ed3c|d535b927] (1+0/2) Accurately ripped
Track Peak [ CRC32  ] [W/O NULL] [  LOG   ]
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So I’ve been reading E. Taylor Atkin’s Blue Nippon, a fascinating book that provides a history of jazz in Japan from its inception (around 1925) to the 80s, delving into concepts such as musical authenticity and cultural identity that are easily applicable to my own experiences with Australian Jazz. The book references many records that I have had to chase up to fill in the gaps, one of which being Masahiko Togashi’s We Now Create, released in 1969, well into Japan’s free-jazz boom of the 60s. Togashi, a prodigy drummer rendered paraplegic in an accident, experimented deeply with rhythm and texture, using a mixture of traditional Japanese percussion and Western orchestral instruments. Togashi was a major exponent in the movement during the 60s pursuing the notion of a unique, ‘Japanese’ jazz style, so the meaning of the album title, I think, is self-evident. Many Japanese musicians during this time sought to break free from the stereotype of Japanese jazz as derivative and unoriginal. A quote from Atkin’s book turned me onto Togashi:

This concept of using silence, or ‘space’ in improvised music, wasn’t particularly new to me, but the new wording intrigued me, so I was curious to hear how Togashi implemented his ‘Oriental’ concept of 無, nothingness into his music.
The opening 2 minutes of the first track – Variations On A Theme of Feed-Back – features a beautiful introduction by Takayanagi, masterfully controlling feedback and balancing dissonance and consonance (will definitely be checking out some of his other work). The track progresses to high-energy improvisation, with Takagi wailing over the group, Togashi sometimes pushing the intensity, sometimes backing off with sparse textural contributions. Yoshizawa alternating between wild dissonant walking and rhythmic arco, with Takayanagi tying it all down with repeated riffs and simple melodies, often being caught up in the energy of the other three.
The other tracks follow the same theme of solo interludes developing into group improvisations. In ‘Artistry in Percussions’ the entire quartet plays percussion, making for some beautiful textures. By far the highlights of this album however, for me, are the sparser moments where each musician has space to themselves to create (here I’ll borrow Togashi’s words) both mu and yu. During the explosive moments of collective improvisation, it seems to me that the musician’s individual voices become less distinct (maybe I’m trying to hard to hear them, unfamiliar as I am with all four musicians). The fourth and final track, Fantasy For Strings, I found to have a perfect balance, with each musician speaking cohesively and thoughtfully.
So could I hear Togashi’s ‘Oriental’ sense of space? Not particularly, although this is the only album of his so far that I’ve heard, so I’ll continue my investigation. What I have learnt, however, is that I’m in love with Masayuki Takanayagi’s guitar playing. Definitely interested to hear some of his projects.
-- nirandasika