drawn to... Cloud Time by Emily A. Sprague

 

I was a little disappointed when my copy of Cloud Time by Emily A. Sprague arrived as it has fingerprints on it, a little dirt, some surface noise at the beginning of either side, and there is a slight warp on it :/ Sigh... But, I had chosen to buy one of the 'test pressings' which'll probably 'learn me'—I've never bought a 'test pressing' before and I guess the clue is probably in the name.

Nevertheless, this is a sweet record. Not as immediate as her previous solo LP—2020's Hill, Flower, Fog. I'd say Cloud Time is more of a 'grower', and in a good way—it requires repeated listens to begin to get inside. Also, it was created in a completely different manner to her 2020 LP—it is "live recordings of improvised music manifesting from a specific time and place". That time and place being Japan.

I've never been to Japan, but, oddly, whenever I listen to this, I find myself thinking of a beach in Jeolla province in southwest Korea that I used to visit in the mid-90s. So much so, that I ended up digging out some old photos from that time and place. Funny how music can do that kinda thing.

Oh, and I made the drawing above while listening to the LP using various 'Creative Artist' medium graphite pencils.

drawn to... Ura Omote by Betts(JP)

 

I've had Ura Omote by Betts(JP) on repeat play since first hearing it. Sometimes, I play the cassette version, but mostly I just stream it from bandcamp. It's good music to work to, but also to free draw to.

I like the musician's description of this recording:

The Japanese word "Ura Omote" means "front and back."

Many people try to show only their front-facing side while hiding their hidden side.

However, the face they try to keep hidden eventually reveals itself.

Trying to conceal it through the concept of Ura Omote is meaningless—everything ultimately comes to the surface.

I recorded the bustle of the city.

In the streets, electronic noise—inaudible to the human ear—buzzes faintly.

People unconsciously take in even those hidden sounds.

I'll be drawing more to Betts(JP) in due course.