In The Forest

~ Flute and KOra Field Recording Project~

This project was recorded outdoors on a sunny day in June 2015 in Japan. The field recording was organized by flutist Kana Miyamoto, who plays flute and piccolo on the album. She was joined by kora player Yasuhiro Sakairi, who embraced the idea and brought in two collaborators: Makoto Sakurai, known for his field recordings of train sounds, and composer Koshi Ianaba.

We chose to record in a large public park in Chiba. The session took place under a giant mushroom-shaped bench, which you can see in the photos. It took about a couple of hours to find the right mic placement and setting. We then recorded for nearly two hours, taking short breaks, until the battery-powered amp could no longer hold the volume.

All of the songs were fully improvised on the spot—except for one: Pocket Rocket.

Kana and Yasuhiro have been performing together since 2012. They began as part of a storytelling and improvised music project, where they developed a unique way of responding musically to narratives. Their duo evolved from that experience, and Kana later composed Pocket Rocket specifically for their performances.

Flute: Kana Miyamoto
Kora:Yasuhiro Sakairi
Recording: Makoto Sakurai, Koshu Inaba
Artwork:Ayakoru
Photo:Koshu Ianaba
Recorded: June 29 2015 at somewhere in Chiba, Japan