lethe “catastrophe point #5” compact disc

• catastrophe point #5 (1) (22:10)
  
• catastrophe point #5 (2) (22:00)
  

intransitive press release...

int034 lethe “catastrophe point #5 cd catastrophe point #5 is the latest in kuwayama kiyoharu’s signature series of compositions that explore the charged, mysterious atmosphere of disused industrial sites. for this album, lethe turns his attention to an abandoned warehouse by a pier in his hometown of nagoya, japan, using objects discovered in situ to perform a ritual of sonic resurrection. he brings a dead space back to life, giving it a voice and allowing it to speak. metal chains, sheet metal, broken machinery, and factory debris are bowed, struck, and dragged across the concrete floors of the massive hall, reverberating and responding as kuwayama and his microphones scuttle across the desolate terrain. growling cello and unstable horns underscore the torrents of percussive clatter. catastrophe point #5 is a haunting album of volatile, malevolent ambiance. kiyoharu kuwayama began working with sound in the late 1980s, using half-scale violin, cello, and found junk objects in the group minotaure. in 1999, he and violinist rina kijima formed the improvisational acoustic duo kuwayama-kijima to bring their instruments outdoors and perform in environments with unique acoustic properties, notably underneath a highway overpass and in a construction site. between 1999 and 2003, kuwayama organized the five-day-long lethe.voice.festival in an unused grain warehouse. lethe’s previous release on intransitive was tsurumai, a stellar collaborative cd with dutch noise legends kapotte muziek. he has also appeared on albums with bassist matt heyner (malkuth, cold bleak heat, no-neck blues band), jonathan coleclough, hidekai shimada (agencement), carter thornton (enos slaughter, izititiz), kiyoshi mizutani, and campbell kneale (birchville cat motel). for fans of christoph heemann, surface of the earth, the new blockaders, z’ev, or organum.

kiyoharu kuwayama / masayoshi urabe “heteroptics” compact disc-recordable

• heteroptics (56:15)

songs from under the floorboards press release...

heteroptics kuwayama & urabe heteroptics is a recording of the first collaboration by kuwayama kiyoharu (aka lethe, here playing cello, viola, and metal junk) and masayoshi urabe (saxophone, chains, and more industrial debris), recorded live with no edits or overdubs in an abandoned warehouse space by nagoya port, japan. massive, desolate music that seems to send urgent signal flares into the dense darkness of the industrial space. catalog no: floor10 format: cdr edition: 100

kiyoharu kuwayama / masayoshi urabe “from the abolition port” compact disc-recordable

• from the abolition port (49:35)

songs from under the floorboards press release...

floor4 kuwayama kiyoharu & masayoshi urabe “from the abolition port” cdr edition of 100 copies a gripping, devastatingly patient, and emotionally raw improvisation for cello, saxophone, and metal chains recorded live at kuwayama kiyoharu’s cavernous warehouse space in nagoya, japan. rather than an event-driven, linear performance, from the abolition port is a single structure, with the ghostly presence of the space acting as either a third performer, or perhaps as the composer. the music is violent in its sparseness; sharp instrumental outbursts push with great effort against a backdrop of blackness as dense and heavy as the sun. from the abolition port suggests a private ritual, or a seance… or perhaps absurd theater, with unseen players circumnavigating a pitch-dark industrial space, sending out desperate distress signals and futilely listening for a response. alto sax player masayoshi urabe is known for his solo performances, but has worked alongside fellow psych/noise travellers kosoukuya, junko, hiroshi hasegawa (astro, cccc), kan mikami, and chie mukai. kiyoharu kuwayama played cello in the duo kuwayama-kijima, but his primary project is the catastrophe point series, which he records under the name lethe. first edition of 100 pro-duplicated cdrs in jewel case with full-color artwork. out now on songs from under the floorboards, a division of intransitive recordings.