NORIKO
TEIYA
I was really inspired by the beats Noriko-san added to the latest extrapolation of the nagatua “Otsukisama” and so I took that shamisen line and added some more beats, and taiko rhythmic backings and then felt inclined to sing overtop, just improvising a bit. The melodies in these pieces are really cool, and so I wanted to keep the integrity of that at least. However, the poetry is child-like and quite innocent so adding these beats leaned into that playfulness.
I love that our conversations and musical explorations are rooted in form and style, honouring tradition, but also leaving enough space so we can still embrace our contemporary sensibilities and tastes. Here’s a more traditional recording of Otsukisama, and then a snippet of a modern, upbeat version