Tomo

*300 copies limited edition* Wheel of Life is the new LP by Japanese hurdy-gurdy artist Tomo, released via Knotwilg Records. Following Vieille-Electronica, the record dives further into a singular blend of drone, folk and minimal experimentation. Rooted in Breton tradition yet shaped by influences from Japan, India and medieval music, Wheel of Life unfolds as a timeless and hypnotic work. Tomo’s playing moves between fragile intimacy and raw, almost punk-like build-ups. Music that lingers and re…

"The first time i stumbled on a hurdy-gurdy was as a little boy on a holiday during  a 'bal populaire' in a small village in Brittany (France).  Later on i discovered the term hurdy-gurdy from a Donovan track which returned in my adolescent years as a Butthole Surfers track. But somehow the instrument kept returning in my life. Lise Barkas being a good example, and obviously the whirlwind France.  Mining deeper i bumped into the traditional play of for instance Claude Flagel. And the story goes …

Tip! *315 copies limited edition* The latest release on An’archives, Suikyō, documents a first-time meeting between three Japanese improvisers: Takashi Masubuchi on guitar and harmonica; Ayami Suzuki on voice and electronics; and Tomo on hurdy-gurdy. Recorded at Permian on the 29th of January, 2023, it’s a stunning, forty-minute long improvisation of rare artistic sympathy. Notably, it was the first time the trio had performed together, though Masubuchi and Suzuki have prior form as a duo; on th…