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Stardust Crystals is the adventurous new large-ensemble album from Swiss-based Polish-Japanese singer-songwriter Yumi Ito. Recorded in cooperation with Swiss Radio SRF Kultur, the 11-piece ensemble (representing musicians from eight different countries), adds colour, layers and a rich texture to these delicate and highly original songs. But it’s not just nations that Yumi brings together in this project; the music traverses neo-classical art-pop, references progressive electronica and gives a special twist to that classical jazz sound.
Described as an impressionist chamber orchestra flirting with Nordic pop, the eight original songs on the album could well have been taken from the pages of her diary. The sound is equally diverse and presents itself as an amalgam of several styles. What might seem tricky, really isn’t: the musician, composer, producer and arranger with Japanese and Polish roots expertly navigates a clear stylistic path, based on hundreds of hours of practice. Like a Zen master she observes, classifies and writes down events from a distance – precise, concentrated and wise.
Written over the course of two years, after winning the Montreux Jazz Vocal Competition, fragments of melodies and glimpses of lyrics were lovingly pieced together whenever inspiration – or tragedy struck. Yumi stated “I wrote these songs to conserve the beauty of nature and togetherness. I sing to give a voice to those who remain in silence and need to be heard. In times of loneliness, despair and our environmental crisis these songs help me to remember the beauty which lies within being creative and sharing. In the grand scheme of things we are just Stardust Crystals!”
Track Listing:
1 Stardust Crystals 5:32 | 2 Little Things 5:29 | 3 What Seems To Be 4:38 | 4 Ballad For The Unknown 5:48 | 5 Unwritten Stories 5:08 | 6 Old Redwood Tree 4:58 | 7 When The Lights Go Down 4:52 | 8 Spaziergang In Prag 6:40
Line-Up:
Yumi Ito – vocals, composition| Marina Tantanozi – flute | Sam Barnett – alto saxophone | Enrique Oliver – tenor saxophone, bass clarinet | Victor Darmon – violin | Hugo Van Rechem – viola | Jo Flüeler – cello | Esther Sévérac – harp | Izabella Effenberg – vibraphone, array mbira, crotales | Kuba Dworak – double-bass | Phelan Burgoyne – drums
Release Date: 20 November 2020
Format: CD | Digital
Label: Unit Records
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Last modified: November 20, 2020
