Yumi Hara - 2023 - Groove Study

(30:35; Bonobo's Ark Records)

Track list:
1. Orlyonok 5:23
2. Once Around the Earth 3:30
3. Fragment Eines Klavierstück (Piano Fragment 'U41') 0:51
4. Hibernal 1. Climbing up the Frozen Waterfall 1:30
5. Hibernal 2. The Light of the Distant Sun 2:15
6. Hibernal 3. Frost 2:00
7. The Wedding 4:45
8. Groove Study Giga Mix 9:42
9. Slice 0:39

Line-up:
Yumi Hara - vocals, piano, organ, clavichord, synthesizer, harp, violin, percussion
with:
Chris Cutler - drums, percussion
Toshiaki Sudoh - bass, drums
Tatsuya Yoshida - drums
Tim Hodgkinson - clarinets


Prolusion.
UK based composer and musician Yumi Hara has been a feature in the European music scene for a good number of years by now, and is perhaps best known for her participation in a number of collaborations and band projects with musicians with a name and reputation in the more avant-oriented parts of the progressive rock scene. All of these projects have left her with little time to record her own solo material, and until this year she had only released one album as a solo artist. "Groove Study" is the name of her second solo albums, which was released through the label Bonobo's Ark Records in the summer of 2023.

Analysis.
While Hara is best known for her contributions in the fields of progressive rock that explore more challenging and expressive tendencies, on this second solo album those impulses are reigned in quite a bit, with the landscapes explored on this production often being more elegant, containing music with a generally broader appeal, or a combination of both of these aspects. Not that any of the compositions can be described as superficial or as material without depth, but rather that this is a case of music that tone down the more disruptive elements often present in the avant-oriented parts of the music landscape and replace those features with motions more flowing and inviting.

Case in point is the opening instrumental 'Orlyonok', a quirky run into jazzrock landscapes with liberal amounts of virtuous instrument details in play throughout, but where a distinctly sacral sounding organ is a dominant presence throughout, and becomes the defining and accessible aspect of a creation that comes with enough bells, whistles and nuance to satisfy also those with a main interest in music that will generally be described as challenging. That the next song in line is called 'Once Around the World' and that this is a creation that hone in on folk music and world music traditions strikes me as being a charming choice on a few different levels, and as far as music it is easy to listen to this song is perhaps one of the prime examples of that on this production. Again with plenty of nuance present, but this is a landscape explored in more of a low key manner.

A brief dramatic piano and drum creation then leads us into a triptych of songs where the church organ has been chosen as the driving and dominant musical force, in creations that in style, sound and execution reminds me more than a little bit of the two albums I have reviewed by Italian progressive rock band Three Monks. If you like symphonic progressive rock with the church organ as the lead instrument and dramatic landscapes with more of a Wagnerian feel you will get a lot of that in this five minuutes and a bit three part creation, but again with nuance, ebb and flow movements and other goodies for the avid listener to enjoy.

We then get a bit of a romantic break with 'The Wedding', a flowing and elegant trip into the world and realm of jazz and jazzrock, and then we are hit with the presumed centrepiece of this production. The close to ten minutes long 'Groove Study Giga Mix' is a creation that will have long time fans of Yumi Hara's various creative endeavours nodding in recognition. Here we are back to the more expressive and challenging landscapes many people associate with her musical output, with the piano and the drums combining in different manners here to create groove, movement and flow in between quirky excursions, expressive instrument details and the occasional disruptive tangents. A composition, or possibly improvisation, that should be quite the rewarding experience for the avant-oriented progressive rock listener. And presumably this will just as much be the case for those with a firm interest in the more avant-oriented aspects of jazz.

A brief slice of music called 'Slice' is used to tone down the album to a close with a hypnotic guitar groove, a small creation that isn't really comparable to any of the other compositions on this album. Then again, that is a description that could be given to just about all the other songs we get to enjoy here. This is a creation defined by having a bit of an unpredictable nature, and as such is an album that does require listeners with a fairly broad taste in music even if many of the compositions do come with a bit of an accessible nature, relatively speaking.

Conclusion.
This is an album that explore and blend elements pulled in from a number of different sources and directions, but where I'd say that classical church music and jazz are perhaps the most dominant traditions that are explored and mixed on this occasion. Apart from the centrepiece composition towards the end, we get an album that is generally accessible in nature, even if the songs themselves contains plenty of virtuous and quirky instrument details. A solid production with perhaps a bit more of a niche appeal, and if you have a fancy for a more inviting example of progressive rock explored with avant features present, then this album should tick that particular box.

Olav "Progmessor" Björnsen, October 2023

Links:
http://www.yumiharacawkwell.co.uk/