Mark de Clive-Lowe’s Japanese-rooted Rōnin Arkestra releases new album ‘Sonkei’
How do you follow-up an instant classic you ask? Create another one. That’s what producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Mark de Clive Lowe and his Japanese-based electro-acoustic jazz collective Rōnin Arkestra have achieved with the release of the group’s first full-length album Sonkei.
Following up on the band’s First Meeting EP, which was released earlier in the year, the group, which brings together some of the most forward-thinking musicians in both Japan’s thriving jazz and electronic scene, continue their exploration of melding the two genres together. The eight-track recording nicely fuses together soaring horns and piano-driven melodies, with experimental electronics, spacey synths, and groove-oriented percussion rhythms.
Featuring members from Kyoto Jazz Sextet, WONK, Cro-Magnon, Root Soul, Sleepwalker, Sauce81, and Kyoto Jazz Massive, the album was recorded at Red Bull Studio in Tokyo. The idea behind the project was that de Clive Lowe wanted to bring together and work with some of his favorite Japanese musicians in an open-minded and collaborative nature. The results have been quite impressive, as the group has been able to produce two of the best recordings of 2019, and begin to make it’s mark as one of the most forward-thinking ensembles in jazz.
Rōnin Arkestra — ‘Sonkei’
(Albert’s Favourites)
1.Lullabies of the Lost
2.Onkochishin
3.Elegy of Entrapment
4.The Art of Altercation
5.Cosmic Collisions
6.Circle of Transmigration
7.Fallen Angel
8.Tempestuous Temperaments
