Modular synthesist and composer JakoJako’s new album Tết 41 begins wanting outward. Opening observe “Xin chào” (Vietnamese for “whats up”) is a compilation of subject recordings that convey a gently jubilant feeling: an ensemble of full of life percussion performs within the distance, bamboo flute and zither sway to a a lot slower rhythm someplace to the proper, and voices of all ages and pitches fill the sonic floor. It’s a heat pastiche of the sounds of Tết, the Vietnamese Lunar New Yr, which marks the start of spring. It appears to vow greater and extra boisterous issues forward, after which, softly, it dissolves.
The journey JakoJako (Berlin-based artist Sibel Koçer) takes us on, between the primary subject recordings and the voices and visitors sounds that make up the closing observe, “Cảm ơn” (“thanks”), feels primarily inside. That’s to not say that it’s a sluggish experience; Tết 41 has many moments of exuberance. Nevertheless, her minimal method to the instrumentation on every observe absolutely immerses us in her course of as she explores deeply rooted private connections to the festivities round her. It’s a considerable perspective, and listening appears like an act of each intimacy and enlargement.
Aiding this inward-outward movement is the album’s sheer conceptual simplicity. At its essence, every part between intro and outro is Koçer as soloist, expertly layering synthesizer elements to evoke features of Vietnam throughout Tết. Every observe title names its focus plainly, providing a concrete object round which to understand the soundscapes at hand. The fast beats of “Kumquat” land in tones as vivid and spherical because the fruit itself. “Lì xì”, named for the crimson envelopes of fortunate cash given out throughout the brand new yr, glimmers, resonant with metallic pleasure.
Two tracks pay direct homage to town of Đà Nẵng. “Đà Nẵng” opens with tanpura-like drones scattered with sonic bursts that add texture to what appears like a gradual twilight; “Dragon Bridge” follows, tracing the golden curves of the ornate construction from tail to fire-breathing head and again once more with a looping feeling of awe.
A way of weightlessness comes by way of within the vaporous basis of “Chim sẻ”, named for the sparrow; a way of play within the pixelated staccato melody of “Gió”, that means “wind”. On the aforementioned remaining observe “Cảm ơn”, Koçer runs a legato present of her instrument by way of the native atmosphere, bringing collectively her inventive expressions and the sounds round her. Her presence is elated.
On Tết 41, we witness JakoJako as she witnesses essentially the most spectacular annual celebration in Vietnam. Her synthesizers are her voice, and on this musical mode, she depicts vivid scenes, usually with virtually meditative reverence. She is the mediator, the storyteller, the bridge between viewers and setting, and so the tales we obtain are characterised by her usually sparse and spacious aesthetic. Koçer finds peace amid the revelry, zooming out and in and taking in each factor, massive or small, that catches her consideration. Tết 41 is a really clever work of modular synthesizers, compelling even at its most sedate and good when it opens additional.
