Paniyolo & Akio Watanabe - Yanami (2023) [Official Digital Download 24/48]

A guitarist Paniyolo and a steelpan player Akio Watanabe are releasing a duo album “Yanami (The row of houses)”. Based on the 11 sketches, they have painted a space kept in tranquil atmosphere with a guitar and a steelpan, each sketch has a glimpse of subject what could be found as you spent more time at home. Focused on the familiar daily life environment that we have overlooked, each piece of music is written with margins and lingering sound.

This album is released for the first time in four years, since their release of previous album “Sora Mo Sukoshi”, and both artist attempted to record from their own private studio. As words reflects the emotional movements, each musical notes from the sound of Paniyolo and Akio Watanabe can be felt from this album. They have created a music that breathes, based on the consistent concept, from the separated spaces.

Thankfully, Sora Mo Sukoshi, the lovely album guitarist Paniyolo (Muneki Takasaka) and steelpan player Akio Watanabe issued four years ago, wasn't a one-off, as a follow-up from the collaborators has now materialized. Even better, the character of the music they presented on that earlier set hasn't undergone any noticeable change: the new one, Yanami (The row of houses), is as tranquil, delicate, and pure as its predecessor. Nothing more than the acoustic sounds of their instruments appear, and nothing more is needed when the gentle music they produce is so heartwarming.

In keeping with the warm, engaging tone of the music, the two have fashioned the release so that its eleven tracks focus on the humble simplicity of everyday life, with each track intended to focus attention on things generally overlooked in the busyness of contemporary life. Writing a morning letter, cleaning out rain gutters, going to the store for stamps, enjoying the view from a bridge during a walk—all such and more are the subject matter of Yanami. The acoustic guitar has strong associations with folk music, and of course the sound of the steelpan evokes the Caribbean and other tropical locales, so it makes sense that the album would be transporting. But that's as attributable to the peaceful, unsullied character of the music the two create as it is the instruments involved.

Mirroring the different rhythms of a day, settings filled with nostalgic yearning (“Rain Gutter,” “Promenade”) intertwine with animated ones, but it's the former that dominate. Pretty reveries like “Palette” and the lilting “Softly” are immediate stress-reducers capable of stripping away each and every anxiety-inducing worry from one's life. “Parable” changes things up audibly when Watanabe sets steelpan aside for guitar, but the album's presentation is otherwise consistent from start to finish. Also adding variety, in some pieces Takasaka's is the lead instrument, in others Watanabe's.

Takasaka has made collaboration something of a habit, considering that aside from this project he's worked with guitarist Daishi Nakamura and singer Miho Ota on others. The one with Watanabe is particularly special, however, for the soul-replenishing quality of the music they produce, and is hopefully a creative partnership the two will keep going.

Akio Watanabe, steel-pan, guitar
Muneki Takasaka (Paniyolo), acoustic guitar

Tracklist:
01 - Dimly
02 - Morning Letter
03 - Bridge
04 - Point
05 - Palette
06 - Rain Gutter
07 - Softly
08 - Tobacco
09 - Parable
10 - To Buy Letter Stamps
11 - Promenade


Thanks to the Original customer!