Ryonkt (LND009)
Ryonkt is the work of Sapporo based artist Ryo Nakata. In the past couple of years he has become a personal friend, collaborator, label mate and late night whisky drinking partner. We only finally got to meet in September of this year when I went up to Sapporo (in Hokkaido - the northern island of Japan) to play a show organized by Ryo. Ryo was due to open the gig after a short sound-check, yet the sound-check merged into the performance and I was unaware he had actually started I was so tuned into the tones Ryo was playing from his Fender guitar.
As such, people quietly wondered in and just sat down, bowed their heads and became encompassed by the music. Such is the effect of Ryo's work. His music is unassuming, full of memory and deeply moving. There is nothing stylistically complex about it, nothing that makes you think about technique or technology. He uses a laptop, guitar and field recording. He plays a few chords and notes. That really is it, yet what Ryo does with one chord is more than most artists can do across entire albums. There is space to his work, space left for the listener to fill in the blanks. There is melody, oh such beautiful melody, the like of which too few artists truly possess.
'Sunlight & Water' starts and ends with water sounds, but there is a whole lot of sun and light going on throughout these four pieces. Mother Earth rarely had a more beautiful soundtrack. (Ian Hawgood)
CDR Edition of 200 + MP3
Available in the shop
Once more we are treated to some sublime sounds courtesy of the excellent Land Of imprint. This time the label hosts a rather delicious album from Smallfish favourite Ryonkt and it’s a real beauty. Delicate, intimate sounds that are forged from his gentle guitar playing then processed into a range of atmospheric ambient pieces. Subtle manipulations deliver a chilled-out hit of pure summery joy here and the works are never less than utterly enchanting. Pastoral and lush this is natural sounding textural work that will accompany you in many different environments and situations. The four parts each have their own feel, yet they carry that friendly feel all the way through. You can almost feel Ryonkt there with you while you listen, so personal is the sound of this work. I’m going to let the music do most of the talking here, but I just know you’re going to adore this gorgeous work. Limited to 200 copies and something that you’ll be coming back to time and time again. Purely and simply a very beautiful album indeed. Recommended. - Smallfish
Following quickly upon the release of his Experimedia outing Small Conversations, Sapporo-based Ryo Nakata presents his latest Ryonkt material which he produced using nothing more than a guitar, laptop, and field recordings. The four untitled parts constituting Sunlight & Water do indeed evoke the natural outdoors, specifically a verdant and peaceful paradisiacal setting of the kind many would prefer to take up permanent residence within. Shimmering tones stretch for minutes on end in a manner analogous to the mental drift and inner surrender that an outdoors setting of that pastoral and enchanting kind induces in the receptive subject. Though guitar is a central sound-generator, it's never used in the familiar way of voicing melody; instead, Nakata processes simple lines from the instrument until they become undulating ambient streams that he enhances with subtle textural colourations derived from electronics and field recordings. A blanket of haze coats much of the sun-drenched material (the third piece ups the ante considerably) and water sounds (prominently heard in the first and fourth pieces) intensify the natural feel all the more. Not much else need be said, other than that this lovely little recording from The Land Of is tailor-made for listeners who can never get their fill of blissed-out, transporting ambient meditations. - Textura
http://thelandof.org
http://ryonkt.wordpress.com/
Ryo Nakata has recorded for other labels such as Experimedia and Smallfish and also runs Slow Flow Rec.