From: Terre Thaemlitz <Terre_Thaemlitz@qmcumc.mail.cornell.edu>
Date: Tue,  7 Sep 1993 16:22:25 -0500

TAKAHASHI, AYUO

12" single: Shizuka Ni Okite Goran (Switch Records, 85)
albums: Silent Film (Alfa, 86), Nova Carmina (Alfa, 89)

Not to be confused with YMO's Yukihiro Takahashi. Ayuo Takahashi's releases
incorporate tracks in various musical genres, including ambient, "new-age"
poetry reading, and less interresting (IMHO) "progressive rock." His ambient
sound is unique as he is coming from a more acoustic based sound, rather 
than straight synthesizers. 

'Shizuka Ni Okite Goran', the title cut from the single and probably his 
strongest ambient track, involves an intricate layering of choral sounds and 

synthesized guitar drones, along with organic percussions. It is structurally 

very similar to many orb tracks (including Assassin and OOBE), and a definite 

ambient experience (as opposed to new-age). The B-side has a mediocre 
"progressive rock" track, followed by an incredible track called 'Small Voice 

in the Garden", which is a very mellow-spacey piano and vocal track. 

"Silent Film" is more heavy on the progressive rock side, but it has a few
nice "poetry readings over music" tracks. I don't really care for this album,


although I have spun parts of the poetry tracks when dj-ing.

"Nova Carmina" is a major peace-out album, with little rock stuff and many
traditional European dulcimer tracks, ambient and poetry stuff. Kinda sounds
like a BMW with a Grateful Dead sticker.