Venerable Mule Musiq boss Kuniyuki Takahashi takes to the piano stool and synths for a session of ECM adoration inspired by, and primed to be played at, his Tokyo listening bar.
‘Open Window’ frames multifaceted musician Kuniyuki at his wistfully charming best in two parts influenced by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Terre Thaemlitz works. The longer title piece unfurls a graceful 13 minute arc from serene keys sprinkled with electronic stardust to more opulent harmonic layers of pillowy synth pads harking to 'Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence’-era Sakamoto, while a shorter ‘Tobira’ luxuriates in a widescreen play of horns, synth, and chimes on the cusp of new age, contemporary classical, and ambient jazz, shades away from Arve Henriksen.