“Recording the renowned drummer Kuniko” - Drummer to Percussionist
Kuniko is one of the world’s leading percussion virtuosos from Japan. Her astonishing virtuosity, exquisite musical insight and expressive yet elegant performance style continues to attract not only audiences, but established conductors and composers too. She is renowned for her flawless technique when playing both keyboard and percussion instruments, which blends seamlessly with her profound musical intelligence.
Awards include the prestigious twelfth Keizo Saji Prize from the Suntory Foundation for the Arts,‘Best Recording’ Award at Japan’s Music Pen Club’s twenty-sixth Music Awards, a double-nomination as ‘Best Contemporary Music’ and ‘Best Recording’ at the Japan Record Academy Awards for Pléïades and Rebonds by the great twentieth-century composer Iannis Xenakis and many others.
'Kuniko passes this rite triumphantly. Her effortless, glitch-free technique and ability to manipulate mallets and sticks to seemingly coax melodies from non-melodic instruments are bound to humble aspiring and established percussionists alike. - Gramophone
'These are meticulous and muscular performances, at once elemental and elegant. Brilliant.' -
The Sunday Times'A refined colourist, the young Kuniko appears here as the worthy heir to the legendary Keiko Abe for whom most of these scores were written. - Le Monde
A unique recording session took place at Jaani KirikSt. John's Church in Tartu, Estonia where Kuniko specifically selected this 13th century medieval church with particular acoustic characteristics. The venue produces unique yet highly balanced acoustics with extremely beautiful and natural reverberation, and old terracotta walls and wooden ceilings structure the building. The goal was to capture the most faithful and accurate acoustics of the venue and record them in 192k/24bit audio without any failures. Because of the entirely digital mic application with delivery of 192k/24bit audio, the RME DMC 842 and MADiface XT was a MUST for precise recording.
Kuniko is the only Japanese artist signed to Linn Records and prominently uses RME gear for recording & performance. Her rack includes DMC-842,UFX, UCX, MADIFACE XT, ADI-8 AE, and two Babyface Pro.
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