Akiko Kiyama Seven Years
Berlin-and-Tokyo-based musician Akiko Kiyama named her debut album after a time when she turned to […]
Berlin-and-Tokyo-based musician Akiko Kiyama named her debut album after a time when she turned to music–particularly composing–to heal a persistent emptiness. So the intensity of feeling in her carefully constructed minimal structures isn‘t surprising, but her economy and elegance are. “I Was Weak in the Knees,” for example, has a kind of off-kilter dizziness to it, mimicking its title, and the percussion on “Isotope” builds on a child-like, playful pattern. Washes of warmth give “Bite a Plum” a softness that gently contradicts the squelching electronics. Here‘s hoping the follow-up doesn‘t take another seven years.