{"title":"tone poem","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"pale-cocoon-mayu-2lp","title":"Pale Cocoon - Mayu","description":"\u003cp\u003ePale Cocoon’s Mayu (繭) was originally released in 1984 as a cassette box set by Pafe Record in Japan, but sunk into obscurity after its release, only to garner a strong cult following nearly two decades later during the advent of the music blog era.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWithin the world of Mayu, sounds of the Japanese landscape in summertime parallel swirling synthesizers and noise; shimmering guitar sounds take the shape of a snowflake. The compositions themselves were informed heavily by Belgian symbolist art and Japanese literature - occasionally evoking the likes of Woo, Durutti Column, Picky Picnic, and other 80s Japanese experimental \u0026amp; ambient music - though Mayu’s singular atmosphere was relatively peerless and quite ahead of its time. The album’s symbolist tendencies blur the lines between nature and noise to create something absolutely magical - a world truly of its own.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tone Poem","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40370028216474,"sku":null,"price":28.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0471\/5036\/6874\/files\/a4062070235_10_9342eca8-597f-4e54-9df5-e635bc9d5678.jpg?v=1764790107"},{"product_id":"wesenyeleh-mebreku-resonance-of-time","title":"Wesenyeleh Mebreku - Resonance of Time","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eElectronic lullabies and folk songs from Ethiopia! A landmark recording from Ethiopia’s vibrant cassette era of the 1980s, Resonance of Time features pioneering composer Wesenyeleh Mebreku reimagining Ethiopian folk melodies through the humble circuitry of an early Casiotone keyboard.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHistorically, the works featured on Resonance of Time (የጊዜ ቃና Yegizie Kana) stand as quiet documents of Ethiopian musical memory. Many of the original songs included in this release emerged during important moments in Ethiopian history when music carried the collective emotion of the nation - love, loss, resistance, dignity, and hope. By arranging these pieces from Ethiopia’s musical heritage instrumentally, Wesenyeleh Mebreku aimed to preserve their essence while protecting them from being confined to a single era or performance style. In doing so, his preservation of Ethiopia’s musical heritage became a contribution to his country’s musical legacy itself, as Resonance of Time serves as an important musical milestone of this composer’s innovative recordings and musical developments in the prolific era of Ethiopia’s 1980s cassette tape culture.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOn Resonance of Time, Wesenyeleh made use of the first Casio electronic keyboard - the Casiotone CT-201 - to arrange and\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"bcTruncateMore\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eperform Ethiopian folk songs in his own unique style. Implementing the soulful, lo-fi character of the keyboard, Wesenyeleh’s interpretations of these works take on a life of their own. Charming analog tones interpret swirling sounds of organ and piano in kignit modality to the beat of a nostalgic rhythm machine while twinkling synthesizer sounds carry the melodies drifting out of time. The recordings reflect a watershed moment in Ethiopian musical history - when traditional melodies started being interpreted on electronic keyboards, and the advent of cassette tape recording allowed for music to be transmitted more accessibly than centuries-old oral traditions. During this time, Ethiopian musical modes were syncretized with new technology and budding musical experimentation, and Wesenyeleh’s interpretations on Resonance of Time are a landmark recording of this era, following in the tradition of reflecting upon and re-interpreting historical Ethiopian music for a new generation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFeatured on the release are timeless Amharic folk songs and lullabies, Tigrinya love songs, Gurage and Oromifa popular songs, and even works closely associated with performers from Ethiopia’s 1970s popular music era such as “Tiz Alegne Yetintu” (ትዝ አለኝ የጥንቱ) which was famously performed by Tilahun Gessesse. Each piece, thoughtfully chosen by Wesenyeleh, is beautifully transformed into instrumental music of his own style - allowing these worlds of song to echo into the future while they are synthesized with the electronic innovations of the 1980s and Wesenyeleh’s own musical history.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWesenyeleh says this about his musical approach - ”Instrumental music, for me, is a space of reflection. Without words, the listener is invited to remember, imagine, and feel freely. In Resonance of Time, I hear my own musical philosophy: respect for Ethiopian kignit, careful dialogue with Western harmony, and a deep trust in melody as a storyteller.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEach piece performed on Resonance of Time speaks to a time when Ethiopian music was shaped by oral transmission through live performance and communal listening. In today’s fast-moving musical environment, revisiting these works is an act of cultural responsibility. These works remind us that melody once traveled slowly, settling deeply in the listener’s heart. The instrumental format allows these works to cross linguistic and generational boundaries, making them accessible to audiences who may not know the original lyrics but can still feel their spirit.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eResonance of Time also reflects a broader historical dialogue: the meeting of tradition and adaptation. Ethiopian music has always evolved while holding onto its core identity. These arrangements affirm that evolution does not mean abandonment. Instead, it can be a form of safeguarding - ensuring that the musical wisdom of the past continues to resonate in the present and inspire the future.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this sense, the album is both personal and collective. It carries Wesenyeleh Mebreku’s own musical fingerprint, shaped by decades of practice, but it ultimately belongs to a wider cultural continuum. It is the artist’s contribution to keeping time audible so that memory, history, and sound may continue to speak to one another.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tone Poem","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47664488808602,"sku":null,"price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0471\/5036\/6874\/files\/a2507528774_10.jpg?v=1774288508"}],"url":"https:\/\/club.insheepsclothinghifi.com\/collections\/tone-poem.oembed","provider":"In Sheeps Clothing HiFi","version":"1.0","type":"link"}