Audio-visual collective Origamibiro commemorate the sell-out launch of their second album ‘Shakkei’ with a new live performance piece: Specimens.

All audio and visual material in this performance was generated live using instruments, live camera feeds, found objects and live looping devices.

……………………..

Effortless synchronicity is what comes to mind when listening to “Shakkei” the new album from audio-visual collective Origamibiro. However, one should be quick to confirm that while this may suggest a passive approach to composition in truth it is far from the case. In this instance, the choice of words is meant to illustrate the fact that these three musicians seamlessly bond together a rich tapestry of sounds in a way that shields their complexities. The result is an engaging listening experience that is both accessible and detailed.

In keeping with this opening paragraph, one could elaborate further on the choreographed approach at hand, for the enjoyment that comes from hearing this music is not just spent in terms of melodic consumption. The listener will also seek much thrill in trying to understand how these multiple layers of sound are so brilliantly brought together. However, without the visual aid that comes with the band’s extraordinary live performances, this can prove to be a daunting task.

Throughout the record, listeners will be treated to a variety of sounds that aren’t just limited to traditional instrumentation. While the meshing of percussion, keyboards, electric, acoustic and bowed guitars offers some hints as to the kind of sounds one can expect, it is the further additions of unconventional noise such as typewriters, field sounds and other auditory samples that combine together so well to support the more conventional music. It is when hearing these all in unison that one forgets there are just three players as the music takes on symphonic dimensions.

Some great examples of this can be found on the wonderful “Quad Time and the Genius of the Crowd” where bowed guitars, clinking typewriters, plucked strings, whispered and windy voices all move in the collective force that is only achievable through recorded sound. It is a brilliant showcase of how music can be an infinitely evolving medium. Similarly the album opener “Impressions of Footfall” will take listeners on a fantastical journey of sonic waves that combine the soothing, slow thumping percussion of down tempo ambient music, with heavily bowed strings and abstract sound.

As alluded to earlier, one fear that comes from hearing this music is that something may be lost on the listener due to the lack of the physical presence that these musicians have brought to their performance. Indeed, having watched videos of live renditions, complete with the audio-visual elements that form part of their musicianship, one can fully appreciate the creations as intended. However, this shouldn’t deter the listener. There is so much detail, and so much pleasure that can be detracted from these sounds that “Shakkei” evokes plenty of imagination and engagement for its listeners. Finding a live performance by the band is the next logical step in interacting with the artistry that this album introduces.

Overall, “Shakkei” feels like a significant record. This is not just a testament to its scope, which as already painted here is both grand and vivid, but also in its approach to recorded works. The result is both a listening pleasure and an exercise for those who choose to engage with it. One hopes this will be a significant number, as “Shakkei” is the kind of music that should be enjoyed and appreciated by many. – Josh Atkin

A handful of copies are still available over at Stashed Goods

origamibiro.com
thejoyofbox.co.uk

Effortless synchronicity is what comes to mind when listening to “Shakkei” the new album from audio-visual collective Origamibiro. However, one should be quick to confirm that while this may suggest a passive approach to composition in truth it is far from the case. In this instance, the choice of words is meant to illustrate the fact that these three musicians seamlessly bond together a rich tapestry of sounds in a way that shields their complexities. The result is an engaging listening experience that is both accessible and detailed.

In keeping with this opening paragraph, one could elaborate further on the choreographed approach at hand, for the enjoyment that comes from hearing this music is not just spent in terms of melodic consumption. The listener will also seek much thrill in trying to understand how these multiple layers of sound are so brilliantly brought together. However, without the visual aid that comes with the band’s extraordinary live performances, this can prove to be a daunting task.

Throughout the record, listeners will be treated to a variety of sounds that aren’t just limited to traditional instrumentation. While the meshing of percussion, keyboards, electric, acoustic and bowed guitars offers some hints as to the kind of sounds one can expect, it is the further additions of unconventional noise such as typewriters, field sounds and other auditory samples that combine together so well to support the more conventional music. It is when hearing these all in unison that one forgets there are just three players as the music takes on symphonic dimensions.

Some great examples of this can be found on the wonderful “Quad Time and the Genius of the Crowd” where bowed guitars, clinking typewriters, plucked strings, whispered and windy voices all move in the collective force that is only achievable through recorded sound. It is a brilliant showcase of how music can be an infinitely evolving medium. Similarly the album opener “Impressions of Footfall” will take listeners on a fantastical journey of sonic waves that combine the soothing, slow thumping percussion of down tempo ambient music, with heavily bowed strings and abstract sound.

As alluded to earlier, one fear that comes from hearing this music is that something may be lost on the listener due to the lack of the physical presence that these musicians have brought to their performance. Indeed, having watched videos of live renditions, complete with the audio-visual elements that form part of their musicianship, one can fully appreciate the creations as intended. However, this shouldn’t deter the listener. There is so much detail, and so much pleasure that can be detracted from these sounds that “Shakkei” evokes plenty of imagination and engagement for its listeners. Finding a live performance by the band is the next logical step in interacting with the artistry that this album introduces.

Overall, “Shakkei” feels like a significant record. This is not just a testament to its scope, which as already painted here is both grand and vivid, but also in its approach to recorded works. The result is both a listening pleasure and an exercise for those who choose to engage with it. One hopes this will be a significant number, as “Shakkei” is the kind of music that should be enjoyed and appreciated by many.

- Josh Atkin for Fluid Radio

Free Download: Quad Time remixes from Leafcutter John, Joseph Minadeo, Soil and Water, Juxtaphona and Low In the Sky – including the music video – all for free. Click here to download

There is also a full length remix album due for release after Shakkei comes out, with artists such as ISAN, Remote Viewer, Plaid, Set In Sand, Upward Arrows, Melodium, Calika, Ofthesky, Last Man on Mars and many more.

www.origamibiro.com
www.abandonbuilding.com
www.denizen.uk.com

It’s been way too long since we last featured Origamibiro and The Joy Of Box on Fluid, and so it was with great delight that I stumbled across this stunning live performance…

Imagine music and video playing a game together. And telling stories at the same time. That’s what it’s like to experience a performance by audio-visual collective Origamibiro.

The collaborative trio merge found objects, unorthodox contraptions, multi instrumentalism and persistence of vision to create an atmosphere both nostalgic and otherworldly.

Together, musicians and producers Tom Hill and Andy Tytherleigh and video artist The Joy of Box make connections between seemingly unrelated elements and create a world that plays the scale of human emotions.

With atmosphere oozing from their fingertips, it’s no wonder the Dublin Fringe Festival described Origamibiro as “undoubtedly the most original offering of the fringe calendar”

This promo marks the first of a new series of av works to come out of the new Origamibiro stable- The BiroBox Workshops. Originally a Nottingham based audio-visual night run by Origamibiro, the Workshops has expanded to become a working space where biro can develop new ideas, experiments and working methods to play live.

New album also coming soon…

thejoyofbox.co.uk
origamibiro.com

Origamibiro Vol 3 by Fluid Radio on Mixcloud

Origamibiro returns to the Fluid Radio mix installments with another delicious selection of abstract material…

Origamibiro is the pseudonym of musician and producer, Thomas Hill. Originally from Beckenham in Kent, Tom moved to Nottingham in 2000 where he still lives, writing music and producing soundtracks for film and animations.

Formerly one half of the electronica duo, Wauvenfold with Noel Murphy (aka Visual Display Unit / Bury & Disinter) Tom released material on Wichita Records and produced other works under his old solo alias – Penfold Plum (it is the name Penfold that gave birth to the title ‘Origami-Biro’).

His debut with Expanding Records, ‘Cracked Mirrors and Stopped Clocks’, saw Tom shift away from his beat driven method of synthetic sound-design to sculpt an album of interlacing classical guitar-part harmonies and textural samples – including the creaks of chairscand all the knocks, scrapes, bumps and other by-products that come with playing a wooden instrument.

The result is an intimate and delicate, broken, organic sound that is both hauntingly vivid and atmospheric, whilst managing to retain some of those glitchy electronic characteristics that earned Wauvenfold its reputation among the likes of Björk, Super Furry Animals and John Peel himself.

Track list:

01.    in light: small color
02.    ghost and tape: pretty drops
03.    phone call: jon brion
04.    fluffy (i want you): polar bear
05.    night knuckles: clark
06.    opening image: arve henriksen
07.    partida del leprosario: gustavo santaolalla
08.    all the stars are out tonight: danny norbury
09.    rara: jodi cave
10.    blue sands: colleen
11.    murcof
12.    untitled: grynden
13.    pauvre simon: sylvain chauveau
14.    peter and sylvie: michael andrews
15.    wirklicher: weschel garland
16.    foil twitch: wauvenfold

www.origamibiro.com

Origamibiro Second Edition by Fluid Radio on Mixcloud

If you missed Tom’s latest installment then click below…

Track List:

Lars Horntveth: Pooka
Part Timer: Four Timer (Mix 2)
The Number: Multitude
Opsvik & Jennings: ??? (don’t know! track 3 on their ‘Commuter Anthems’ album I think!)
Sufjan Stevens: Out Of Egypt, Into The Great Laugh Of Mankind…
Johann Johannsson: “Ef Ég Hefði Aldrei…”
Susumu Yokota: Love Bird
dntl: Fear of Corners
Michael Andrews: Liquid Spear Waltz
Murcof: Mir
The Books: Lemon of Pink
Yonlu: Waterfall

www.origamibiro.com

The talented Tom Hill aka Origamibiro recently did an exclusive mix for Fluid Radio…..
From electroacoustic patterns into modern classical compositions, Tom has managed to blend a gentle journey of uplifting beauty in every sense of the word….

Track List:

01: Origamibiro: Vitreous Detachment
02: Kim Hiorthøy: Forskjellige Gode Ting
03: Talkdemonic: Bering
04: Jackson & His Computer Band: Minidoux
05: Nico Muhly: The Only Tune / III
06: Hauschka: Fernpunkt
07: Arve Henriksen: Blue Sky
08: Dollboy: Juicyfruit
09: Steve Reich: New York Counterpoint
10: Helios: Halving The Compass
11: Jon Brion (Origamibiro Extended Mix) : Peer Pressure
12: Ólafur Arnalds: 0952
13: Origamibiro: Nootaikok’s Demise

Download here

The Man:

Origamibiro is the pseudonym of musician and producer, Thomas Hill. Originally from Beckenham in Kent, Tom moved to Nottingham in 2000 where he still lives, writing music and producing soundtracks for film and animations.

Formerly one half of the electronica duo, Wauvenfold with Noel Murphy (aka Visual Display Unit / Bury & Disinter) Tom released material on Wichita Records and produced other works under his old solo alias – Penfold Plum (it is the name Penfold that gave birth to the title ‘Origami-Biro’).

His debut with Expanding Records, ‘Cracked Mirrors and Stopped Clocks’, saw Tom shift away from his beat driven method of synthetic sound-design to sculpt an album of interlacing classical guitar-part harmonies and textural samples – including the creaks of chairs and all the knocks, scrapes, bumps and other by-products that come with playing a wooden instrument.

The result is an intimate and delicate, broken, organic sound that is both hauntingly vivid and atmospheric, whilst managing to retain some of those glitchy electronic characteristics that earned Wauvenfold its reputation among the likes of Björk, Super Furry Animals and John Peel himself. – 2007 Expanding Records Press Release. photograph taken by petecranston@mac.com

Reviews of Cracked Mirrors and Stopped Clocks:

This is a truly beautiful blend of the glitchy electronic soundscapes of the likes of fennesz with some stunning spanish and classical acoustic guitar over the top, at times the album has that kind of desert feeling of ry cooders paris texas soundtrack, a really really beautiful meeting of electronic trickery and live acoustic sounds.’
www.roadrecs.com

‘Gone are the more angular beat contortions of Wauvenfold, Hill instead favouring a sound centred on his nylon-strung acoustic guitar and some finely spun, computer-aided audio treatments… A thoroughly beautiful listen which you’d do well to investigate without delay.’
www.boomkat.com

‘Straddling the middle ground somewhere between electronic and acoustic, ‘Cracked Mirrors and Stopped Clocks’ has a high level of intimacy and an organic quality that is contrasted and often mixed with digitally created tones and broken electronic sounds. At times the contrast is distinct but at others they compliment each other beautifully, the warmth and fragility of the guitar melodies amplified by just the right amount of discrete glitchy electronic effects.’
www.igloomag.com

‘Origamibiro’s debut album is an absolutely beautiful journey through subtle, delicate and, above all, gloriously introspective music.’
www.smallfish.co.uk

More about Origamibiro here:
www.origamibiro.com