James Barnsley
Black Ice E.P.

Having previously served up new editions of a number of Midori Takada's solo albums, Swiss reissue specialists WRWTFWW have now turned their attention to her earlier work as part of the Mkwaju Ensemble. Ki-Motion originally appeared on legendary Japanese imprint Better Days way back in 1981, and saw the trio lay down a range of wonderfully breezy, melodious and life-affirming tracks that joined the dots between Glass and Reich style American minimalism, Berlin school ambient, Japanese new age bliss and gentle, proto-type electronica. It's perhaps not as rare or sought-after as some Takada-related releases, but it's still a delightful album: a melodious and sun-kissed affair that sparkles just as much as her sublime solo works.