Linda Bjalla is the solo musical identity of Izumi Suzuki from Japan who lists her primary instruments as: piano, voice, glockenspiel, melodica. Izumi's main web presence is her simply styled personal website, where she makes frequent announcements on her work. She also has an extensive MySpace network at the time of this review - May 2008 - comprising over 600 friends and is now developing her Virb presence.
All of her web space is a pleasure to visit. They are as economical as a zen garden with lots of white space and simple understated typography and perfectly complements her musical style.
01. Kiss - Thumbelina
02. forest at night
03. Ring of Earth
04. another world at the end of the tunnel
€ 5.00
Lost in the Forest is both a musical work and a hand crafted artefact of simple beauty. Enclosed in a tactile, crackley cellophane bag, each cover has been hand stamped with iconic children's storybook imagery. An owl, a magical tree, a rabbit. And each is uniquely, a touch that communicates the passion and sensitivity that Izumi brings to her work.
Lost in the Forest is the encapsulation of an idealised childhood - of stories from Hans Christian Anderson or The Brothers Grimm read by nightlight at bedtime. It moved me deeply - it is an island of calm away from the unforgiving pressures of adulthood; a sweet-sorrow reflection on mortality. To evoke the positive things as do these four simple pieces takes a rare sensitivity. To place the work in a collection of four is percisely the right choice. The EP is soon over - it works it's magic and then, in the afterglow there is a time for quiet reflection. This is not a work to be consumed, rather it is a fragile, magical gift for stimulating memory and should be used sparingly, when the need is there for that connection with the past.
Commentary of the tracks individually is superfluous. Nothing more can be added to distillation evoked by the four titles:
Kiss Thumbelina
Forest at Night
Ring of Earth
Another World at the End of the Tunnel
＊Compilations＊
Various Artists - M100
01. asako music :: Windy Hill Mill
02. Caroline :: Wonderlust
03. Izumi Misawa :: Libra
04. Kaede Mira :: Menuett
06. Le Mépris :: Starethrough one
06. Linda Bjala :: Tomorrow
07. Miki Odagiri :: From South
08. Sachiko :: The sea without...
M100 is a japanese artists compilation from indietronica lo-fi to dark ambient
More info:MiMi Records
Maea
01. chronik :: save me
02. science north :: laminar rinse
03. port royal :: jeka
04. Apjiw :: printemps
05. harold nono :: little reminders
06. Sebastien Charest :: passage
07. bcom :: when cars start smashins
08. Christophe.g/Tellemake :: Cloche augen ande--Part 1&2
09. Misera C :: shortcut
10. fedaden :: i saw a forest growing
11. Mc Légaré :: au musée
12. elektronarkoz :: In the shade
13. linda bjalla :: pilgrimage
14. the feels :: this is the new year
15. millimetrik :: Fessenden-Le salon de thé (remix)
16. ironlight river :: lemon milk
17. dedo :: goodbye
Maea feature: science north, port royal, apjiw, building castles out of matchsticks, dedo, Christophe.g/Tellemake, fedaden, Linda Bjalla and many more talented artists.
Masterized by Éric Lamothe.
More info:9.12 Records
A Weevil in a Biscuit
01. ANNE KING :: unknown us apart (Brazil)
02. ALONE TOGETHER :: human beings (Japan)
03. PNDC :: pick up your tears (Serbia)
04. OOMIAQ :: aventure toi (France)
05. OLDMAN :: half brother (France)
06. KABOOM KARAVAN :: toambertree (Belgium)
07. HAROLD NONO :: a shining space (Scotland)
08. PEQUENA FIERA! :: do re me fa sol I kiss you (Spain)
09. LIMBIC SOMNUS :: a candy coated slow down (USA)
10. ALFRED BROWN :: as the dead ship sinks (USA)
11. JAMES ROSS :: study no.1(inharmonicity) (USA)
12. LINDA BJALLA :: you are alive (Japan)
13. DM STITH :: be my baby (USA)
14. SONICBRAT :: that little something (Singapore)
15. HULK :: in the belly of the hungry white sea (Ireland)
16. CAHIER :: bebe (Finland) l
£ 8.00
"...a compilation album that showcases Bearsuit Records as a label dealing in the strange and beautiful, an eclectic collection of artists and music that whilst often veering toward the surreal, are always anchored in the sublime." [uk music search]
More info:bearsuit records
Fugues | 10 unreleased tracks 2007
01. ABSENT WITHOUT LEAVE :: Following A Trembling Star
02. BEXAR BEXAR :: Fake Window Piece
03. CHEER :: Warmer Inside
04. CORIOLIS FORCE :: Trouble
05. TEAMFOREST :: Just A Moment's Thought
06. LINDA BJALLA :: Melting Snow
07. YELLOW6 :: E1
08. MY AUTUMN EMPIRE :: Walking Away
09. TEMJIIN :: Reverie (acoustic)
10. LIGHTSWAY :: Awake And Sleeping
Edition CD-R limitée à 50 exemplaires
[packaging fait main, enveloppes numérotées,
1CD-R 10 titres inédits + 1 livret texte
(comment j'ai embrassé le silence par j. olivier)
More info:Fugues
Hello! I had been really busy but good. Thank you so much for always dropping by and listening. I am very grateful. I hope to return to making more music soon. I hope you are well!
Hello Linda, sopped by just to wish you a great weekend! Keyject
"Experience life in all possible ways -- good-bad, bitter-sweet, dark-light, summer-winter. Experience all the dualities. Don't be afraid of experience, because the more experience you have, the more mature you become." Osho
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