MP3 Andrew Roth - Natural Sounds of Japan

A fascinating virtual journey through the islands, seasons, and soundscapes of Japan inspired by the scroll paintings of Sesshu Toyo and travel writings of Matsuo Basho.

12 MP3 Songs in this album (69:29) !
Related styles: NEW AGE: Nature, NEW AGE: Environmental



Details:
"The phenomenal diversity of Japan, in its landscapes, climates, ecosystems, fauna and flora, has enthralled me for more than a quarter of a century. For part of each year I am fortunate to be able to travel the length and breadth of the country seeking out its wilder places in order to experience the unique nature of Japan and to write about those experiences: from the world's largest amphibian, the Japanese Giant Salamander, in the cold mountain streams of Honshu, to the largest and one of the rarest owls in the world, Blakiston's Fish Owl, along remote rivers of eastern Hokkaido, from the emotionally charged gatherings of dancing Red-crowned Cranes of Kushiro to the inescapably amusing playfulness of young Japanese Macaques around their hotspring near Nagano, from the towering, ancient forest giants of Yakushima's cedar forests, to the low canopied sub-tropical forests of Amami and Okinawa.

For me, it is the soundscape of a place that completes my sense of truly being there. In Japan I have been fortunate, to listen in winter to the sound of river ice creaking, crashing and booming beneath my feet while above me a fish owl pair calls out its sonorous duet. I have closed my eyes at dawn and listened to the cacophony of calls and wingbeats as flocks of cranes take to the wing and leave their roost. I have wandered through lush forests at night feeling enmeshed in a dense net of sounds: frogs, crickets, owls, toads, and leaves rustling in the breeze in the canopy. I have spent hours sitting on beaches absorbing the subliminal roar of the deep ocean, the gentle lapping of waves on the shore, the rattling undertow of the current amongst the shingle and boulders. There can be few pleasures as great as walking in a familiar forest at dawn, pausing, closing one's eyes and simply soaking in the lush and vibrant sounds of the avian morning chorus: from the flycatchers and thrushes, to the warblers and woodpeckers. In thousands of natural moments such as these, it has been the sounds that have completed the experience for me and left the deepest emotional impact.

Never before have I heard my own experiences of Japan encapsulated in sound. Each movement of natural sound, each tonal interlude, in this collection, resonating with my own memories and experiences, has transported me, sometimes to familiar locations creating the thrill of recognition, sometimes to unfamiliar sites with the joy of surprise and unexpected pleasure. Andrew Roth's remarkable collection of sound recordings brings to life powerfully the richness that is the nature of Japan."

--Mark Brazil (Author, Lecturer, Naturalist)

Andrew Roth has spent the last 15 years creating sound design and mixes for just about every known medium. His work can be heard in theme park installations, console games, television series, and major motion pictures. Bringing this deep experience and knowledge to the natural world, he has created a sonic journey through Japan's wide variety of fascinating, and sometimes bizarre, soundscapes. Travel from the tropical nights of Amami Oshima in the far south to the lonely, snow filled landscapes of Hokkaido in the remote north. Experience the ghostly sounds of a mysterious bamboo forest, immerse yourself in the stunning amphitheater of a crater lake, and dive beneath crackling sea ice. Japan's natural world, as described in its rich painting and literary traditions, is now brought to life with new stunning clarity!

Included in the package is a comprehensive color booklet containing photographs and descriptions of each location, identifications of the sounds and creatures being heard, and writings placing the recordings in a cultural and historical context.