Mirko Uhlig - Gyokuro (Gears Of Sand, 2009)

1 Do Birds 3:26
2 Practice 6:29
3 Their Songs 6:53
4 While They 7:43
5 Sleep 2:05
6 In The Gardens Of Gyokuro 6:27

The first EP we have ever released. We are typically very reluctant to release anything under an hour, but this intoxicating conceptual work of ambience by one of our favorite artists persuaded us to defy GoS conventions. On Gyokuro, Mirko Uhlig's 6 interconnected pieces comprise an admittedly short but no less realized composition that trigger thoughts of the tranquil, oxygenated tones of the more ambient works of Yui Onodera or even Celer; very minimal tones that are beautifully arranged to captivate the listener in a sea of field recordings and warm, lazy Sunday morning bliss. "Practice" presents a very catchy minimal motiff that begins to buzz and morph into a more abstract but no less enthralling evolution in the form of "Their Songs." "While They" shifts gears into a more haunting melody that recalls Milieu's "Beyond the Sea Lies the Stars" and then a full on symphonic wall of thick and warming cascades takes us deep, deep into finale, "The Gardens of Gyokuro." Mirko Uhlig once again shows his versatility as a sound artist who can craft very abstract, dark minimal compositions as in his recent Mystery Sea release, "The Nightmiller"- sprinkled far more sparsely here-to something unabashedly arcing and, indeed, ecstatic with "Gyokuro." Yes, this is audio ecstasy that conjures a most subtle and utterly sublime space that we find ourselves returning to often.
Mirko Uhlig

It has been remarked in the pages of Vital Weekly before, but the man to watch when it comes to producing some interesting drone music is Germany's Mirko Uhlig. Recently he did a 7" with [N], and already has a small catalogue of works (of which the great 'VIVMMI' will soon be re-issued on LP) and 'Gyokuro' is the latest in a series of these works. Again he works with relative minimal means to generate the pieces of music. An organ perhaps in 'In The Gardens Of Gyokuro'? That seems to be it. Maybe the processed bird call in 'Do Birds' (actually the title for these six pieces can be read as one sentence: 'Do Birds Practice Their Songs While They Sleep In The Gardens Of Gyokuro'). Uhlig knows how use a few sounds and still create a great piece of atmospheric music. And, you may ask, does it sound like anything else, or is it completely new? Well, no. In this particular line of music, nothing much new is done. That is perhaps also not the goal of this kind of music. Does it produce a great piece of music? Yes, it does. Whereas some of the current drone artists take too much time or use too much sounds, Uhlig knows how to play a few delicate sounds and set the tone right. Short pieces, each with their own character, yet as a whole, the album has a great distinct sound, an uniformed entity. Another fine work.
Vital Weekly

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