Naoki Kita x Nobumasa Tanaka - Contigo en La Distancia / Tooku Hanareteitemo (2017) Hi-Res

The slight "feeling of being caught" that I feel when I listen to it becomes a habit and I listen to it many times ... RME Premium Recordings' 11th album has such a mysterious charm. The true character of the "feeling of being caught" is a catgut string. Made from the intestines of sheep and cows, it has been widely used as a string for all stringed instruments since ancient times. It has replaced steel and nylon strings and is rarely used in modern classical music. However, the unique warmth and exquisite husky tone like a real voice give the performance an indescribable expressive power and fascinate the listener.

This artist, violinist Naoki Kita, is active in developing performances that combine his musical knowledge and experience, centered on the tango that he learned in the home of Argentina, to maximize the appeal of catgut strings. He is one of the few violinists who can do it. And this album by the duo with up-and-coming pianist Nobumasa Tanaka is a selection and arrangement of famous South American songs with Mr. Kita's sensibility, and weaves improvisation that coexists with Mr. Tanaka's thrilling piano and comfortable stability. The result is a mixed, artistic work. The recording engineer is Mick Sawaguchi, who releases a number of excellent high-resolution surround works from the UNAMAS label. The combination of the mic arrangement assuming 9.0ch immersive audio and the familiar RME MADI system captures the rich overtone components of the gut strings, the rich reverberation of the New York Steinway piano, and the moderate reverberation of the hall. It plays a key role in the recording art that this album embodies.

A collection of Latin American gems played by soul violinist Naoki Kita and unparalleled pianist Nobumasa Tanaka. The album "Contigo en La" resonates with overwhelming expressiveness, along with the unique violin tone of catgut strings, which is rarely used in modern classical music, and the new world classics of Brazil, Argentina, Cuba, and Mexico, including Piasora and Jobin. Please enjoy "Distancia" ~ even if you are far away ~.