Tribute to Ryuichi Sakamoto: Kokoro

KOKORO is the third Maurizio “ErMan” Mansueti album as Timeless Sonic Factory, a project dedicated to contemporary Theremin music.
The entire album is a tribute to RYUICHI SAKAMOTO and his wonderful music.

Why KOKORO? In Japanese, KOKORO (こころ) means “heart” in its deepest significance. It Is the spirit and essence of the individual. KOKORO was also a well known novel written by Natsume Sōseki (often considered the greatest writer in modern Japanese history). As in that novel, KOKORO means "the heart of things" or "feeling". In the same way, we can consider Ryuichi Sakamoto’s music.
About the album. Recent versions of Ryuichi Sakamoto’s music for solo piano can be certainly recognized as an influence.
ErMan has translated the soft touch of the melodies for piano by Sakamoto into melodies for Theremin, through "decomposition", "reconstruction" and “adaptation” while respecting the essence and intimacy of the original compositions.
ErMan draws suggestive musical paintings with his Theremin to explore exoticism in music with a contemporary approach.

KOKORO is a warm interpretation with few instruments, to creating magic with just a handful of delicately placed notes from the Theremin. The Theremin was recorded as a “live in studio” without any effects or treatment of the sound.
In some tracks, an additional Theremin voice was added to play bass lines or to represent a natural chorus. KOKORO is certainly the first Theremin album ever recorded and dedicated to the art of RYUICHI SAKAMOTO.
As ErMan says, “the Theremin represents the voice of the soul”. KOKORO wants to be a dedication played with a mental intimacy, an amplification of the extraordinarily suggestive Sakamoto’s compositions.

Available on eshops and in BandCamp here: ermanlab.bandcamp.com/
In BandCamp also produced as "numbered" limited edition vinyl CD for collectors!