Aki Takase and Lauren Newton correspond to and contradict one another with sounds, tones, vocalizations, words. They converse in fantasy languages, plunge into areas of deep emotion and fly off into the abstract realm of sounds. And – not forgetting: they have something which has become rare, not only in improvised music, but in the world of art in general, because it defies reckoning: they have a sense of humour. It is almost amazing that they did not meet earlier. Despite the different emphases they have quite some things in common: both are familiar with Jazz and the kind of improvised music that has grown out of it. Both have always been interested in extended sounds which push back the borders of established genres, also brushing with the areas of New Music. The actual dimensions of the musical conversations between Lauren Newton and Aki Takase are the sounds in the spectrum from creative expressiveness through to artistic moulding.

Engineer: Jürgen Rote

Cover Art: Yuri Takase
Graphic design: Jonas Schoder
Liner Notes: Bert Noglik
Photos: Bernd Hartung, Koho Mori

All compositions by Aki Takase (JASRAC) and Lauren Newton (Gema), except: SAKURA NO SOLO by Aki Takase and DENSITY by Lauren Newton. Recorded September 27, 2004 at Jazzclub A-Trane, Berlin. Mixed and mastered: Rainer Robben (AudioCue). Executive production: Patrik Landolt. Produced, published and copyright by Intakt Record