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LP
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VOLKUTA 002LP
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Umeko Ando's Battaki (Joe Claussell Remix) is the second release from Japanese label Volkuta. For this release, three songs are selected from the album Infuke, originally released in 2001. Ando is known as the master of Upopo (song) and Mukkuri (mouth harp) and also known as one of the successors of the Ainu tribal culture of Hokkaido's Obihiro district. Ando has been sending the Ainu music all over the world with her unafraid style, adopting the music for new generations but at the same time respecting the original which has been followed since ancient times. "Battaki" is fusion of the Ainu's Upopo and folky sound of the tonkori (the stringed instrument of the Ainu) & percussion by Oki from Oki Dub Ainu Band. The next two tracks are "Mukkuri", representing the Ainu's primitive style itself. On side B, Joe Claussell has remixed a 14-minute version of "Battaki" giving a jazz essence to Ando's original. The Ainu people live in Hokkaido in harmony with nature, as aboriginal people like Native Americans or Eskimos. It is not easy to imagine their original, highly-developed culture and tradition and their foreign trade when one is more familiar with the Ainu's simple, freely-living way of live (which is actually made up for tourism). The truth is further from one's expectations; one must not forget the persecuted history that the westernizing Japanese robbed the Ainu of their land unfairly, forced upon them their own values. Vokulta is happy to release into the world the music of Ms. Umeko Ando and producer Mr. Oki. Releasing the sound on vinyl is also to deliver the background of the music through the media of a jacket. It is different from what is released with a simple two-hole sleeve. The remixer Joe Claussell has not just remixed the sound, he has recreated the view of this music in his world. It has been four years since the first release, but Volkuta still has the same touch since we had deciding to release this music, having faith that this music will be played for many years in the whole world.
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