Japanese Bush Warbler 日本樹鶯 (Nakanojo)

I know the sound of Japanese Bush Warbler through Masumi Saito - a movement artist I worked with. She gave me the birdsong her mum recorded as the material for our little collaboration on a project, “My Mum is Beautiful” by artist Xie Rong.

In Japan, people are reminded that spring is coming when they hear the sound of the Japanese Bush Warbler.

This little and delightful piece came into being almost immediately. The music sounds quite Japanese to me - but I didn’t intend to make it Japanese. I think it’s the birdsong which sounds really ‘Japanese’. Maybe our cultures are all affected by the birdsongs around.

Masumi and I are now touring a new piece “Departure”, exploring death, ritual and spirit. It feels like a suitable time to release the music in memory of the start and the collaboration between us.