Karel Arbus & Eiji Takamatsu released their sophomore album, Quiet Facility, in early June this year on Max Essa`s Jansen Jardin label. At present it`s only available digitally, but it really deserves a vinyl pressing. I guess I might be a tad biased though, since the pair are neighbours of sorts, and the closest thing I have to regular drinking buddies. Quiet Facility finds them taking the Japanese “kankyo ongaku” template and adding the kind of melodies employed on the classic art house cinema scores of Joe Hisaishi, Eric Serra and Gabriel Yared – to memorable effect. Always looking for artists` influences and with a “passion” for lists, I asked Karel and Eiji for a few 2020 favourites of their own. 

Could both of you please give me a few pieces of music, released or reissued this year, that have helped you make it through 2020?

Ann Margaret Hogan – Honeysuckle Burials (Downwards)

Raymond Richards – The Lost Art of Wandering (ESP Institute)

Field Works – Ultrasonic (Temporary Residence Ltd)

Chari Chari – We Hear The Last Decades Dreaming (Groovement Organic Series)

Kenny Keni Band – Unreleased Vol.1 (Jansen Jardin)

R_R_ (Reinis Ramans) – Train of Thought (Growing Bin)

February Montaine – Mount Nod (Be With)

Ezechiel Pailes – OH! (Circus Company)

Rip Swirl – Hope U Are Well (Public Possession)

Various – Music For Dance & Theatre: Volume One (Music From Memory)

This will be hard to answer but all being “well” what plans do you have for 2021?

We’re hoping to be able to record another album next year for Jansen Jardin. We’ve already started passing a few ideas back and forth. However in these uncertain times we’ll have to wait and see what happens over the next few months!

Is there any way that I, we, others, can help  you in achieving these goals? Are you looking for partners / collaborators – folks who might have access to resources that you currently don’t – in that sense of “if we stand together then we will survive”?

The label – Jansen Jardin – is currently looking for potential licensors for Some Backland Plaza and Quiet Facility. If anybody reading this might be interested, please get in touch.

You can purchase Karel Arbus & Eiji Takamatsu`s Quiet Facility directly from Jansen Jardin.