The Arch

Across the 10 tracks on the record, Watanabe places the vibrant timbres of traditional Japanese instruments (shinobue and ryuteki flutes, taiko drums, narimono percussion instruments, and koto, a 13-string zither) in compositions and jazz improvisations. These traditional instruments are contrasted by the many layers of acoustic and electronic instruments – piano, synthesizers, tenor saxophone, soprano and alto flutes, and harp, all played by Watanabe – which he uses to create a unique and shifting soundworld, never quite settling in one place or time but buoyed by his singular artistic vision.