A lot of great music has come out of Japan but the twist here is that Kyoto-born singer-keyboardist Sienna relocated as a graduate student to Norway in 1995. After completing her masters programme in 2004 she was discovered by Norwegian producer Abon, releasing her debut EP ‘Ambience 1’ the following year. Her debut album is a richly-textured bed of melodic layers, freeform electronica and jazzy flourishes which become the deepest house in the galaxy when the groove kicks in., as on the lovely ‘Be Accessed’. ‘Dance Of The White Rhythms’ floats along on with avant jazz layers before the beats spin it into another lustrous sonic bed while the dense electronic layers take over on ‘From The Distance Of Memories’, drifting down into an ethereal ambient drone on ‘The Spring Of Kyoto’. Words don’t really do this gorgeous CD much justice anyway: it really has to be heard and felt.
5 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Kris Needs
