Swiss singer Yumi Ito seems to know hardly any limits vocally. She intones perfectly, captivates with improvisations that she intersperses in the songs. Effortlessly she measures a wide tonal space.
– Hessisch-niedersächsische Allgemeine
Yumi Ito's vocal artistry captivates, but that's not all. As a singer, composer and pianist, she has developed a style that cannot be reduced to a simple term. Art-pop somewhere between Tori Amos, Björk and Jazz.
– Georg Pepl
Pieces full of deep devotion and musical sophistication.
– Till Lorenzen, Radio Bremen Zwei
Yumi Ito designs a new oceanic songwriting world. She sets out on fantastic, touching flights of fancy with her voice, which has gained even more sovereignty and expression.
– Stefan Franzen, a green belt of sound
The new album "Ysla" by Yumi Ito has become a true tidal current of personal stories, impressive improvisations, and the unique voice of the Swiss-Polish-Japanese singer, composer, and improviser. Musically, the work moves between art-pop, jazz, and neoclassical; thematically, it deals with loneliness & separation, the world ending, and rebirth. In deep self-reflection, Itohas developed her vocal improvisation into a kind of "universal" language that can be understood anywhere. Besides that, for the first time, she recorded all piano parts herself, complemented by Kuba Dworak on double bass and Iago Fernández on drums. In addition, there are illustrious guests like Chris Hyson (synths; Jordan Rakei, The Magic Lantern, Snowpoet) and Szymon Mika (g), with whom Yumi Ito also plays in a duo. Mixing & mastering of the seven original compositions was done by sound engineer Daniel Dettwiler at Studio Idee und Klang, using the same mixing console that Queen and Supertramp already used. For all these reasons, "Ysla" (enja records, 2023) isn’t simply Yumi Ito’s fifth album under her own name but marks a new peak in her opus.
A journey through the endless expanses of the sea to a magnificent island: this image appears in the mind’s eye when "Ysla" is spinning on the record player. The new album by Yumi Ito has become a true tidal current of personal stories, impressive improvisations, and the unique voice of the Swiss-Polish-Japanese singer, composer, and improviser.
“In recent years, I’ve worked on new music in Iceland, Galicia (Cies), and Greece (Milos), which – like my father's country of origin, Japan - are all islands. Traveling there has generated distance and time to get to know myself better.” — Yumi Ito
"Ysla", from the Old Portuguese for "island", deals with the themes of loneliness & separation, the world ending, and rebirth, linked with metaphors from nature, psychology, and sociology, as well as current contemporary history. The seven original compositions are closely connected to Yumi Ito's personhood and tell of her path of reflection and self-discovery. In this process, Ito has also developed her vocal improvisation into a "universal" language that can be understood anywhere: She uses it in a highly conscious, virtuoso, and incredibly powerful way, improvising with apparent effortlessness across genres, keys, and rhythms of all kinds – like a Zen master in harmony with her surroundings.
"The times on the islands and during the pandemic have made me reflect intensely. One realization has been that when I improvise and scat, I can connect with people across nationalities and borders in my own wordless language – much like traveling – and thus be at home anywhere." — Yumi Ito
Moreover, Ito recorded all the piano parts herself for the first time, and impressively so: when the often complex piano patterns ring out and the musician sings over them in a completely detached way, a world is conjured up in no time at all. She is complemented by Kuba Dworak on double bass and Iago Fernández on drums, both of whom already formed the rhythm section of the Yumi Ito Orchestra. Effortlessly, this trio maneuvers through a veritable genre ocean of ambient sounds, mystical grooves, and soulful parts between art-pop, jazz, and neoclassical. Among those on board: illustrious guests like Chris Hyson (synths; Jordan Rakei, The Magic Lantern, Snowpoet) and Szymon Mika (g), with whom Yumi Ito also plays in a duo. Mix & mastering was done by sound engineer Daniel Dettwiler at Studio Idee und Klang, using the same mixing console that Queen and Supertramp already used. For all these reasons, "Ysla" (enja records, 2023) isn’t simply Yumi Ito’s fifth album under her own name but marks a new peak in her opus. Profound and immensely fresh – like an island: proud, stoic, and strong amidst the powerful waves of the ocean.
Line–Up:
Yumi Ito — vocals, piano (1, 2, 3, 4, 7), Rhodes (1), composition, lyrics, production, art direction
Kuba Dworak — doublebass
Iago Fernández — drums
Chris Hyson — synths, post-production
Xan Campos — Rhodes 2 / keys (3)
Szymon Mika — acoustic guitars (5)
Rui Stähelin — theorbo (2)
Kyrill Fasla Prolat — cello (4)
Kirk Starkey — cello (1)
Jo Flüeler — pre-production synths (1), recording engineer Rhodes (1)
Ambrosius Huber — cello (1, 2, 6, 7)
Album-Info:
Daniel Dettwiler — 1st recording engineer (5, 6), recording engineer for all vocals (except 2)
Sam Barnett — Recording engineer for the piano, double bass and drums of all tracks (except 5, 6), recording engineer for the cello (4), vocals, and theorbo (2); theorbo post-production (2), editing all songs (except 5, 6)
Patrik Zosso — Recording engineer for the cello (1, 2, 6, 7)
Johannes Jäck — Editing all tracks, 2nd engineer (5, 6), 2nd engineer for all vocals (except 2)
Jaka Arh — Additional programming/processing (3), assistant to the mixing engineer
Mixing, mastering and programming: Daniel Dettwiler at Idee und Klang Studio, Himmelried, Switzerland
Recorded at Jazzcampus Basel, February-July 2022
Rhodes 2 recorded at Xan’s home, Cangas, July 2022
Synth pre-productions at Sád Studios Basel (1, 3)
Synths, post-production by Chris Hyson, London, July 2022
Vinyl mastering — Magdalena Piotrkowska Hear Candy Mastering, Poland
Marta Sołtys — Management, executive production
Stoph Ruckli — Coaching, consulting
Maria Jarzyna — Visual art direction, photography, layout design
Supported by the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia
© & (P) 2023 Werner Aldinger | enja records
Angler Str. 25 | 80339 Munich, Germany
yeb-7832 1 | LC 18386 | Made in EU
This is definitely one of the most interesting albums that arrived on my desk in 2020.
– Adam Baruch, Polish-Jazz
Orchestraler Sternstaub […]
– JazzThing
Music from another planet, spherical
and with an extraordinarily aesthetic sound.
– Concerto Magazine
Vielversprechendes Talent […]
– Kulturtipp
Line – Up:
Yumi Ito – vocals, composition, arrangement, lyrics
Marina Tantanozi – flute
Sam Barnett – altosaxophone
Enrique Oliver – tenorsaxophone, bassclarinet
Victor Darmon – violin
Hugo Van Rechem – viola
Jo Flüeler – cello
Esther Sévérac – harp
Izabella Effenberg – vibraphone, array mbira, crotales
Kuba Dworak – doublebass
Phelan Burgoyne – drums
Album-Info:
Recorded at Hardstudios
Co-Producer SRF 2 Kultur, Peter Bürli
All compositions by Yumi Ito
Recording Date: 9.11.-11.11.2018
Studio engineer Andy Neresheimer, Aurélien Marotte
and mastering by Zino Mikorey
Label: www.unitrecords.com
EN — Everything about Yumi Ito’s new LP titled «Stardust Crystals» is absolutely audacious! It’s a big band record, which she wrote and arranged for an 11-piece outfit. The material traverses neo-classical, art-pop, references progressive electronica and gives a singular twist to a classical jazz sound. And then there’s the choice of topics, each one like a an intimate entry snatched from the pages of a diary.
A friend breaks under the pressures of life and is confined to a mental institution («Little Things»). What does this mean about the world we live in? A neighbour dies of a heroin overdose and you don’t even know his name («Ballad For the Unknown»). Who was this human being? And aren’t we all just breathing / living stories that remain unread, way too often? Absinth transmutes the streets of Prague into a Kafka-esque maze («Spaziergang In Prague»). Literary passages literally come to life. Magic! In the grand scheme of things we are just Stardust Crystals! But, why then, are we destroying our planet, especially after proclaiming ourselves its rightful rulers?
This project came as a fully formed vision during one particularly sunny summer day, while Yumi was lying in the grass on the bans of the Rhine river. Practically all of the songs were written between 2016 and 2017. The melodies were mostly improvised, with Yumi singing them directly into her phone, whenever the muse would strike. The lyrics usually came on the move – on planes, trains and trams – and had to be quickly jotted down. During the arrangement and recording stages of the process some of these sketches were re-written – sometimes several times – with the objective to get the most colour and texture out of the instrumentation. The final material was recorded in 2018, at the Hardstudios Winterthur, in cooperation with Swiss Radio SRF Kultur 2 and will be available on all relevant platforms in November 2020.
(Lukasz Polowczyk)
DE — Eine Big-Band-Platte, welche jegliche Stilgrenzen durchquert, geschrieben und arrangiert für ein elfköpfiges Ensemble: Das ist mutig! Und wurde tatsächlich vollbracht auf Yumi Itos neuer LP «Stardust Crystals». Die Schweizerin schrieb ein Acht-Lied-Album, worauf Gesang, Flöte, Alt- und Tenorsaxofon, Bassklarinette, Violine, Viola, Cello, Harfe, Vibraphon Kontrabass und Schlagzeug zu hören sind. Der daraus entstandene Sound beinhaltet Neoklassik und Art-Pop, bezieht sich auf progressive Electronica und gibt so der klassischen Jazz-Ästhetik eine einzigartige Wendung. Hinzu kommen die Themen der Stücke – jedes einzelne wie ein intimer Eintrag, der einem Tagebuch Seite für Seite entrissen wurde.
So erzählt Yumi Ito auf «Stardust Crystals» beispielsweise von einer Freundin, die unter dem Druck des Lebens zusammengebrochen ist und in eine psychiatrische Anstalt eingewiesen wurde («Little Things»). Oder vom für sie namenlosen Nachbarn, welcher an einer Überdosis Heroin verstarb («Ballad For The Unknown»). Und in einer weiteren Komposition verwandelt Absinth die Strassen von Prag in ein kafkaeskes Labyrinth («Spaziergang in Prag»). Literarische Passagen werden also buchstäblich lebendig – Zauberei! Was aber bedeuten diese Geschichten für die Welt, in der wir leben? Wer waren diese Menschen, von denen Yumi Ito erzählt? Und leben wir alle eigentlich nicht viel zu oft Geschichten, die ungelesen bleiben? Im Endeffekt sind wir schlussendlich wohl kleine, flüchtige Teile eines faszinierenden Grossen und Ganzen, das zwischen Hell und Dunkel schon alles erlebt hat. Kurz: Sternenstaubkristalle – «Stardust Crystals»!
Das Projekt entstand an einem besonders sonnigen Sommertag, während Yumi Ito im Gras am Ufer des Rheins lag. Praktisch alle Lieder wurden zwischen 2016 und 2017 geschrieben. Dabei sind Melodien aus Improvisationen entstanden, welche die Komponistin zum Festhalten jeweils direkt mit dem Telefon aufnahm, wann immer die Muse sie küsste. Die Texte kamen meist unterwegs auf kleineren sowie grösseren Reisen und mussten schnell notiert werden. Während der Bearbeitungs- und Aufnahmephasen erfuhren einige dieser Skizzen oft mehrfach noch Änderungen, mit dem Ziel, die Instrumentierung so farblich und strukturell wie möglich zu gestalten. Das fertige Material wurde 2018 in den Hardstudios Winterthur in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Schweizer Radio SRF Kultur 2 aufgenommen und ist ab November 2020 auf allen relevanten Plattformen zu erleben.
(Lukasz Polowczyk / Aus dem Englischen übersetzt durch Stoph Ruckli)
Their duo mesmerizes audiences with their original, refined sound, going far beyond the cliché, combining jazz, improvisation and a huge dose of lyricism.
– Jazz Press, Poland
This is an extremely interesting and original project and without a doubt worth a live encounter.
– Krzysztof Komorek, Donos Kulturalny
The duo Yumi Ito and Szymon Mika undoubtedly belong to the young elite. From wide spheres to virtuose improvisations, they wander all soundscapes.
– Radio3Fach, Switzerland
This album is an event.
Thoughtful and mature in every aspect. […]
– Piotr Peplinski, Jazz Press
Line-up:
Yumi Ito – vocals, whistling, composition
Szymon Mika – guitars, ronroco, composition
Album-Info:
Recorded and edited on September 9–11, 2019 at Cavatina Studios by Maciej Stach
Mixed by Mateusz Sołtysik
Mastered by Magdalena Piotrowska
Photos by Katarzyna Kukiełka
Artwork by Maria Jarzyna
EN — What do the video game “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” and Joni Mitchell›s album “Hejira” have in common? Both blend, in equal part, elements from an established genre and fresh influences to create a timeless work of art. Equal is the keyword. On their new album «Ekual» Yumi Ito & Szymon Mika create such a brew. Drawing from the versatility of the voice and strings, the Polish-Japanese-Swiss vocal-guitar duo creates a universe of gentle harmonics, haunting chords, intricate melodies and explorative improvisations. No single element is pushed to the fore. Instead, Yumi Ito and Szymon Mika perform as one, like two kindred spirits. This is best reflected in the piece “Minha Flor” which offers the secret garden as an image for the natural retreat buried within ourselves.
“Minha Flor”, “my flower” in Portuguese, sings of vulnerability and fear of demarcation. But it also reminds us that our inner flower lies safe in the depth of our personal sanctuary. Likewise, the song celebrates the joys of nature, of the body, of beauty and sexuality. The harmonics and guitar patterns introducing the piece evoke the gentle rain on a spring forest where life begins to blossom after a harsh winter. By contrast, the plucked chords and wide vocal melodies of “Float and Drift” recall the icy season when nights are long and thoughts are dark. “Data”, at the center of the album, highlights the essence of “Ekual”. Yumi Ito and Szymon Mika imagine an alternative universe devoid of the poisoned climate in today’s politics, society, and nature.
“Ekual” is a call to slow down and reconnect with ourselves and our environment,
to fully experience our emotions, to strive for authenticity and honesty. It conveys an
impressive spectrum of themes and musical ideas. The resulting fusion, reflected in both sound and concept, contributes to the diversity of the album.
Stoph Ruckli (Translated by Marie-Flor Buerki)
DE — Was haben das Videospiel «The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild» und Joni Mitchells Album «Hejira» gemeinsam? Nun: Sie nehmen ein eigentlich etabliertes Genre, verknüpfen es gleichwertig mit neuen Einflüssen und erschaffen ein zeitloses Kunstwerk. Gleichwertig ist dabei das Stichwort: Auf ihrem neuen Album «Ekual» schaffen Yumi Ito & Szymon Mika nämlich ein ebensolches Phänomen. Mit der Vielfalt von Stimme sowie Saiteninstrumenten kreiert das polnisch-japanisch-schweizerische Gesangs-Gitarren-Duo Welten aus Flageoletts, Akkorden, Gesangsmelodien und Stimmimprovisationen. Dabei drängt sich kein Element in den Vordergrund. Stattdessen performen Yumi Ito & Szymon Mika auf einer Ebene, wie Geschwister im Geiste zu Themenkontexten, welche von Sex über den Schweizer respektive polnischen Frauenstreik bis zu Politik gehen. Dass «Ekual» hierbei stellenweise wie eine gleichwertige Fusion der eingangs genannten Referenzen klingt, ist gleich noch ein weiterer Bonus in Anbetracht der vielfältigen Musik.
Yumi Ito & Szymon Mika sind ein polnisch-japanisch-schweizerisches Duo, bestehend aus Gesang sowie Gitarre, das kunstvoll Elemente des Jazz sowie des Pop kombiniert und bereits in ganz Europa auftrat (u. a. Montreux Jazz Festival, Summer Jazz Festival Krakow). Die beiden preisgekrönten Musiker:innen lernten sich in der Schweiz kennen und arbeiteten dort mit Grössen wie Dave Holland, Avishai Cohen oder Steve Swallow zusammen. Letzterer meinte denn auch, als er einem Jam von ihnen lauschte, dass sie unbedingt ein Duo formieren sollten. «Ekual» bildet nun das erste Album in dieser Konstellation und einen Schritt der so gleichwertig wie grossartig agierenden musikalischen Geschwister im Geiste, Yumi Ito & Szymon Mika.
Stoph Ruckli