Japanese percussionist Midori Takada releasing two new albums on WRWTFWW

The legendary artist returns with her first new solo material in 23 years.

Japanese percussionist, composer, and producer Midori Takada is releasing two new albums — called You Who Are Leaving To Nirvana and Cutting Branches For A Temporary Shelter — via WRWTFWW, in collaboration with Geneva’s MEG Museum, this June.

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Taking inspiration from Buddhist shrine spirituals, You Who Are Leaving To Nirvana was recorded with the Samgha group of the Shingon school of Koya-san. It features Takada providing a sonic backdrop to Buddhist liturgical chants.

Cutting Branches For A Temporary Shelter features Takada’s rendition of ‘Nhemamusasa’ — “a traditional work emblematic of the musical repertoire for mbira of the Shona of Zimbabwe.”

The album was recorded live, “to capture the raw sounds of instruments” from Geneva Ethnography Museum’s collection.

They follow the release of Takada and Lafawndah’s collaborative album, Le Renard Blue, in 2018.

Pre-order You Who Are Leaving To Nirvana here, and Cutting Branches For A Temporary Shelter here, in advance of their 10th June release; check out the artwork and tracklist below.

You Who Are Leaving To Nirvana

1. Teisan
2. Gyatei-Gyatei (drumming)
3. Unga-bai
4. Sange
5. Taiyo
6. Hannya-Singyo
7. Kannon-Daiji

Cutting Branches For A Temporary Shelter

1. Cutting Branches For A Temporary Shelter (In the Morning)
2. Cutting Branches For A Temporary Shelter (In the Night)

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Photo: Rozette Rago for The New York Times