The pioneering Japanese composer has teamed up with Lafawndah to release the single track EP Le Renard Bleu.
The EP came out digitally yesterday (9 July) ahead of its vinyl release on 24 August via !K7’s white label. The title, which translates to the blue fox, is inspired by Senegalese and Japanese folktales about the animal. Takada recorded the track over the course of one week at Avaco Creative Studios in Tokyo, using bells, marimbas, a range of drums and a waterphone, with Lafawndah handling the melodies and lyrics.
French fashion house Kenzo has released a Partel Oliva-directed video featuring the new track and two artists. Watch it via the player above.
Le Renard Bleu is Lafawndah’s first release since her 2016 EP Tan, and marks Takada’s first new material in nearly 20 years, following on from her Tree of Life album in 1999. In 1983, Takada released her seminal album Through the Looking Glass, which found a second life through reissue culture. Last year, it was released on CD for the first time by Brooklyn label Palto Flats and Swiss imprint We Release Whatever the Fuck We Want. You can listen to the album via Crack Magazine’s list of 7 Essential Japanese Ambient and New Age Records.
In April, Takada made her debut on NTS, for which she played tracks from collaborator Satoshi Ashikawa and Mkwaju Ensemble.
