Scattered Melodies : Korean Kayagum Sanjo

Description

Drawn by ROBERT MILLIS from antediluvian 78 rpm records, survivors of a troubled period in Korean history (wars, invasions, occupation, partition), these thirteen improvisations on the kayagum (a zither related to the koto or the guzheng) generate modulations and exquisite vibrato, characteristic of the “sanjo” style (scattered melodies) of the 1925-1950 period. A look back at a time when musical traditions, still very much alive, were at the peak of their expression and emotion, not yet altered by the steamroller of globalization. Beautiful LP edition with explanatory notes by the director of This World Is Unreal Like a Snake in a Rope (Sublime Frequencies) on an enclosed insert sheet.