Aki Tsuyuko’s Room In Commend

Aki Tsuyuko’s Room In Commend is an invitation to wander.

Recorded in June 2019, this solo performance by Japanese composer Aki Tsuyuko marks the fifth entry in Commend’s HERE series, a catalog of live performances shared with care from our small space to far beyond Forsyth St.

Aki Tsuyuko treats chords like imaginary companions and scales like maps through winding, wooded paths. Minimalist melodies echo dewy, early-morning gardens while the organ and electronic piano provide a transportive yet homely breath of fresh air. Stroll through the countryside of childhood in “Village”; hop over a city park’s puddles with “Moriji”; and lay on a bed of infinite moss with “Solitary Tiger.” Tsuyuko’s keys emanate vibrant, green reveries that, at 51-minutes-long, provide a comforting sonic spell for lonely moments and drab mornings.

Aki Tsuyuko’s Room In Commend is available as an edition of 75 cassettes. Andy Osterhoudt recorded and mixed Aki’s performance; John Also Bennett mastered the music for tape and digital formats. The digital edition of Aki Tsuyuko’s Room In Commend will feature four of the six total songs and will be released on April 16th.