KUNIKO - Xenakis: IX - Blouin Art Info

Are you ready for some music now that you're done scanning endless listicles about the Tribeca Film Festival? Yeah, I thought so. And hey, you're even in luck! This week's In Tune features a song from a film premiering at the festival, as well as the triumphant return of Ratatat, and an introduction to a mystifying percussionist. Kick back with our playlist while getting ready for tomorrow's Record Store Day.

...

Kuniko Kato - "Rebonds (Xenakis)"

Track: So here's a little something new to chew on. To hear Kuniko Kato perform "Rebonds," a percussion piece originally written by Iannis Xenakis, is to undertake a totally fulfilling, all encompassing experience. The six-minute composition is a driving force, a movement-heavy cascade of bongos and wooden blocks and bass drums. Even if you've never choreographed a movement in your life (or had any desire to), something about this piece of music drives your imagination to roll out an entire Pina Bausch-like dance performance.

By: "Rebonds" was originally composed by music theorist and composer Iannis Xenakis. Kuniko Kato is a Japanese percussion soloist whose unparalleled talent has taken her to tour across countless countries, allowed her to be a member of esteemed ensembles, and to release an album of solo work called "Sound Space Experiment." Her forthcoming album, "IX," covers two well-known pieces by Xenakis. Listen over at NPR.