Tujiko Noriko (JP) • VÍZ (HU)

Description

A meeting of two musicians who work with voice and electronics as an open and adventurous sound space. Tujiko Noriko is one of the most prominent figures in the contemporary Japanese scene, while VÍZ finds its own language between song, noir film atmosphere, and ritual. Just like in the observational prose of Sayaka Murata or Hiromi Kawakami, Tujiko Noriko often focuses on the small details. The noise of the street. Children's voices. The purring of a cat. Strong emotions arise from seemingly insignificant moments. In her compositions, song form meets sound mischief, sometimes with unexpectedly strong rhythms, field recordings, and silence. Surprises come more from subtle shifts than grand gestures. Electronics here are not just a gentle ambient environment. They can be mischievous, playful, mysterious, and slightly treacherous. They subtly change perspective, break rhythm, and open the composition to the unexpected. The vocal line, sometimes almost pop-like, does not get lost in this changing sound space; it occasionally allows itself to be engulfed, only to re-emerge with new strength. It is no coincidence that alongside her music, Tujiko Noriko has long been involved in filmmaking. Her albums resemble a series of images rather than linearly constructed pieces. They work with time and detail as sensitively as film does. The same attention is given to what is in the foreground and what remains almost out of focus. She has collaborated with Aoki Takamasa, Lawrence English, Nobukazu Takemura, and John Chantler, and has released on labels such as Editions Mego, PAN, and Room40. These names hint at the diverse musical worlds she navigates. However, they say little about her exploratory work. Tujiko Noriko arrives in Pardubice shortly after the release of her double album Pon, dedicated to her late deaf cat. Surprisingly, one of her most personal recordings is not about loss. It is more a celebration of immediacy, quiet humor, and attention to sounds and stories that we usually overlook. The project VÍZ is led by musician Réka Csiszér. Her main instrument is her voice. Sometimes it carries the melody, other times it transforms into whispers, echoes, or electronically layered choirs. Experience with stage and film music shapes how VÍZ works with sound space. Individual pieces are not just a sequence of motifs but carefully constructed situations. Whether approaching song form or developing in looser areas, the common denominator remains a sense of atmosphere and slowly built tension. In this world, there is no rush. However, it is not without a past. Beneath its surface lie the Transylvanian-Hungarian roots of Réka Csiszér. Not as folkloric citations, but as distant memories. In her work with voice, repetition, and in the peculiar balance between intimacy and mystery. For this reason, her concert sometimes resembles a ritual: not in ostentation, but in the ability to tune perception to a different speed of time and focus attention.