Drawing in part on various field recordings made in 2006 during visits to Bellingham, Washington and San Francisco, A Long Journey found Chihei Hatakeyama aiming for a big subject – life and eventual death, informed by his interest in Shinto – and succeeding beautifully. With the pieces aiming to capture moods and locations of contemplation and the power of nature’s beauty, Hatakeyama combines his familiar treated guitars with some piano to create vivid works such as “Confession” and the wonderfully titled “The Distant Sound of a Bustle.”

– Ned Raggett