Following the tremendous success of her 2011 album Kuniko Plays Reich, and subsequent recordings of works by the pioneering composer, percussionist Kuniko has established a reputation as one of the foremost interpreters of Steve Reich. Here she has recorded Kuniko Plays Reich II, a bold programme of innovative works which span Reich’s artistic career and showcase some of his groundbreaking techniques. Composed in his early thirties, Piano Phase is performed in Kuniko’s own mesmerising arrangement for two vibraphones; characteristically Kuniko plays both parts. While Nagoya Marimbas uses some composition tools which Reich popularised in Piano Phase, Four Organs draws its inspiration from the Middle Ages. Closing this riveting recital, Mallet Quartet sees Reich in a more melodically expansive mood, albeit with his trademark tight rhythmic drive and canonic textures.

REVIEWS:

Before Steve Reich's minimalist structures come to life and become a sensual listening pleasure and adventure, there is a lot of intellectual hard work to do, because the constant rhythmic shifts and overlays are challengingly complex—especially in the American's percussion works. The minimal music guru has primarily written pieces for at least two instrumentalists or percussionists, which doesn't make the task any easier if you want to do everything alone, as a soloist. However, the Japanese drummer Kunino has already shown that she has mastered the art of reacting precisely to her own pre-recorded parts in 2018, with her recording of Reich's cult piece “Drumming”. Now she is following up with Episode II and – under the composer’s supervision – has selected four works, some of them arranged and all of them masterfully recorded. The program ranges from “Four Organs” from 1970, in which a simple interaction between maracas and organ develops an incredible pulling power, to “Mallet Quartet” (2009) for two vibraphones and two marimbas. And in the vibraphone version of “Piano Phase” as well as in the Asian-inspired “Nagoya Marimbas” (1994), the fine motorist Kuniko succeeds in generating a colorful flow of particularly attractive beauty from Reich's sophisticated, repetition constructions.

-- Rondo Magazine