Satoko Fujii GEN - Altitude 1100 Meters (2025)

Yuriko Mukoujima – Violin; Ayako Kato – Violin; Atsuko Hatano – Viola and Electronics; Hiroshi Yoshino – Bass; Satoko Fujii – Piano; Akira Horikoshi – Drums

When pianist Satoko Fujii headed to the Nagano mountains last year, she was taking part in “suzumi,” a centuries-old Japanese tradition of escaping the summer heat by retreating to higher elevations. At 1,100 meters, she found herself in an environment where the air felt thinner, crisper, and more alive. She noticed how sound carried differently in the mountain air. “The air’s density, weight, and feeling change from morning to twilight up on the plateau,” she observed. That shifting atmosphere became the creative spark for a remarkable suite featuring her new string ensemble, GEN, Japanese for “string.”

While Fujii’s piano weaves through the album, she lets the strings take center stage, capturing five distinct moments of a mountain day. ‘Morning Haze’ begins in near silence, with eerie, high violin glissandi floating over Hiroshi Yoshino’s deep bass drone. Violist Atsuko Hatano adds a gorgeous, resonant tone, her melodic lines unfolding effortlessly. The drums join tentatively, exploring without locking into a rhythm, as if the day itself is unsure of what weather to bring. Gradually, they grow louder and more restless, hinting at the possibility of an impending storm.

In ‘Morning Sun,’ Fujii’s piano sprinkles bright, tinkling notes into the mix, sounding like raindrops. The violins begin with delicate plucking before transitioning to bowing, gradually building a melody that hints at a subtle dissonance. The piano enters boldly, its forceful chords cutting through the texture before retreating, making way for the strings to launch into a furious, back-and-forth bowing match.

On ‘Early Afternoon,’ the violins and viola produce a quiet, high-pitched whining sound, eerie and haunting, until drummer Horikoshi unleashes a beautifully noisy rock rhythm. Fujii’s piano rings out like a gong. A walking bass enters, with pauses, while the strings return with their unsettling resonance, a pitch that lingers in the air, uneasy and persistent.

‘Light Rain’ evokes the sound of a gentle downpour, with electronic rain patters, and plucked violins. Violinist Mukoujima plays a gentle melody over an unexpected ratchet sounding percussion. Fujii’s note clusters blend with the supple strings. A couple of bass notes touch off a violin duet, then a bass solo before the viola enters the frey with the violins swirling together, drums intensifying, crashing like tympani, before the piece erupts into a joyfully vibrant conclusion.

Saying Satoko Fujii has performed and recorded prolifically is an understatement. In 2022, she released HYAKU, ONE HUNDRED DREAMS on Libra Records, marking her 100th album as a leader. Over the years, she’s led an impressive range of groups, from small jazz ensembles to large orchestras, and her compositions are truly unique, blending jazz, contemporary classical, rock, and traditional Japanese music. ALTITUDE 1100 METERS marks her first time writing for a string ensemble, and it’s so remarkable, you can’t help but hope there’s more to come.