Assembler

Being released right on the heels of 10th (which was released in February 2003), Assembler is a conceptual album of textural exploration. At first listen Assembler seems to be a stark contrast to 10th and more closely related to 1999's Scope, however upon closer inspection the details and subtle melodies emerge from layer upon layer of clinical tones, digital burn and distortion. Here Takemura continues his playful exploration of melody via his inventive abstraction of it.

"Assembler is filled with melodies and even harmonies, and I am approaching this music in order to show that it is possible to find these qualities in sounds some might call "noise". It is a sound collage assembled in a melodic form. Musical noise without standard musical intervals." - Nobukazu Takemura

Takemura's sound sources come from a wide range of elements including field recordings. The sounds are heavily manipulated and synthesized until there are no elements of the original source that are recognizable. Takemura uses programs that he himself designed as well as numerous analog synthesizers to alter the various sound sources. The results are texturally rich, oddly organic or analog sounds that form delicate strands of melodies. Described by Takemura as a collection of "Tone Poems", Assembler contains both odes to the beauty of said tones and lyrical poems sung by them.

"Whether in live performance or on record, as if the electrical current doesn't live until plus and minus meet, the music first relates with the mind of the listener, then with communication between creator and listener, music is born." - Nobukazu Takemura