Atzko Kohashi - Virgo (RAR)

"The music radiates purity, clarity, and calm contemplation, close your eyes, enter this state of beauty and dream.”
- musikansich.de

Atzko Kohashi - piano
Tony Overwater - double bass
Angelo Verploegen - flugelhorn

Total time: 48:33
Original recording format: analog 1/4 inch tape.
Mastered by an HQ analog chain to DXD 352kHz-32bit.
All other formats are converted versions of this master.

“Discovering new music is actually a discovery of yourself. Sound and music have a straight connection to our inner emotions. If you understand that level of consciousness, you can let people enjoy music they never thought they would like. The trick is to find the gate. A well recorded album played on a good audio system can be that gateway.”
- Harry van Dalen (Rhapsody)

Rhapsody Audiophile Recordings presents:

Virgo by Atzko Kohashi, Tony Overwater & Angelo Verploegen is the first release in a new series of albums licensed from RAR; Rhapsody Audiophile Recordings. RAR is an initiative of audiophile audio guru Harry van Dalen, producer and high-end tuning expert Michael van Polen, and PRIX EUROPA awarded recording engineer Frans de Rond.

Harry and Michael also run the Rhapsody high-end music shop in Hilversum, the Netherlands. Since 1988, Rhapsody has been the expert in high-end residential audio reproduction systems. Specialized in tuning, Harry and Michael are known for combining different audio components into top sets exceeding expectations. Prior to release, most Sound Liaison recordings are given a last test drive at the shop. Harry’s and Michael’s critical ears and feedback are essential to our mastering process.

So it is with great pride and joy that I welcome Rhapsody Audiophile Recordings to the Sound Liaison Label.
- Peter Bjørnild

Here is a well-known quote by Zeami (1363–1443), a Japanese Noh actor, playwright, poet and aesthetician, in his treatise on art “Kakyo (A Mirror of the Flower)”:

"Never forget Shoshin.” Shoshin (初心), from Zen Buddhism, means ‘beginner’s mind’—openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions. Zeami’s wisdom applies to any art form, including jazz. I understand this quote to mean “Never lose your initial enthusiasm. Keep your mind open just like a beginner, and renew yourself.”

And here we are. For this album we have played our longtime favorite songs composed by our beloved predecessors whom we adore and respect. You can also hear our original songs that are deeply rooted in the jazz spirit. And what is more, just like the old times, we recorded the album on analog — the purest way to capture the moment. This live recording (with audience) was a one-shot deal. No editing. No second takes. Just pure, honest presence. We hope you enjoy our musical world view.
- Atzko Kohashi

“You need an ego, otherwise you cannot do what you do, but you must be able to put your ego aside. If you want to do things together it is necessary that a certain chemistry is created. When you start to play you have to be open for anything, whether it is emotion, excitement or surprise, it doesn't matter. The only thing that must be there is utmost concentration.”
- Angelo Verploegen

“What I find distinctive about jazz music is that it is so personal. It is about individual experiences and not about what the masses think, so no mass hysteria. It is about being with people with the same state of mind and then going exploring. When you dare to challenge each other and keep on keeping on, that’s when you get somewhere.”
- Tony Overwater

“Harry, Frans and I are big fans of Atzko Kohashi. She is all melody and music, she talks music, she thinks music, she is music! We have collaborated with her on several productions, as we find her approach to music making so in tune with our philosophy of sound. We are deeply aware that music and sound, when experienced at the best possible level, communicate very directly with people. As Harry always says; ‘If you hear music at the right moment in time, you will be touched to the depths of the Self.’

For this recording we recorded straight to a Studer A80 tape recorder in front of a small select audience. Recording to tape is in my opinion the purest way to capture the moment. It sounds great and it forces the musicians to really create on the spot. Atzko, Tony and Angelo chose a repertoire of originals and compositions by remarkable composers from the jazz tradition. The trio reshaped the songs into an organic whole, as if each song was written especially for the Virgo album. We are honored to have made this analog recording with them.”
- Michael van Polen

“Making these analog tape recordings has been a revelation. When I started as a recording engineer, tape was all we had. Later, digital made things easier and we forgot the magic. But when I heard the piano on the first RAR recording we did—also with Atzko—it blew my mind. The warmth, the immediacy, the hint of melancholia... this was the sound I grew up with.

With a superb analog console and a fully overhauled Studer tape recorder, the sound was incredible. Different, but at least as good as our DXD recordings. I even mastered ‘Embrace Me’ to tape, and it gave the recording a special mojo. Being reintroduced to tape has been a rewarding experience.”
- Frans de Rond

This recording was done live in front of a small studio audience. We decided to leave out the applause as we found it disruptive to the tranquil mood of the music.

Upon request, we have generated two Studio Masters from the analog tape. After the tape was imported into our workstation for “sweetening,” we generated both a 24-bit fixed point and a 32-bit fixed point master. The tools used for sweetening work internally in 64-bit floating point, but the output is always fixed 24-bit or 32-bit.

For more information about Rhapsody Audiophile Recordings: www.rhapsodyanalogrecordings.com

Recording, mixing and mastering: Michael van Polen and Frans de Rond
Location: MCO, Studio 2 Hilversum, The Netherlands, on March 29th, 2018
Executive producer: Harry van Dalen

Piano tuning: Naomi van Schoot

Used equipment:

Microphones:
Main system – Josephson C617 (2x)
Piano – Josephson C700S
Bass – Josephson C700A
Flugelhorn – AEA R92

Mic pres: Merging Horus
Mixing console: Studer 169
AD Converters: MSB ADC V / Merging Horus
Recorder: Studer A80

Catalog Number: SL-1047A