Review 2025.12.18

A wonderful review by Bryan Day  from the American label Public Eyesore of the album ‘In Anticipation of Quiet Noise Treatment"

"Tungu is Ukrainian electronic musician Sergiy Senchuk, known to me primarily for his collections of one-off collaborations with free improv musicians from across the globe. This album takes a different and intriguing approach, collaborating only with Hokkaido–based vocalist and pianist Ayako Ogawa and the Japanese free-folk ensemble Sanatorium, who have worked with Ogawa on several other projects in the past. Also performing on the album are a number of other Ukrainian artists, including guitarist Alexander Avvakumov  and hip-hop producer Feelya.

Listening to Ayako Ogawa  and Sanatorium’s other recordings, they feature stark psych-folk pieces, frequently incorporating bells, hand percussion, kalimba, and piano alongside Ogawa’s vocals. This album continues in that vein, but Senchuk adds to and rearranges those elements into singular, layered passages. Each piece tells a different story, and I’m left with the sense that each was recorded using a distinct approach, some perhaps starting as ensemble recordings or vocal improvisations in Japan, others beginning in Ukraine with Senchuk and company.

The album opens with “Small Leaves Whispering,” which features loosely rhythmic percussion and Ogawa’s spoken Japanese vocals, punctuated by bursts of sampled audio (possibly sourced from the Japanese artists, Senchuk, or both) and a generous amount of tape hiss. Elsewhere, looping distorted guitar drones and abrupt edits give the music the feel of a tape-based audio collage, with playful electric piano drifting over incidental sounds. Cut-and-paste transitions suggest a spontaneous compositional technique that allows the album to meander through a variety of sonic terrain while remaining cohesive.

Percussive, close-mic’d accents and sudden shortwave radio bursts add a cut-up counterpoint to the meditative percussion and introspective vocals of “Dog of Life.” At times, the music carries a lo-fi, ritualistic vibe reminiscent of the sparer works of Jewelled Antler Collective or No-Neck Blues Band, but with a distinctly Japanese character. Many tracks feature drones, a patchwork of intermittent sound fragments, and wordless vocalizations from both Ogawa and Senchuk. The juxtaposition of weird folk and tape collage is one I find quite enjoyable.

The final track on the tape, “Life of Dog,” features a funky hip-hop beat by Ukrainian producer Feelya alongside electric guitar, samples, and spoken vocals, giving the piece a DIY lounge vibe. In Anticipation of Quiet Noise is available on cassette and digital download via the Beijing-based UFO Creations label, which releases a wide range of improvised music, including work by many Japanese artists. A solid release."

- Bryan Day

Dec 18,2025