«Taku Sugimoto's guitar is surprisingly attuned to nature; his single notes gasp and shudder, avoiding fully-fledged forms, and spawning a lugubriousness of rhythmic surge and mood that points to dark mid-century blues. These dying wheezes support and are themselves reliant upon Gunter Muller's spectral sheets of ice fog and frosty static drops. Muller provides a sturdy yet supple groundwork, complementing his partner without stepping on his lines and overseeing without hindering options. Even Muller's harshest timbres have a steady emotional core, shading the material's lyrical arc, instead of obscuring it.»
M.Schaefer, e/i

«Tempo sospeso e allo stesso catturato mentre il suono si compie al momento. Si sentono i due pensare ed è proprio un'investigazione della decisione con l'altro sempre bene in mente che manda avanti il lavoro. Una collaborazione simbiotica, riflessa anche nel titolo.»
P.Sarram, Blow Up

«Cette rencontre préconise un univers éthéré, particulièrement éppurée et contemplatif. Les lents tempi de Müller se fondent aux sons cristallins presque transparents de Sugimoto, qui semble vivre ses accords comme des particules flottant librement dans l'espace. Musique en suspension, intemporelle, qui dégage une sérénité, une impression de calme d'une sensuelle douceur.»
T.Jarrier, Jazzman

«… The guitarist's minimal and strikingly tonal approach would destabilize any free improv fan. He plays one or two notes at time, slowly and softly putting together linear melodies. Müller dives into Sugimoto's inivers, providing intriguing loops and soft percussion that sounds at times vaguely ambient, at other slightly exotic. Time stands still during these six hypnotic improvisations. "I Am Happy if You Are happy" provides a surprising sense of peace, which doesn't rule out excitement.»
F.Couture, All-Music Guide

«If experimental ambient sounds excite you then "I am happy…" will certainly make you happy.»
K.Waxman, JazzWeekly«

«Ce disque pose la question du beau dans la musique et notamment dans la musique expérimentale.»
M.Henritzi, Revue&Corrigée

«Je ne sais pas de guitare plus émotive que celle de Taku Sugimoto, plus cotonneuse et plus anthracite. Pour ne pas lui nuire, les percussions de Günter Müller, belles comme un orage qui se domine, se sont faites chuchotantes, comme s'il jouait à couvrir les bruits de ce qui fut une batterie …»
A.Pierrepont, Jazz Magazine

«Ein Mann der strikten Reduktion, geradezu eine Verkörperung des Occam'schen Messers, ist der japanische Gitarrenmönch Taku Sugimoto. … Müllers stetige Entwicklung in den vergangenen fünfzehm Jahren ist eine der interessantesten Erscheinungen an der Naht zwischen akustischer, elektrifizierter und elektronischer Improvisation.»
R.Dittmann, Bad Alchemy

«Grandiose, entspannte Musik.»
A.Pranzl, Skug

«The listener fills in the silences with his thoughts, and is surprised by every turn and every sound. Highly recommended.»
R.di Santo, Incursion Music Review

 

charts 1.01, perMutations 15, The Wire
playlist 9.2001, Radio Citta 103, Blow Up
best of 2001, P.Robert, Vibrations
les meilleurs du cru 2001, Jazz Magazine