A long-time stalwart of the European avant-garde scene and long-time partner of Alex von Schlippenbach, Takase is now a senior citizen. At the top of her game pianistically she has a wide vocabulary capable of many seemingly disparate styles Perhaps because this 48-minute recital is partly inspired by the iconic 18th-century visual artist Hokusai, the 12 separate compositions take a considerable variety of approaches, and in most cases a single approach for a single track. The widest contrast perhaps is between the gentle ragtime of ‘Sketch Of Spring’ (one of two items played on celeste only) and ‘Hokusais Meer’ (‘Hokasai's Sea’) which recalls his famous depiction of ‘The Great Wave’ with a full-on Taylor-esque swell. But then there's a piece that sounds like a take-off of unaccompanied Lennie Tristano (called ‘Dr. Beat’, but dedicated to Schlippenbach) and a two-piano duet with Schlippenbach that's directly based on J.S. Bach with wild improv on top. The final funky piano riff behind the oriental rapping of Yoko Tawada, joined I think by Takase's voice in its closing moments, is entirely unexpected, but a pleasant surprise.