The MIYUMI Project's singular aim is to wed Japanese taiko (drums and drumming) and what is essentially free jazz. Tatsu Aoki himself was part of the radical arts scene of Japan in the 1970s and he brings some of that off kilter, situationist perspective to the music.

So when Aoki settled in the USA (settled may not be the right word for an unsettled soul and unsettling artist) he found kindred spirits in the likes of the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Aoki wouldn't claim great shakes as a bassist, but he particularly uses his arco style to set up storms of drums that in turn nest swarms of sax and occasional strings to whirl and utter a rainforest array of sound. The orchestra of drums can be raw, as in ‘Early Dance’ which has a certain primal thump. Alternatively ‘An Eye Opener for Angels’ starts with a gentle, theatrical drum solo then builds to a sax and violin conversation that jests and jigs. If it opens the eyes of angels, it should also open our ears to a world of difference. East and West in dialogue, but not necessarily harmony.