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Erik Satie casts a long shadow. The eccentric French composer’s distinctive approach to melody and harmony has traveled decades downstream from his starting point in the 19th century, imparting lessons not only to musicians in the contemporary classical world, but also jazz artists and New York minimalists like John Cage (who, in a 1958 essay, praised Satie’s innovations as “indispensable” to his own work). Few, however, have been as thoroughly transformed by Satie as Tokyo-based pianist Satsuki Shibano. Her lifelong fascination with the composer began in 1977 when, as a university student, she attended a recital of Satie’s music at an art museum in Ikebukuro. “It turned out to be my starting point for awareness toward the concept of music and the way it should be listened to,” Shibano said of the experience.

In a short span of time, Shibano learned a lot from Barbier—but she also learned how to set herself apart. Her playing speaks volumes in the subtle ways it differs from her mentor’s, her touch lighter and her sound brighter as her fingers dance along the keys. Hearing these interpretations, it becomes clear why Ashikawa saw her as a critical piece of his new vision for ambient music; Shibano lets each note linger in the air, fulfilling Satie’s promise of music as interior design. She would stick with Satie for the rest of her life, evolving her approach over 10 albums as she continued to learn the nuances of listening more meaningfully. She would probably say she’s only improved with time, but Erik Satie 1984 remains a pivotal work that deserves to stand beside its Wave Notation sisters. It captures the moment when Japan’s premier interpreter of a legendary composer found her voice. - Pitchfork