Far Away Romances for Koto

Rarely, if ever, have I recorded with a more gifted musician than Mitsuki Dazai. She is not only a virtuoso koto player, but has a wonderful musicality that frankly astonished me when we began recording together. The title track "Far Away..." was the first recording we made, and one can immediately hear Mitsuki's amazing intuitiveness, for although she had no idea what I was going to play next, she played off my chords with wonderful sensitivity... It was all performed "in the moment", and without the distraction of sheet music. "Far Away" still moves me, and I consider it one of my most favorite tracks. "Maxie's Theme" was the music I wrote for a multi award winning Short Film "Nous Deux Encore", directed by the Portland director Heather Harlow. It won Best Score, and Mitsuki's exotic koto gave just the right feel to this beautiful love story. I feel privileged to have recorded with this astonishing artist, and hope you will enjoy "FAR AWAY..." as much as I enjoyed performing with her. Michael Hoppe. Portland, Oregon.