The two CD’s appear in a fairly simple yet effective eight-panel digipak-which takes in a red & black color scheme/ texts, against a plain white background. Inside the digipak we get two write-ups about the collaboration, as well a simple color photo portraits of both sound makers involved in the three tracks. 

The two sound makers here are seasoned & celebrated players of impov/ avant- composition- we have Anthony Braxton- an American saxophonist & experimental composer who has been active since the late 1960’s, released ground-breaking & influential free jazz/ improvised classics such as 1969 For Altro & 1975’s Silence. And Miya Masaoka- a New York based composer, musician & sound artists- whose work focuses on utilizing traditional Japanese 21-string koto, morphing & bending its sound from traditional-to more-avant shapes.

As the releases title suggests all three pieces here (titled Experience 1 to 3), where recorded in 2013. And more specifically on the 25th of August of that year, where the pair met to create at the Wesleyan University in Middletown Connecticut.  Braxton plays a mix of Sopranino, Soprano & alto saxophones, as well as handing the mostly subtle electronic elements. With Masaok handing the 21 string Koto,

Taking up the whole of disc one is “Experience 1”, and this comes in at just shy of the fifty-two minute mark. The track opens in a fairly eerier manner, bringing together door creaking like string bends, sour electro vibe drifts, and slowly unfurling sax notation- which moves between the harmonic & un-harmonic. By around the third minute, the sound picture has got a bit more busy & erratic- with longer selections honks & bays from the horns.  As well as sawing, picking, angular cascading textures from the Koto. All onto top of slowly shifting network of circulating electro pitchers.  As the track progresses the pace will sudden quicken & become quite manic, then at others, things will pare back slightly for more detailed interplays. Through-out the track there’s a real feeling that anything can & will happen, yet it never feels disorganized or random with both Braxton & Masaoka taking the lead at different points. All in all it’s a very eventful & creative long-form slice of improv, which still offers up surprise & reward, even after several play throughs’.

Moving onto disc two & we have “Experience 2”, and this is the second longest piece here at just under the thirty-five minute mark. It opens in a fairly active, detailed & sourly see-sawing manner blending together simmering-yet- nevery string work darts, shift banks of malevolent electro noise glide & ebb, and rapid honking-to-sadly harmonic sax notation. At around the five-minute mark things stop briefly, and when the pair start-up again we get a dramatic blend of ornate & moody Koto runs, and sudden weaving & spiraling sax notation- which flits between harmony & non-harmonic. Later on, things become more playful & darting- with sudden miniature string runs, wood bangs & picks,  feed-back forks, angular scuttles & picks,  and series of tight honks- which drift out into slight more moody yet sour busy-ness.  Once again it’s very active & eventful track, that keeps you nicely on your toes.

The final piece is of course “Experience 3”, and this is shortest track here at just under the nineteen-minute mark. It starts out quite mysterious-yet-angular fashion, bringing together a slow electro pitch stretchers, darting board sounds & off-kilter string scuttles, as well as an compacted selection of breathings & playful rapid honks. Of the three tracks here I guess this is the least structural varied, as the open setting of slowed electro pitchers, board-sounds, string skuttlings, and compacted sax sounds stay though-out. Though that  said the pair do nicely investigate these settings with the same level of worthy interplay & sonic invention found through-out the rest of this release.

In conclusion Duo( DCWM) 2013 is a extremely worthy double disc collection of highly skilled & rewarding improvising from this duo. And I can certainly highly recommend it to anyone who likes creative experimental composition.