Ichinen 一念 by Fabio Perletta

Released by LINE (US), 2017

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Zen does not follow the routine of reasoning, and does not mind contradicting itself or being inconsistent” —Suzuki Daisetsu Teitarō

Ichinen (Japanese 一念) is the follow-up to Fabio Perletta’s 2016 work Genkai, released by LINE imprint, and perhaps his most narrative album in material concept and sound. Where Genkai found itself exploring the limit as a compositional rule, Ichinen follows similar paths but in a more immersive, intimate and mysterious way, drawing inspiration from a trip in Japan in 2015 and a book of Suzuki Daisetsu Teitarō titled Living by Zen.

The two kanji of the title, 一 (one) and 念 (thought), refer to the shortest possible unit of time as a principle of Zen practice that Suzuki Daisetsu Teitarō describes in Living by Zen, or more precisely the time occupied by a single thought. Time represents an instant or “absolute present”, “a point of time which has neither the past nor the future […], that it is to say ichinen is where eternity cuts into time”. It exactly corresponds to what it’s known as Satori, which “takes place when consciousness realizes a state of one thought”.

Ichinen investigates the notion of presence in a re-defined territory of sonic experience. Incorporating sounds from Japanese traditional objects found in common and sacred locations, Perletta explores the complexity of emotional states experienced before, during and after a very long awaited trip. The work thus aims to re-construct fragmented expectations and memories here framed in a still and timeless auditory field, which fuses together and transcends dimensions of time and space.

Arranged in three pieces, each one having distinct movements that drift from one into another, Ichinen is mainly based on various recordings collected in Tokyo, Takayama and Kyoto, subsequently processed using computer.

Sound and installation artist investigating presence, silence and impermanence, encouraging different levels of experience, engagement and contemplation. Perletta’s practice reveals an inner discipline which goes beyond the scope of rational coordinates, whilst addressing reality and small things.

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