Miki Yui + Rolf Julius : small sounds meet small music

At the beginning of 2005, while Julius and I were preparing his second solo exhibition here in Turin, I expressed my desire to invite Miki Yui to coincide with the time of the opening. I wanted to create, albeit briefly, a surrounding which was as congenial as possible for Julius during his stay in Turin, and along with the hospitality in my house, the abundance of Italian food and wine, the atmosphere of the city (all things Julius had expressed pleasure in during his first show here in 2001), I had also thought of organising a meeting with Miki. Needless to say, she was quick to take up the offer. Julius has long had a great appreciation for Miki's work, and has much respect for her as both a visual artist and musician. Indeed it was Julius himself who had suggested I contact her in 2002.
A few weeks before his arrival, Julius mentioned during one of our telephone conversations that he would like to play something with Miki at my house, with the idea of making a recording, and thus continuing the collaboration between the two which had begun the previous September when they played one evening as part of "Suite in Parochial" at Singuhr in Berlin. It seemed like a great idea, and I suggested a performance in front of a small group of friends, after which we could all have a dinner together. "Why not?" was the answer, a typical one for those who know Julius' sense of understatement, and characteristic of his sincere approval. Miki, too, was more than happy at the idea, suggesting that an audience (albeit a small one, given the dimensions of my living room) would add the right dose of professionalism necessary in order to guarantee a higher level of concentration in the musicians. I spread the word among those friends whom I knew might have an interest in such a venture, and in the end we had a group of ten (as well as Miki and Julius), some of whom had traveled quite some distance: from Paris, Marseille, Milan, and Verona. The 'small concert' took place the evening of Saturday 16th April, from around 9pm. Miki and Julius played wonderfully for a little over an hour, and there was a moment when the rain, falling on the roof above us, joined them for a few minutes. Then, as planned, we all moved into the kitchen for the fitting conclusion, both festive and delightful, to such a special event.
That which happened in the kitchen after the concert is in the memory of all those present, and one can only speak of it: flavours, and smells, are incommunicable, and are now lost forever. That which we were able to hear (and see) during the concert, however, is now available to everyone: enclosed within that small circle inside the sleeve, and ready once again to be spread out in air, to be once again heard and appreciated.

Carlo Fossati, May 2006