Daniel Aged’s fretless bass improvisations live at LIKE SOUND in Minato City, Tokyo.

Earlier this year, we released bassist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Daniel Aged’s 2020 EP Bass Improvisations Pt. 1 for the first time on vinyl. A significant number of the limited pressings were sent to Tokyo, where, not surprisingly, Aged’s meditative atmospheric bass recordings have resonated deeply. Following the vinyl release, Aged traveled to Tokyo in May to present a special solo bass performance at LIKE, a conceptual cafe/restaurant meets music space that opened in 2019 in Minato City, Tokyo. The intimate dinner show quickly sold out.

From LIKE: “We are the restaurant LIKE that Pan-asian food, natural wine and hi-quality sound in Tokyo. We have the stage. Sometimes we hold the show by good musicians.” We’ve yet to make a trip out there, but, judging from the pictures, LIKE is one of those wonderful music spaces in Japan that feels more like someone’s home than a business. The small stage area is outfitted with custom JBL4344 Vintage speakers and has previously hosted performances from Jim O’Rourke, Kelela, Tex Crick & Connan Mockasin, Nick Hakim, Ichiko Aoba, J. Albert, Will August Park, and others.

Luckily for all of us that missed the show, a recording of Aged’s 38-minute performance was just uploaded to YouTube on LIKE SOUND. Aged performs with a beautiful 5-string electric-acoustic Godin Ultra Fretless bass, which seems like an ideal solo instrument for all of Aged’s extended bass techniques and expressive soloing. A unique blend of ambient textures and country-blues melodies, the performance reminds us a lot of our In Conversation interview where Aged discusses the influence of gospel and country music on his playing: “With gospel and country, they’re both emotional music. A lot of country music is really sad and it’s not afraid to be vulnerable.”

Aged’s bass moves freely between melody, harmony and texture, building a world of sound through harmonics, plucked grooves, and chords that are all looped and processed with an array of reverbs, harmonizers, delays, and glitch effects. At certain points, Aged’s bass triggers icy synthesizer tones that move so fluidly with his playing that they almost sound like an extension of his bass’ range. Like his last solo album You Are Protected By Silent Love, various beats, found sounds, and field recordings are played throughout the set including a home recording of children playing and grasshoppers chirping at night. A high point of the set comes when Aged reinterprets Randy Travis’ “Forever and Ever, Amen” by accompanying a processed and pitched-down vocal with a flurry of swirling tones and resonant chords. There’s, of course, a deeply spiritual quality to the entire performance. “I’ve always been drawn mostly to devotional music; music that surrenders the self for something else.”

Watch more live performances at LIKE SOUND: https://www.youtube.com/@LIKESOUNDrestaurant

Purchase Bass Improvisations Pt. 1: https://insheepsclothinghifi.com/product/daniel-aged-bass-improvisations-pt-1-lp/

Revisit our interview with Daniel Aged: https://insheepsclothinghifi.com/in-conversation-daniel-aged/