PROMINENCE

-Raining Sounds-
Infinitely delicate and dynamic

This is fingerstyle guitarist Ogawa Michio's fourth album. He expresses delicate mental landscapes using a variety of unconventional tunings. His works evoke a mysterious sense in listeners.
"Snow Dream, Long Rain" depicts the transition of the seasons toward spring through Ogawa's guitar, and his countless raindrop-like tapping evokes a sense of minimalism.
The lone cover, track six, is a bold medley of "Choral Dorien" by early 20th-century French composer Jehan Alain and "Jasmine Sweet" by English hurdy-gurdy player Nigel Eaton.

This is a masterpiece. This is Ogawa Michio's fourth album, and it's fitting to call it such.
It unfolds a rich world of solo acoustic guitar, as if he has poured everything into it, including his years as an artist and his experiences of growing as a person since turning 30.
Take, for example, the 12-minute masterpiece "Snow Dream, Long Rain," which has become a must-listen at his concerts.
While utilizing two-handed tapping and other techniques, the phrases he employs blend seamlessly into his original compositions, creating a delicate, expressive flow of sound that deeply touches the heart. The seven pieces, filled with images and colors, expand the listener's imagination. Titled "PROMINENCE," meaning excellence or distinction, this album demonstrates his remarkable growth and explores new possibilities for fingerstyle guitar. -- Acoustic Guitar Magazine, Vol. 32

Though his playing and performances are not particularly flashy, his musicality and worldview, which also hint at a contemporary approach, share a broad resemblance to Hedges. His painterly compositional ability, evoking the cosmos, as in "Astronauts" from "Night Jasmine," is perhaps his true forte.
"Snow Dream Long Rain/It's Still Raining," from his latest album, "PROMINENCE," showcases his two-handed tapping.
From "The Spreading Soul of Michael Hedges" -- Acoustic Guitar Magazine, Vol. 37