After the runaway success of her reissued Through The Looking Glass, it's great to see Midori Takada presenting a new solo album for the first time in 23 years. The Japanese ambient artist recorded Cutting Branches For A Temporary Shelter in a live setting, using instruments conserved in the collections of the MEG Museum. The two-part piece is Takada's own rendition of a traditional work of the Shona of Zimbabwe, rendered here in a continuation of Takada's considered, exploratory approach to multi-cultural creation. Minimal and compelling from start to finish, the project engages with the African inspiration on a profound level, from Portia Zvavahera's stunning cover work to the funds donated to Forward Mazuruse's Music For Development Foundation.