World/Review Aco Takenaka - Ancient Seeds

Aco Takenaka is a Tokyo-based singer-songwriter weaving ancient chants and contemporary ambient soundscapes into deeply moving songs. Singing in Japanese, English, Portuguese, and ancient languages from various traditions, her music calls to the spirits of nature—both within and around us. Aco is the founder of Kazoku—The Singing Tribe, an overtone choir rooted in deep listening and connection.

With “Ancient Seeds,” Tokyo-based singer-songwriter Aco Takenaka crafts a transcendent musical offering that feels both timeless and urgently necessary. Her long-awaited third album is far more than a collection of songs — it is a spiritual bridge between past and present, created in collaboration with celebrated Japanese composer Toshiyuki O’mori. Together, they breathe contemporary life into chants, mantras, and sacred melodies from Japan, Tibet, India, Africa, and North America, honoring their origins while presenting them in vibrant, modern forms.

Takenaka, already well regarded for her contributions to ambient and New Age music, steps into a new realm of artistic purpose here. “Ancient Seeds” acts as a sonic preservation project, gathering the threads of endangered global traditions and weaving them into lush, meditative landscapes. The album’s arrangements balance atmospheric electronics with organic textures, allowing ancient voices to resonate in ways that feel remarkably fresh yet spiritually intact.

Her interpretations of traditional Japanese songs stand out as particularly moving — intimate, poetic, and charged with both reverence and imagination. Takenaka’s voice, serene but full of emotional color, guides listeners through a journey that reconnects sound with nature, breath, and the deeper self. Each track unfolds like a ceremony, inviting quiet reflection and inner stillness.

In a world where cultural noise often overwhelms what is sacred, “Ancient Seeds” offers a rare sanctuary. It is a reminder that ancient music still pulses with wisdom, vitality, and healing — and that artists like Aco Takenaka are vital stewards of its enduring light.