Alto sax player Katsura Yamauchi was born in Oita, Kyushu, in 1954. In 2002 he quit his company job to become a full-time musician, and each year since '03 has traveled to Europe and strengthened his ties with musicians in France, Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland, and so on. In the process he met and found a kindred spirit in one of France's leading improvisers, soprano/sopranino saxophonist Michel Doneda (who happens to be the same age as Yamauchi). They've played together many times since. Both musicians have performance styles characterized by a total absence of melodious phrases and a constant exploration of the nature of sound. Continuing in this direction, La Drache is permeated throughout with fresh yet tension-filled sound structures. All five tracks were recorded in France in 2004.