Intrinsic musical complexity
Yui Onodera‘s intrinsic musical complexity and more electronic tinged groovy minimal impulses merged in soothing ambient sequences carry on the stylistic path opened by someone like Susumu Yokota and in a certain extent follow the course of the eloquent math-structured sonic tapestries of Rioji Ikeda (his immersive sound installations and primordial-physical sense of space are largely worth to investigate on). Challenging the ‘environmental’ electronic ambient obedience and joining in one movement minimal leftfield electronic with heart moving modern classical arrangements the production of Ryuichi Sakamoto is exemplary. Mostly after his passage in the futurist electro pop-orientated project Yellow Magic Orchestra his subtle sonic ambient palettes, his sombre melodic tones lead the listener to meditating journeys where space and time are transcended in a beautiful manner. In this regard his music for films are quite meaningful, as well as his numerous collaborations with Christian Fennesz, Alva Noto, and Taylor Deupree notably published on 12k.
From Hatakeyama’s own label White Paddy Mountain l would also recommend Reflections by Nogawa Kazune for its sonic warmth and chilly noisy distorted display. Fans of Christian Fennesz or Rafael Anton Irisarri won’t be disappointed.
Important releases with an ambitious avantgarde noisy droning facet melted into more accessible ambient mindscapes are way noticeable from the production of Strange mountains. Found liminal spaces and impressionistic lush ambient, unobtrusive textures with an ethereal dimension inside spiritual ecology Sachi Kobayashi, Nobuto Suda, and Michiru Aoyama offer significant releases. Glitch-esque composite ambient collages with fractured melodies are originally conceived by Tokyo based artist Akhira Sano.
