Flowing through consistent atmospheric layers, Daiki F manages to unleash slowly sweetened grooves start to finish. Shifting early electronica moments through distant peaks and valleys as the cover artwork suggests, Mountain Sons is contemplative, cerebral, and uplifting.
Contemplative, cerebral, and uplifting electronica
With Mountain Sons’ nine translucent and chilled-out tracks, I’m reminded of the simplicity of an earlier time and the fluid notes that (once) emanated from Neil Olliverra’s The Detroit Escalator Company project. Detroit techno/electronica strands and fluid data streams would often inhabit emotional spaces as tranquilized beats shuffled around meandering melodies. Have a re-listen to Excerpts and Black Buildings both on Peacefrog from 1999/2000 to refresh yourself. You’ll find all that and just a little more (or less) on Mountain Sons, Kumamoto Japan’s Daiki F’s debut with Rednetic Recordings.
While there are elements of hazy electronics on Mountain Sons, floating bits and bytes intersect slow-motion rhythms as Daiki F describes his music as being “…born from the land where I live.” One can certainly feel the serenity and mechanical soul pouring from each piece. I have been trying to pin where I’ve heard the permeating melody line on “Chip & Sun”—its sun-soaked and data-crunched beauty segues with early Detroit-inspired rhythms and oozes with an emotional overflow. Its simplicity of sound evolves and devolves for almost 9-minutes and has been on repeat since receiving the album. After several listens, you’ll find that “Chip & Sun” runs a parallel trajectory with The Higher Intelligence Agency’s “Conoid Tone” from the Colourform album (Waveform, 1993)—such an immense and hypnotic track that dips and dives with utter melodic clarity.
As “Sympathetic Figure” drips into dissolved machinery, its ambient pulse ebbs and flows as tracks like “Long Summer Evenings” recalls the psychedelic, nostalgic, and brimming creativity of mid/late 90s-era Legion Of Green Men (ref. 1995’s Spatial Specific on Plus 8.) As Mountain Sons continues its gravitational arch, tracks like “Happiness Is Bubblewrap” offer blissful harmonies that transcend time and space—taking sonic elements from his native land and incorporating them into the music seamlessly.
Flowing through consistent atmospheric layers, Daiki F manages to unleash slowly sweetened grooves start to finish. Shifting early electronica moments through distant peaks and valleys as the cover artwork suggests, Mountain Sons is contemplative, cerebral, and uplifting. Have a listen to the closing entity “Celebrity Health Match” as a prime example of Daiki F’s transportive energy.
Mountain Sons is available on Rednetic. [Bandcamp]
