Marihiko Hara & Polar M :: Music For Home Vol. 1: Our Season EP (mü-nest)

A well rounded, well produced and very subtle melodic interval, drifting from quiet scenes of snow falling minimal synthetic leads to some of my favourite lo-fi, imperfect sound effects and noise ridden atmospheres.

Drifting from quiet scenes of snow falling minimal synthetic leads

As a first review for Igloo, I wanted to look at something slightly different to my usual genre (lo-fi, nostalgia akin to Boards of Canada) so came across mü-nest which is one of the rare breed of labels you can find in the Far East, showcasing Far Eastern talent. In this case, Marihiko Hara & Polar M who are both from Japan, take the environment and Japanese cultural influences into their music. A refreshing play on subtle toy piano introduction (“Take a Leap”) in a similar vein to Plone, Beginner Piano, leading to a delicate beat interlaced with electric guitar riffs, perhaps influenced by the quirky Japanese popular cultural references familiar to those in the know.

The artists state that, as many artists around the world, the global situation has lead to a boost in creativity, and Music for Home Volume 1: Our Season is a well rounded, well produced and very subtle melodic interval, drifting from quiet scenes of snow falling minimal synthetic leads (“Reflected”) to some of my favourite lo-fi, imperfect sound effects and noise ridden atmospheres.

They state that the EP is created for home listening but I can envision many listeners walking in quiet scenery with their headphones blocking out the noises of the real world, concentrating on the moods and feelings conveyed by Marihiko Hara and Polar M.

Music For Home Vol. 1: Our Season is available on mü-nest. [Bandcamp]