This isn’t merely a revisit; it’s an expansive, almost archaeological excavation of space-popbient — a sound meticulously crafted from blissfully bright, drifting bleeps and a pervasive sense of dreamery, all sustained in places with exquisite slow motion.
The mythology of archery with its sonic exploration
Red Stars Over Tokyo’s latest offering, Subliminal Fascination, marks a compelling return to the classic ambient techno sound hinted at with 2023’s Blue Lions In Antioch EP. This isn’t merely a revisit; it’s an expansive, almost archaeological excavation of space-popbient — a sound meticulously crafted from blissfully bright, drifting bleeps and a pervasive sense of dreamery, all sustained in places with exquisite slow motion. There’s an undeniable electronic joy at play, woven through layers of minimal rhythms and silky soundscapes. These are not the cold, unfeeling machines of cliché; rather, they are instruments imbued with a warmth that evokes something profoundly alive yet distantly human, forging a unique sonic and visual narrative. Dreamery and difting bleeps are constants, alongside kosmische structures that feel like electronic space wondermentals, occasionally punctuated by rare voices that emerge and vanish like hidden specters. The overarching sensation remains entirely electronic, devoid of anachronistic artifacts from the past. The aspects of Subliminal Fascination that resonate most deeply are neo-kosmische structures, forming electronic space instrumentals with rare voices and shades of love, memory, and the passage of time.
The album’s cover art, a striking image of a Kyūdō practitioner, acts as a powerful visual anchor. The artistry of Japanese archery, Kyūjutsu, forms a fascinating conceptual parallel, suggesting space anthems for those who draw the bow. This ancient practice, with its emphasis on precision and meditation-in-action, aligns beautifully with the album’s measured, deliberate pacing. The yumi, the traditional Japanese bow, becomes a metaphor for the music itself: an instrument through which “beautiful shooting is realized naturally,” a pursuit of true shooting, finding truth-goodness-beauty. The act of pulling back the bowstrings metaphorically opens the door to the album’s celestial expanse.
Pull the bowstrings back ::
We now are here to pull the bowstrings back. “Seddynn” (2:53) extends an immediate invitation, a curious exploration into this strange electronic world. Devoid of traditional beats, it maintains a compelling meter, moving with a sideways, almost inquisitive and magnetic motion. Flickering echo voices emerge, only to vanish, leaving behind the sensation of “chrono charting technicians” announcing fragments cut loose out there to enjoy the view with all those colors. This sets the stage for “Placid Drop” (9:23), which ushers in proper space music — a tapestry of “plastic electronics” and those signature alien voices, echoing and chronologically charting, often in English, measuring time in the slow, rotational manner of deep space beeps.
The album continues its listening journey with “Shifting Sonics” (5:41), a sequencer-powered track characterized by rapidish repetition that evokes a bent wheel, culminating in a looped voice wilderness. This is a track that demands attention, a rhythmic, almost hypnotic exercise. “The Other Sperr” (6:56) introduces space rumbles that shake like a bumpy road going fast, a nervous, careening descent into darkness before a slow, drone-like ascent. The sequencer here is deliberately pulled back, its phases shifting subtly as the track unfolds. “And_Orr” (8:50) explodes with energy, a new dance in your mind, populated by the peculiar clanking and twitching of tiki robots. The sequencer takes center stage, delivering “energetic pulses in a field of dark mystery, prompting a visceral urge to pound on the tables as I try my dance, everybody floats up and out the window and into the sky.
“A Curved Halo” (4:55) opens with a post-atomic narrative voice, accompanied by sly, tricky, shuffling beats that cleverly hide more voices, preparing the listener for an unspecified voyage. The unsettling imagery of UFOs straffing for hours now adds a layer of sci-fi intrigue. This segues seamlessly into “Orr/And (Ezuri rmx)” (6:38), which immediately adopts a lively, wafting beat. The name “Ezuri” here to me conjures notions of discretion, persistence, and tactfulness. The remix, a vibrant, almost frenetic dance endurance contest, evokes a strobe-lit delirium. The presence of Ezuri, a character often associated with elves, regeneration, and rapid draw in various mythologies and games, adds another layer of intriguing subtext. Is this a reference to Ezuri, the Renegade Leader, a cunning, cold-hearted hunter and impressive Elf tribal bowman? The inclusion suggests a playful, almost meta-narrative layer.
Receiving the truth with the eyes ::
The album masterfully intertwines the mythology of archery with its sonic exploration. The physical act of drawing a bow, the symbolism it represents, and the themes of skill, precision, and even love are stitched throughout. The imaginative play transforms these physical sensations into figures akin to Eros and Cupid, archers of love, ultimately leading to a Σ ultimatum that allows us to become detached from this body. There is a sense of timelessness, of waiting for the air to be just right for a perfectly timed arrow. This is a realm where the ears are magical, inhabited by long-lived nature spirits and fairies, sometimes benevolent, sometimes mischievous, but always unusually beautiful and attractive.
The Kyūdō ethos, with its emphasis on harmonizing practice and ceremonial shooting, is palpable. The yumi (bow) and the ya (Japanese arrow) are not merely instruments but conduits for “receiving the truth with the eyes,” for learning and internalizing technique and spiritual effort through repetition. The unique spinning direction of each ya, ensuring no two arrows collide, mirrors the album’s meticulous attention to detail and balance. The ritual breathing between each action, identifying the arrows that hit the target, speaks to a deeply contemplative and precise creative process.
Released on September 16, 2024, Subliminal Fascination is a testament to the collaborative vision of Jeroen Lauwers (All Music & No Computers), Jimmy Van Rietvelde (Mix & Tricks, Mastering with Tiny Voices), Ezuri/Stefan Lessner (Additional Sounds & Filters on “And/Orr”), and Studio Mizuiro (Artwork & Layout). This is an album that transcends deep listening, with abundantly new sonic discoveries and conceptual insights. Follow the red light like an arrow into the foreign night.
All Music & No Computers: Jeroen Lauwers
Mix & Tricks: Jimmy Van Rietvelde
Additional Sounds & Filters on “And/Orr”: Ezuri/Stefan Lessner
Mastering: Jimmy Van Rietvelde/Tiny Voices
For Hilde
Artwork & Layout: Studio Mizuiro
Limbic Resonance 2024
Subliminal Fascination is available on Limbic Resonance. [Bandcamp]
