This 1994 album transcended expectations and opinions when it was first released, thirty years on it is still doing so. A fitting homage being paid to an artist who was utterly unique in his approach, a beautiful reissue of a milestone of electronic music.
Through the darker tunnels of techno
1994. A pivotal year for electronic music. Thirty years on, a wealth of reissues is being released to pioneers of that time. And, it really was a time; an era where genre tags were only taking hold and experimentation was taking place across the globe in little pockets of creativity.
Susumu Yokota was one of trailblazers of Japan. Alongside the likes of Ken Ishii, Yokota was part of a new generation of analog artists coming out of the East. With access to American and European music being limited, this new breed of musician drew on a different set of influences. For his most successful release, inspiration came far from his Toyama home, it came from the sacred snow-capped volcano south of Tokyo, the inspiration came from Mount Fuji.
Sublime have, for the first time on vinyl, decided to release the full album of Acid Mt. Fuji alongside five tracks that only appeared on the CD version. All have been lovingly remastered, paying tribute to artist and album alike.
The ascent begins with the birdsong and watery echoes of “Zenmai.” Stampeding hand-played drums change the tone of the piece with darker hues melting in this organic opener. Field recordings are central to the album. Trills, whistles and whoops are layered over delicate string and menacing tones for the psychological “Kinoko.” Mixed among the titles are references to the real trek of Mount Fuji. “Meijijingu” alludes to a shrine, Yokota merging the imagined with the real in this twilight work of ambient techno.
The listener often finds themselves in two realms across the collection, the physical pound countered by somnambulist soundscapes. This sense of a waking dream continues in the bending bars and otherworldly oscillations of “Saboten.” Tethering the audience on the climb are thick rhythmic patterns, Yokota using texture to guide his sailing melodies. Keys float freely in the haze and smoke of “Oh My God,” scaling pulses ringing in a call to prayer.
“Tambarin” marks a shift. Cymbals and grated grooves are flanger dipped, claps swarming in this reduced percussion driven piece. There’s a sense of descent, as if the listener has found themselves in some hidden club lodged deep in the undergrowth of the primal volcano. Bongos and toms stagger and stumble in the insisting “Oponchi” before the bold brutality of the acid scorched “Ao-Oni.” Thunderous bass drums batter and 303s squawk as the rawer side of Yokota is unveiled.
A balance between ambient and techno ::
The listener is never sure where they will be led next, through the darker tunnels of techno or into the brightness of ambient. The light is elusive, rays piercing the slow chugging groove of “Akafuji” before shadows return with the tribal thump and drum deluge of “Alphaville.” The trail clears for “Tanuki.” Field recordings and samples are central components. Crickets chirp to pads and percussion, a kick setting the path for a spread of instruments to sing before we are led to the lapping waves of the ocean.
While Acid Mt. Fuji is a balance between ambient and techno, the extra five tracks of this edition lean towards the rhythms of the machine. “Floating” is the exception. Clacking rattles call to mind the grind of the day, the circle of the commute to the orbiting bleep of a distant chime. Yet, buried within this urban landscape is that wistful call of nature. Aquatic rushes, looming expanses of sky to a heartbeat thud. That thud grows to a full shouting thump in the final quartet. Speakers cones tremble as snare rolls and tumultuous toms that are unleashed. Primal to the core, the standout pieces are the fierce and fiery “F” and the penetrating “2 H.”
In 2015, shortly after the twentieth anniversary of Acid Mt Fuji, Susumu Yokota passed away. In his wake he left a catalog music whose scale and breadth are truly amazing. This 1994 album transcended expectations and opinions when it was first released, thirty years on it is still doing so. A fitting homage being paid to an artist who was utterly unique in his approach, a beautiful reissue of a milestone of electronic music.
Acid Mt. Fuji (Remastered 30th Anniversary Edition) is available on Sublime September 6, 2024. [Bandcamp]
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