review.2003 February

Atmosf?risk japan

AOKI TAKAMASA "Indigo Rose "
Progressive Form/Import

Tredje albumet fr?n japanen Aoki Takamasa visar p? en stor talang inom electronica-kretsarna. Mycket atmosf?risk och modern musik. Clicks & cuts, Aphex Twin och andra referenser ligger n?ra till hands men Takamasa fixar biffen p? egen hand. Det h?r ?r en skiva som h?ller av egen styrka. Medverkar g?r ocks? Noriko Tsujiko p? s?ng; en japansk dam som h?rjar p? Mego-etiketten. Fast hon m?rks knappt av. Det g?r d?remot n?got som liknar skolbarn p? en skolg?rd ? ?tminstone l?ter det som om det ?r inspelningar fr?n n?got liknande i sp?r tv?.

I en annan l?t kuttrar det som av ett elektroniskt duvslag ?ver vatten-samplingar. Tillsammans med de visuella ? och ljudm?ssiga ? kreationer som v?nnen Takagi Masakatsu bidrar med, framtr?der Takamasa ibland under namnet Silikom. Tyv?rr har inga av dessa varianter ?nnu letat sig till svenska scener. Efter fjol?rets myckna turnerande ? bland annat p? Sonar-festivalen ? Barcelona ? kanske ryktet snart n?r Svedala?

Timo Kangas
< http://www.livetsgoda.se/musik/index1.asp?huvud=musik&under=recension&id=783 >

zooebap 010.FEBRERO2003 (10 de FEBRERO / 09 de MARZO)

AOKI TAKAMASA : " Indigo Rose "

(Progressive Form cd 05) - txt: Silvia Retos

27 a?os y desde Osaka, Takamasa parece obsesionado con la belleza de un software r?tmico y elegante, puro, limpio y agradable. No es de extra?ar que colabore habitualmente con Takagi Masakatsu (Carpark) bajo el literal nombre de Silicom y que una parte de la producci?n de este disco tambi?n corra a cargo de ?l. Por otra parte no pod?a faltar a la cita de japoneses elegantes y cutting-edge software la voz de Noriko Tujiko (Mego) y la sensaci?n, una vez m?s, de ese primer?simo primer mundo que reproduce y avanza un estilo musical que tan bien sienta en las casas apacibles y acogedoras de esas ciudades. No hay manchas, hay emoci?n... O eso parece.

< http://www.oozebap.org/zooebap >

Jon Freer's Reviews 20th February 2002

Various Artists "Forma. 1.02" (Progressive Form)

Cat No: PF CD 003. Promo.

This is a fresh collection from one of the most forward- thinking experimental labels out there. This time staying just the right side of abstract and not getting too self- indulgent, "Forma 1.02" is an ideal introduction to the label. AOKI Takamasa`s "Dear People" is a sweet heavily computerized sweet vocal ode, with unsafe shaken blips and bleeps, clipped beats and a rising bass. Eater`s "Flower Of Life" is a pure model of beauty, whose awe-struck divine keys, pained serious strings and romantic dancing synth create a unique view of existence. 30506 contribute ?VVV‰ which takes madcap uncontrollable beats, resting keys, contemplating strings and a glass-like textured bass on a thought provoking abstract ride. "Scent" by Eutro expresses anger at injustice though synth cuts that knife through rippling holding keys and heat-beat reflecting breaks. A curious collection of compositions, unique to the time and space they occupy.

AOKI takamasa "Indigo Rose"

PROGRESSIVE FOrM / import

Det h?r ?r andra plattan jag f?tt att recensera av Aoki Takamasa, och precis som med f?rra plattan ?r min hj?rna blank. Jag minns ingenting. N?r skivan snurrar i CD-spelaren h?r jag att det ?r elektronisk lyssningsmusik av totalt traditionell art. Diverse "crunchy" beats kombinerat med harmoniska sm? melodier. Lite l?tt melankolisk k?nsla. Vi har h?rt det f?rr. Sedan tar jag ut albumet ur spelaren, och jag har redan gl?mt det. Henrik Str?mberg

< http://www.groove.st/pdf/groove03-1r.pdf >

di Roberto Michieletto __

RM74 Instabil (Domizil)

YOSHIHIRO HANNO 9 Modules.+ (Progressive Form)

RM74, ovvero Reto M?der, aggiunge il suo contributo discografico (il secondo per la Domizil) alla serie di uscite, ormai innumerevoli, di musica computerizzata e rumorosa, mescolanza di noise digitale, campionamenti, suoni concreti, digrignare di frequenze fastidiose, strutture minimali, partiture di piano e microonde. Nulla da eccepire, se non che ‘Instabil’, al di l? di due o tre pezzi, non va assolutamente da nessuna parte; spesso inconcludente e povero di idee, oltre che di contenuti, solo un affannarsi di copia e incolla e di addizioni e sottrazioni. Pur non cambiando drasticamente i suoni (siamo dalle parti di un laptop noise a volte increspato da ritmiche minimal techno, break beat o hip hop, a volte proteso verso forme di ambient dinamica) migliora decisamente la qualit? con ‘9 Modules.+’ del nipponico, di Osaka, Yoshihiro Hanno. D’altronde si tratta del suo dodicesimo album e poi occorre tenere in debito conto che ha un passato al fianco dell’ex Japan Mick Karn prima e di Ryuichi Sakamoto (negli Hoon) poi ed ? stato parte del Multiphonic Ensemble (recuperate il loro primo interessante lavoro su Sub Rosa). Ma al di l? delle considerazioni biografiche, la differenza la fanno le dieci composizioni, di umore sonoro variabile, capaci di tenere alto il livello di interesse nell’ascoltatore e ben strutturate al fine di non precipitare nel baratro dell’inutile fine a se stesso!

As published in: MUSIC CLUB
Type: Print Music Magazine
Issue: 125 (01/03)
Circulation: 20.000
online edition:
< http://www.musicclub.it/rubrica.asp?id=132&exid=5&art=13219&numero=125 >

Takamasa, Aoki - Indigo Rose

CD Progressive Form 2003

I had quite enjoyed Aoki Takamasa's first two CD albums, and was quite happy to get this third one. Still based in Osaka and releasing on the japanese label Aoki Takamasa, this artist seems to have seduced quite a lot of people in the past couple of years, having played several times out of Japan, with the likes of Vladislav Delay or Akufen (unsurprising choices considering Takamasa's music).

At first sight, "Indigo Rose" is close to the two "Silicom" albums, made of minimalistic beats and scraping noises, reverberated analog tones and a few clicks. This already would be enough, since while the ingredients might look dim, the cook is talented and Aoki Takamasa's blend of subtle click'n'cut already is both pleasant to the ear and musically challenging. But "Indigo Rose" integrates some new elements compared to its predecessors, in the form of straighter compositions in which beats are slightly less microscopic and whose structure is more accessible. Along with some digital slow pad lines (for example on "Photons from my window"), these tracks (forming a major part of the album) have a nice poetic edge and dreamy edge, which helps swallowing the avalanche of panorarmic effect, short noise and broken patterns that form the base layer of Aoki Takamasa's music. The voice of Noriko Tujiko (this Bjork-esque japanese singer releasing on Mego even pops out for a while, adding soul to the otherwise totally electronic music. As a matter of fact, "Indigo Rose" shows a progression towards more warmth for Aoki Takamasa. After having proved with his first two CDs that he knew how to write complex and plesant click'n'cut-ish material, he here signs a CD which is a bit more accessible and has gained in diversity and soul. In the end, here is subtle and calm but dreamy clicky album for which I have a thing.

< http://www.recycleyourears.com/ >