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Pictures rarely lie, right? Take a look at the album cover to Frank Fischer’s Gone with the Wind. What does it bring to mind? Breeziness, brightness, tinges of autumnal feelings, and crisp, cool sensations are the first things that come to my mind. Released on krautrock giant Klaus Schulze’s iconic label Innovative Communication, by then more known…
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It bears repeating: nostalgia is a powerful thing. When used for nefarious purposes, we get horrible people like Donald Trump trading on delusionary illusions. When used for sentimental reasons, well, that’s when lines blur, and comfort starts to go through that inarticulate process of myth-making. What starts out as a simple idea, present a reflection on…
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There’s smooth jazz, then there’s: Smooth Jazz. Chicago-native, and Art Institute alumnus, John Klemmer, thankfully, belongs to that of the latter kind. In the ’70s, he was primarily known as the go-to sax session man for all sorts of Rock and Pop musicians looking to dip their toes into a jazzy sound. What set John apart from most…
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Recorded by Hiroshi Yoshimura at his private studio, Hiroh 806, using Yamaha DX7, TX7, and FB01 synthesizers, a Roland MSQ-700 sequencer and a Victor AV computer. That’s exactly what the Sona Gaia release of Hiroshi Yoshimura’s Green stated in its liner notes. That can’t be. You put on Green, and the things that last with you, long after the…
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It’s easy to get away with music that sounds like something. Vast store shelves are littered with “albums” proclaiming exactly what you’ll hear inside. Relaxing Sounds of the Rainforest, Nights in Ireland, Serenity and Bliss Mix, etc. all serving as perfect sonic backgrounds to whatever space you want them to live in. But is this…
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Hiroshi Yoshimura was commissioned in 1984 by Japanese multi-national personal care company Shiseido to create something that might be entirely out of his own wheelhouse: music that could complement a fragrance. It’s a pitch that would sound ludicrous to most musicians but for Hiroshi presented a magnificent idea.
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Self-released on cassette in 1983, Hiroshi Yoshimura’s Pier & Loft earns the distinction of being both his most hard to find record (Discogs prices pointing upwards of $100 now) and also, surprisingly, his most accessible. The problem, of course, has been finding actual audio of it. On this release he took his environmental music somewhere new. You…
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Every Hiroshi Yoshimura record is a bit of something very special. Versed in the mastery of combining environmental sound with personal music, every bit of Hiroshi’s recordings speaks of the special connection we as beings of this earth have with the feelings our surroundings can inspire. A lot of people hate technology, a lot of people feel there is…
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It’s Doopee Time! How does one describe a Doopee? One certainly can’t define it, one can only hear it. Led by master Japanese steelpan player Yann Tomita, the Doopees (featuring Caroline Novac, with special appearance by Auntie Kim) were a band conceived by Yann to attempt to do a brand new thing: create the ultimate “cute” album.…
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It seems I’m running out of summer, and in this case Isabelles, but before I do, I have to share one of those perfect albums that just scream: Can you hold on, just for a bit more? Isabelle Antena’s En Cavale released on uber-stylish indie Belgian record label Les Disques Du Crépuscule, and graced by a gorgeous watercolor album cover…
ambient art pop art rock balearic brazilian electro-acoustic england environmental music experimental folk-rock fourth world Funk fusion japan jazz minimalist neo-folk neoclassical new age walearic