Tetsu Inoue
Yolo

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(Excerpt from track(s) 'Remote')

CD / 10 tracks / 52.03 mins

Of all the New Ambient sonic explorers Tetsu Inoue has long been one of my favourite exponents. This CD is a little more radical than some of his FAX label works but demonstrates just as great a skill in sound manipulation and creation as ever. It is hard to put your finger on why some people manage to create just the right mood whilst others sound like a confused mess. Tetsu Inoue just has it- whatever that 'It' is. 'Tane' is one of the more challenging tracks on show. Looped fizzing noises mix with an intriguing collage of bell type sounds then clicking effects, shuffles and all manner of odd little noises. I am doing my best but it is really difficult to describe! We then get hints of melody, in a vaguely attractive sort of way. Nothing here could be described as a lead line and yet the way all the individual elements merge does give a sort of melancholy tunefulness.

'Remote' shows just as great an attention to new interesting sounds as the opener. Again we get fizzing drones and what could well be the crackles of some worn out vinyl (an effect to a lesser extent also used elsewhere on this album) over which hover string sounds, as if an orchestra is tuning up. We gradually morph to windier realms which provide a different backing to the strings (well sort of) on their return. On 'Particular Moments' low distorted cyclical rumbles provide a base for first soft ethereal pads then metallic effects to weave their strange aural tricks in your head. 'Curve', 'O Shape' and ''S Equation' are really quite calm and relaxing. Things have a rather shimmering quality and even though the sounds are just as chopped up, distorted and processed as on the rest of the album they are put together in such a way that the listener is soothed rather than challenged. Again there is a melodic quality to proceeding- though not a tune you could actually hum! We then take something of a tropical rainforest twist for 'Flow'. A metallic tone hangs above twittering insect effects. 'Sour Cloud' creates a swirling sonic cauldron full of soft fizzing / hissing effects and another reprise of those string sounds. It soon all settles down however and becomes quite dreamy.

'Super Nature' does have a rather cosmic feel to it complete with the sound of slithering beasties. As the track progresses things become darker and more ominous. Again there is also something of an aquatic atmosphere to proceedings. 'Spirit of Data' initially returns us to more glitchy, clicky territory, a rather difficult listening experience, but then we get some great swirling rotor blade type sounds which mutate wonderfully right up to the end. Because of the rather radical sounds created and the way they are put together this will not be to the mainstream SMD customer's taste. It will leave some puzzled, disoriented even, as there are very few familiar points of reference. On a couple of the tracks some might even think they have a faulty CD! If however you have enjoyed Tetsu Inoue's work in the past or like to listen to adventurous, though for the most part not abrasive, contemporary sound art (for want of a much better term) then I would recommend this without hesitation. Tetsu Inoue is a master at what he does- you just have to be tuned into it. (DL)

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