The first release from Japanese musician Yoshiteru Himuro
on Milwaukee–based Zod Records is a compact and
fun collection of tracks denoting a vivid imagination
and fascination for fast-moving exchanges. Cramming
nine tracks in just a little over thirty minutes, Himuro
manages to create an impressive soundtrack found somewhere
between video games, adult Manga and hyperactive electronica.
Hailing from the Japanese city of Fukuoka, situated
in the South of the country, Yoshiteru Himuro began
experimenting with electronic music toward the end of
the nineties. His first release came in the shape of
the Nice Feedback EP in early 1998, and was
rapidly followed by an album, Nichiyobi, both
published on London’s Worm Interface. Himuro returned
a year later with Latest Gorgeous Energy, an
album recorded with fellow Japanese musician Koichi,
before seemingly disappearing following the demise of
the label. Almost five years on, Himuro re-emerged on
Australian label Couchblip with his third album, Clear
Without Item.
Mild Fantasy Violence very much follows in
the footsteps of its predecessors, showcasing Himuro’s
dense and busy electronica. Influenced by anything from
8bit video games and hip-hop to acid house and contemporary
electronica, Himuro creates here the flamboyant soundtrack
to an imaginary computer generated movie. Built around
heavy beat patterns, quirky electronic sounds and tortured
noises, Mild Fantasy Violence is actually bursting
with melodies and atmospheres. With tracks clocking
at between three and four-and-a-half minutes, there
is no time wasted in presentation here. Each track is
developed from an staggering amount of minute sonic
particles, incorporating treated vocals and guitars,
interferences and glitches, and compressed to its most
substantial form, allowing for melodies to take shape
and evolve out of Himuro’s sonic junk.
Although his soundscapes are incredibly dense and compact,
his compositions are not as hectic as they might seem.
The album opens with the uplifting My Beats Your
Beats, on which Himuro wraps up a hip-hop-infused
beat structure in layers of abrasive noises and distinctive
electronic tones. Mild Fantasy Violence, Button
Of Reset, Organs Go Out and Sunrise
Sunset all evolve around similar themes, yet each
track shows a different angle, from the chaotic Button
Of Reset to the more subtle title track.
Elsewhere, Himuro explores more gentle and, at times
melancholic, atmospheric grounds. The twin tracks Eat
All and The Cracks In Your Monita especially
show impressive control and maturity. These provide
welcome breaks in between the more energetic compositions
and help keep this album on track, cleverly avoiding
sonic overdose.
4/5 |
