If
hyper productivity is not seen as a sign of great musical
quality on the mainstream music scene, it has always
been part of the electronic movement, from Aphex Twin
and his alleged hundreds of hours of recordings to the
pioneers of the techno age who produced hits for clubs
on an industrial scale. Considering the industrious
nature of the Japanese culture, it is no real surprise
to see the country’s artists churning out records
at the speed of light. The likes of Susumu
Yokota, Aoki Takamasa
or Yoshihiro Hanno are proving to be amongst the most
prolific.
Yoshihiro Hanno emerged in 1997 with his first album,
King Of May, and a split EP with Bisk, released
under his Multiphonic Ensemble alias on Sub Rosa. Followed
a series of collaborations and a soundtrack Flowers
Of Shanghai, directed by Hou Hsiao-Hsien, helping
to establish the man as a recognized force on the Japanese
electronic scene. In 2000, Hanno joined Ryuishi Sakamoto’s
Code. 9 Modules.+, Hanno’s twelfth album
in just five years, is released on Tokyo’s rising
label Progressive Form.
Similar to the musical ethic of labels such as Chain
Reaction, Basic Channel or to a certain extent Mille
Plateau, 9 Modules.+ feeds on dance floor flavours,
micro beats and drones, perhaps more prominently exposed
in Square, by far the most accessible track,
if such a term can apply in any way to Hanno’s
music. Not that his compositions are obscure or utterly
abstract, but this particular piece proves to be the
most instantly recognisable moment of this album. With
its collected statics, imposing kick drum, and electronic
printer gimmick melody, Square presents a strange
pop angle to an otherwise slightly dark album. The opening
track, Dub, with its clicks and mononuclear
sine wave is not very much more representative of Hanno’s
work here. If the general structure and soundscape is
developed over several other pieces, Hanno seems determined
to keep his machines well under control on this one,
as to preserve their energy for more complex compositions.
S.E.Q. proves to be a much more upfront affair.
Fenced by an over active beat, a series of bleeps and
noises surface regularly before disappearing again.
The following five tracks explore more subdued territories,
sometimes evoking the playful electronica of Boards
Of Canada embracing the dysfunctional electro of
Monolake. Although melodies are often disjointed, chopped
and reassembled, Hanno occasionally succumbs to the
temptation and lets vaguely recognisable melodic lines
slip through his fine noise net.
9 Modules.+ is typical of the current Japanese
electronic scene. Despite its very structured form,
this album shows Hanno developing interesting constructions,
as he blends beats and sound sources in compact pieces.
3.6/5 |
