#Soundcloud dj okawari kaleidoscope full
Full of attitude, versatility and panache, she brings a touch of ‘ Alicia Keys-style’ ambience with meaningful lyrics about conquering struggles in life, taking us back to aesthetics of traditional black music. A particular highlight for me is ‘ Brighter Side’, sung by Amanda Diva. The roster of vocal talent in Kaleidoscope is wholly enchanting. ‘ U’ gives you a chance to sway their head or body, with support from Stacy Epps’ sweet flowery vocals, while ‘ Another Sky’ and ‘ A Cup of Coffee’ are pleasant hip-hop sketches that you may well catch in a local café, decorated with authentic jazz piano, guitar and sax tunes. It is impressive how in most of his tracks DJ Okawari carefully exploits his heritage by crafting melodies throughout his sonic journeys that sound inherently ‘Japanese’ and exotic, but makes it a relevant puzzle piece in a contemporary, hip-hop beat soundscape.Īrtists in this chilled, neo-soul lounge style often have the tendency to sound repetitious through an album, but DJ Okawari manages to pack a variety of musical backdrops and sonic flavours. ‘ Brown Eyes’ is another beautiful track where a ‘ Ryuichi Sakamoto style’ meets polished RnB beats: the poignant and heavenly high piano riff and arpeggios embellishes a subdued hip-hop drum line and soulful, rich vocals from Brittany Campbell, to produce an effect that is both foot-tapping and crystalline. The album opens with ‘ Encounter’, a seductive number with a classic neo-soul drum line, layered with a lush, celestial synth pad and piano octave riff, refined acoustic guitar strumming, jazzy saxophone melody and an unknown singer with a warm, smoky voice.
However, hidden amongst this indie landscape is a sentimental nuance that is perhaps induced from his misty yet beautiful voice and the influence of ambient, shoegaze styles that has permeated Ogata’s musical voyage. Ogata’s defiantly indie musical details, like in ‘ My Small Garden and ‘ Happy Sunny March’ from Her Paperback transport listeners to glimpses of 90s British indie rock/pop: witty titles that speak for the ‘everyday life’ aesthetic, laid-back vocal exchanges and solid guitar driven vibes. His sleek dreamlike voice, and creative awareness and skill in varying instrumental, textural colour and arranging meticulous rhythmic and harmonic figures to create organic sonic narratives with moments of intimacy and sparks of anthemic crescendos, is exclusive to his contemporary artistic vision. The sepia-shaded vintage synth pads that navigate the musical journey amplify a sense of nostalgia, but Ogata remains a musician of today.
Tracks like ‘ Golden Hair’ and ‘ Tonight, Flight’ personify the statement above. 「あらかじめポスト世代」 “ Naturally Postmodern generation” The sound world created by Ogata and his band has led to reviews interpreting him as: The discotheque drumbeat that carries some rhythmic impetus is glazed with a tuneful little guitar riff, glittering and shimmering synth lines covering the stereo field and hazy, ethereal vocals, orchestrating an atmospheric yet infectious ‘wall of sound’ that immerses the listener in sonic bliss. ‘ On the Beach’, the first track from his 2012 album Her Paperback is a euphonious overture to the record. His unique sonic landscape brings to mind the rhythmic pulsations of Coldplay ornamented with chillwave sonic textures of Tycho. He crafts a sensual ambience through blending post-rock aesthetics with dreamy vocal lines and tranquil synth drones evocative of dream-pop/shoegaze. Kensei Ogata, lead singer of the band Talk based in Kumamoto prefecture first captured my attention. The next couple of posts will put the spotlight on a couple of Japanese artists that have emerged from the young music label. BEST FRIENDS and MAZES from the UK and TOPS from Canada). My latest discovery comes from Fukuoka prefecture, an independent music label called DEAD FUNNY RECORDS.Įstablished in 2012, this record label is a catalyst for releasing some of the most breathtaking new music from various regions of Japan and parts of the globe (e.g. In my spare time, I often engage in a bit of ‘SoundCloud surfing’, as it’s a great platform that allows us to discover hidden gems from a variety of cultures. Taking a different approach for the next couple of posts.
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