January 7, 2022 - Rush Hour Music
The first hint of light appears in the sky, dancing alongside a cold, steady wind. Soft snow gently rises up from the ground, sloping up the sides of buildings. A bridge forms, merging the winter of old with that of a new year. It is at once a transformation and a solidification of that which does not change.
Tokyo-based producer and composer Soichi Terada is here with a new album, a collection of music to embody change and the lack thereof. Terada is known for his work in video games, notably composing the soundtracks for the Ape Escape games for PlayStation. This is the first new work from the artist in quite some time, following the success of the DJ Hunee-compiled compilation project Sounds From The Far East which revisited material released in the nineties. Terada faced down one of the biggest challenges a creative can come up against: recreating the circumstances that surround previous successful work. The inner journey led Terada to what he calls his “Asakusa Light,” likely named for the Tokyo district that retains the sentiment of the past. This sentiment threads through the project, a comingling of past and present.
The project opens with ‘Silent Chord.’ Not-so-silent chords pierce the darkness, bathing a barren landscape with a deep aquamarine tint. The track rides this energy till the end, hinting at a larger thought but keeping a more subtle composure. ‘Double Spire’ and ‘Bamboo Fighter’ drop the subtlety, leaving the soft natural light for the hard edges and neon glow of the city. Chippy plucks and sassy bass lines contrast with guttural wind instrument bellows, leading straight into the next track, ‘Diving Into Minds.’ Terada drinks deep from the fountain of Crystal Waters, crafting an homage that feels light and airy and fresh. The next two tracks ‘Marimbau’ and ‘Takusambient’ shed some of the formalist house structure in service of a more exploratory ambient experience.
‘Soaking Dry’ reels the party back in, layering funky bass, delightful shakers, and mallet instruments together. ‘From Dusk’ feels at once the most like an old video game track and something new and exciting. The focus centers on a wandering bass that remains steadfast as it plods through towering, glistening synths and shiny percussion. ‘Runners’ employs a similar structure, with a core melodic line that exists in a soft tropical lagoon. The piece rotates around this melodic lagoon, offering glimpses into its majesty, but at a distance. The mystery introduced in these last two pieces is forgotten in the conclusion to the album, with ‘Blinker’ and ‘Epoxy Lamp’ jumping back into the flashy city streets found earlier in the project. The effect is a little jarring, but not surprising, given how many of the individual pieces follow a similar pattern.
With Asakusa Light, Terada managed to find new inspiration within the heart of past work. This journey comes through in the music, not only from the instruments used, but from the depth of emotion and wonder that permeates. It’s a refreshingly honest project, and I am thankful to have found it. Here’s to the new year. 🍍