Oorutaichi remains one of the most singular, unpredictable, and joyously strange musical propositions I’ve ever encountered. He’s innovative not just as a composer, but also as a singer, producer, and sound designer. And yet, despite all that, you’d be hard-pressed to find much media coverage on him. Which is why I’m taking full advantage of this beautiful space here at Music Talkers to offer a broad overview of his discography, suggest how and why you should dive in, and share a quick update on his most recent work.

Oorutaichi began his career immersed in highly experimental electronic music, with Japanese folklore as its main conceptual and sonic backbone. His early pieces were dense, hyper-processed comic strips of distorted vocals and blisteringly fast melodic lines, stitched together with expert-level sound design. These weren’t just fast tracks—they were packed with tons of notes and, by consequence, tons of syllables, often blurring the line between language and ecstatic gibberish. Underneath the vocal gymnastics sat layers of folkloric instruments, creatively manipulated samples, hand-designed synth patches, and additional vocal textures deployed cleverly as atmospheric devices.

This early phase is best captured on his debut Drifting My Folklore and the follow-up Cosmic Coco, Singing for a Billion Imu’s Hearty Pi. While Drifting My Folklore leans toward unconventional uses of folkloric instruments, Cosmic Coco takes the sonic experimentation even further, pushing deeper into the realm of sound design and abstract pop collage.

But Oorutaichi’s career didn’t stay in one lane for long. As time went on, he branched out into a wide range of collaborations. The most notable of these is probably Yakushima Treasure, an EP created with KOM_I from Wednesday Campanella—an experimental blend of electronic production and pop sensibility, full of humidity and digital playfulness. Around the same period, he worked with other electronic artists like I Am Robot and Proud.

Yet post-Yakushima Treasure, his collaborations took a gentler, less electronic turn. It’s as if he suddenly realized how naturally sweet and expressive his voice sounded without all the heavy processing. From there came a series of releases built around voice and guitar—sometimes solo, sometimes in collaboration, most notably with Ytamo.

Under the name Urichipangoon, he flirted with rock textures. And with his “Special Band,” he reimagined many tracks from Cosmic Coco and Drifting My Folklore in something resembling “unplugged” form, featuring pianos, violins, steel drums, and above all, that now unfiltered voice. This project even included a new original song and a rare music video after a long period of silence. You could argue this marks the last major chapter of his “cute, less experimental” phase.

Which brings us to now. The most recent stage of Oorutaichi’s output feels even more distilled, more essential. The arrangements are stripped to their barest elements: single instruments, minimal production, total clarity of intent. Take Soga, for example—a piece played on a restored zither, inspired by an improvisation he performed at the tomb of a mythical figure in Asuka Village. The lyrics draw directly from the associated folklore. Releases like this make me think Oorutaichi has reached a point where he only shares music when he truly feels the world needs to hear it, keeping the rest of his output for himself.

That said, traces of the experimental, electronic Oorutaichi still persist in a medium where he rarely gets the recognition he deserves: animation. Science Saru—the boundary-pushing studio behind Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! and Ping Pong: The Animation—has repeatedly called on him for soundtrack work. Both projects were commercial and critical successes, but even here, Oorutaichi’s role has remained under-discussed.

I can’t recommend this musician enough. Writing this is my small contribution toward the appreciation—and hopefully the well-being—of an artist who continues to carve out his own strange, wonderful path. Recommended for curious ears, explorers of the unknown, and playful souls. But also for the sensitive and the melancholic. Oorutaichi’s music holds something for everyone.

If you’re curious, check out his Bandcamp or official website, where he regularly posts about concerts, side projects, and everything else he’s up to beyond his studio releases.

Author: Martín Cacho

Martín is a video game composer, producer and writer from Sonora, México.