Latest Reviews

If you are a music enthusiast with and weird enough, you might someday find documenting yourself about minimalism as a musical style. What could be more intriguing than examining a genre defined by the mantra “Less is more”? In my own research, one of the most beguiling aspects of minimalism is its pursuit of a trance-like, mystical experience through stasis. Yet, I personally find it challenging to achieve such a state with simplistic music. My most profound musical epiphanies have emerged from the organic yet intricate compositions of Toru Takemitsu, the meticulously constructed works of Dai Fujikura, or the symmetric complexity of Messiaen’s rhythms and harmonies. However, today's focus, Toe with his newest release “Now i see the light”, stands as a notable exception to this perception on minimalism..

“Symbiosis” is a refreshing and hopeful term, especially considering its origins in biology. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with the science that studies living organisms, some interpretations of key biological theories have given rise to harmful and modernist ideologies. Social Darwinism, perhaps the most destructive, posits that societies evolve in the same manner as living organisms. This notion of "progress" deeply influenced the 20th century, affecting economics, philosophy, and the arts, including music. We also see the misinterpretation of terms like “survival of the fittest,” used to justify individualism and competition, based on the idea that since biology studies the natural state of living organisms, “selfishness” must be the natural state of human beings.

We previously reviewed Haruomi Hosono's 50th anniversary since his first solo album. Now, in this entry, we will celebrate his friend Keigo Oyamada, who this year reaches the 30th anniversary of releasing music under the name of “Cornelius.”

Rita Payés is a trombonist and singer who began her pop career as a cover artist. However, the mix of musicians and composers she has covered throughout her career is curious and varied, ranging from the brilliant Brazilian classical composer Heitor Villalobos to popular Argentinian classics written by Ariel Ramirez, as well as contemporary and old masters like Bola de Nieve and Chico Buarque.

This February, a compilation album was announced to honor “Hosono House,” the debut album of Haruomi Hosono’s solo career. I can't hide my excitement in this article. Of all the YMO members, I feel Hosono is the least known outside of Japan and, at the same time, the most interesting character.

On July 9th, the German composer and producer Ben Böhmer released “Hiding” a three track single with exciting collaborators, including the renowned singer Lykke Li and emerging talents JONAH and Felix Raphael. The songs feature shimmering pads that flood the stereo signal with wavering soundscapes. Beneath these, there are joyous rhythms with interesting sound design. Everything is crafted in a way that is attractive, shiny, and detailed while emphasizing the guests' vocals. Many of the tracks have a UK pop happiness feel, which I believe would be an interesting experience for optimistic listeners. It also showcases production decisions more akin to the techno and hip-hop scenes. The vocals make interesting but moderated counterpoints with the synths throughout, giving it a vintage electronica feel.

Due to his past as a former Genesis member, Anthony Phillips is a name that may not need much introduction within prog rock circles. However, I wanted to write this entry because his latest two releases are worth discussing beyond the borders of taste niches, thanks to their unique exploration of ambient music infused with classical sensitivity and subtle hints of his prog rock background.

At the beginning of this year, Kali Uchis became a sensation with her latest album “Orquídeas”. Once again, we are covering the Colombian-American musician who recently released her long-awaited single, “Never Be Yours”.

Below is a concise quote of one of the most revered Koans from Japanese Zen tradition. The essence of these inquiries wasn't to yield a correct answer, but rather to engage in the pursuit of understanding unanswerable questions—a core tenet of Zen Koans. The unsolvable nature of these questions, eventually transform the problem into a meditative device, where no answer is the only correct answer, or to put it in modern terms where logic and reason are not the main operators to understand life and problems.

Several suns away, a Coyote—or perhaps a peyote's hallucination—gave us precious and weird gifts: a telescope, a cheat code for love, and… friends? After a long hiatus, we finally have the full album available. With its newest issue, Hiatus Kaiyote shows us they are capable of simpler things without sacrificing beauty. This might be their least baroque release to date, but for this always-experimenting group, it feels like a breath of fresh air.