Search - Susumu Yokota :: Wonder Waltz

Introspection

Rebecca Johnson | Washington State | 08/23/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A discordant melody meets electronic depths that awaken in squiggly synths. There is a muted and flat vocal track within an almost experimental chaos. Muted beats mingle with scratched records creating an almost frustrating start to a unique album that seems to be seeking your full attention. The musical styles change enough to keep you focused, even if you wonder why you are focusing.



The second track is ethereal in beauty with an almost child-like creativity. Now you might start to listen more carefully to the lyrics that seem to be telling you breathy secrets.



"Capital Disney" is like a Disney Movie high on electronica and dipped in Bollywood. It warms slowly and focuses more on echoes of toys you may remember from childhood.



"Siva Dance" feels like the Sound of Music dipped into a dance club. The experimental nature of these songs is very intriguing. This one journies to Africa and sweeps through snow covered mountains.



You are never sure what is going to happen next, so Pegasus 150 is no surprise. Suddenly you have been hurled into a Western and are on your way to some exotic country where horses run wild and voices cry from a wilderness fogged with the smoke of campfires. Sparkles from wood bursting in the flames rises to the air as gypsies cry in songs of longing. Truly spine shivering in its soft primal appeal. The beats sound like horses running through a leaf strewn woods, following a drummer playing a flute. If that makes any sense at all and truly it is difficult to describe the textures in this track.



"Don't Go to Sleep" ensures you are fully awake and in a funky mood. Sensual voices whisper in tempting invitations. Like a game of opposites, the song tries to put you to sleep as you fight falling into waves of sound pulling you under. A truly beautiful track that allows you a break from thinking about the musical variety. Smooth enough to entice and simple enough to lull you into silence.



"Merrygoround" is a carnival mood with mystical memories weaving in and out of sound shatters. As if you could take music and shred the sound, elements take off in all directions leaving you wondering what will happen next.



Classic and heart warming, "Robed Heart" features Caroline Ross. You feel like you are fighting a war between sensuality and discordance.



Reminiscent of earlier albums, the next track is earth shattering in its vibratory power and tries to take your breath away in less than subtle undercurrents. It feels like your soul is being sucked out through your toes, to be quite honest. It is somewhat frightening in power, but interesting in texture.



With a Spin on Words: "Eternity is the Beginning of the End" takes you into an audible repeat mode where you are not sure you can escape from the past even as you are lulled into thinking you are jumping into the future. The sky swirls with soft silky vocals and this is music you start to visualize even more than hear.



"L'etranger" is hardcore mind numbing at the start and I doubt you will doing much introspection as it takes away all thought. You may start to fight the control as this song seeks to take over in a subtle hypnotic repeat.



"Rainbow Dust" is a sweet relief into violin and jangly electro vacations out into space.



"Your Shining Darkness" is a guitar infused melodic "by the sea" mood. "Holy Ground" takes into shivers of bells and reverberations to a place where you feel spiritually healed. Watery sounds wash your soul and you leave this album feeling purified in heart.



Exciting and Creative, this is one of those electronica albums you listen to for the exploration of sound and to see what will happen next.



~The Rebecca Review

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