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Tetsu Inoue - Yolo

Artist: Tetsu Inoue
Title: Yolo
Label: DiN 22
Length(s): 52 minutes
Year(s) of release: 2005
Month of review: [04/2006]

Line up

Tetsu Inoue - everything

Tracks

1) Tane 6.12
2) Remote 6.14
3) Particular Moments 4.57
4) Curve 5.36
5) O Shape 5.32
6) Flow 5.11
7) S Equation 4.15
8) Sour Cloud 2.34
9) Super Nature 5.16
10) Spirit Of Data 5.58

Summary

DiN, the label of Ian Boddy, is making a name for itself, somewhat similar to the status of ECM, but in the field of electronic music. I am not familiar yet with the music of Inoue, but this is already his ninth album. Let's find out what makes it tick.

The music

Tane is a sparse piece of work, with lots of occasional sounds, many of which are subdued. The track is more a sound sculpture than a piece of music, but I can imagine people saying that the former is also the latter (I am not even saying that I am not one of those people). Still, this is not your typical electronic fare: it is not cosmic, it is certainly not melodic, it just is. Like the opener, Remote does have a warm sound. This is due to the warm vibe sound that forms the background of these works. Slowly, the music swells, and dies down again. Bleeps and squeaks operate in isolation here against this tides of music, like beacons. Then the swell becomes more of a drone.

Particular Moments shows again that Yolo should be listened to in isolation. The volume tends to be low, and even though sparse, the music is minutely detailed, and it would be a waste to miss out on some of that. The music stays low-key throughout the track. Curve has a repetitive and melancholy sound, with the creaking sounds of swings in the back. The evoked feeling is one of loneliness, and since the swings go a bit too fast, a bit spooky too.

O Shape is a floating ambient style piece, with alongside the smooth flowing synths, plenty of warblings. The music is strongly vibrant here, and continues to be warm, notwithstanding the jagged details that continually crop up. Flow has the serenity and sounds of a tropical night, with a bit of percussion in the back. Except for the lack of trumpet, my mind wanders towards Jon Hassell. The second half seems more somber, maybe it has become night, and many of the insects also have gone to sleep. S Equation is just as tranquil, but

Sour Cloud seems like a bunch of wasps in a bad mood, and behind it lies a dark cloud, a sense of foreboding. The sounds are low, cavernous. Super Nature is also somewhat darker than the earlier tunes. It is a spooky morass of industrially styled sounds and effects. Nothing heavy, but low and with plenty of drone to it. Later the sounds become more harrowing, noisier.

Spirit Of Data has some lighter elements, which is a good thing, because it closes the album. Still, in the middle we get plenty

Conclusion

This is, to my mind, a rather ambient release, one to listen to with headphones on. But the music is not easy. The volume is usually low, but there are plenty of details that keep the listener on edge. The music is usually warm and low key, and since I do not know much ambient, for the first half of the album, my mind goes out to people like Sylvian (with Czukay), and those other electronically minded ex-Japan members, Barbieri and Jansen. For the later songs on the album, I am more inclined towards dark ambient with plenty of noise and jitters and overall plenty of low frequencies and industrially minded noises.

© Jurriaan Hage