Yatsuya Nectar

Yatsuya Nectar's Best Albums of 2011

2011-12-11T01:35:00.001+09:00

TL;DR people: read bold text only.

Here's my list/chart/memo thing that I share with my friends every year about my favorite albums that came out in the last year, and to be honest, it feels a bit forced this time around. I’ll give it a go anyway. Like always I spent a lot of listening time trying to catch up on great music from the past. This year that mainly meant a Talking Heads kick that dominated my summer. I also sorted through a bunch of music to play during DJ sets, which is different from what I normally do, but it was a lot of fun. Thanks to my friends Asamoto and Terry for giving me the opportunity. And of course I spent an appropriate amount of time bulldozing my sound perception of universe with a certain pink album from 1991 (not P!nk). Finding new music can be challenging because sometimes you don’t know where the hell to look. But I kept an ear out for new releases by checking out a bunch of different music resources, getting recommendations from my friends, and sometimes just randomly. Although there were moments this year that I was awestruck, I gotta say that 2011 was a relatively slow year for music. But you have to wade through a lot of shit to find the good stuff. Here are some albums that I heard and would like to talk about.

1. Destroyer - Kaputt
"I write poetry for myself". I think that phrase says a lot about this album. The freeflowing structure of these songs leads me to believe that they were written as an afterthought to the lyrics, which often adhere to no obvious rhyme or meter. The result is something of an astounding and amorphous, mature pop record with it's narrator leading the way. Back that with slick production and awesome jazz instrumentation and Kaputt is modern, catchy, intelligent, and artful all at once.
"Suicide Demo For Kara Walker" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3hkPtQqk08

2. Dead Skeletons - Dead Magick
Dead Skeletons is a band from Iceland with a morbid and sort of redundant name, and thankfully they make music that delivers on those suggestions. With driving drum tracks akin to NEU! and Suicide, a vague Iggy Pop influence, and an abundance of droning guitars, Dead Skeletons make songs that have the appeal of some pagan death rite or occult ceremony. These are large tracks. And just when you think you've heard what the song is doing and assume that the next 5 minutes are gonna be the same, it busts open with new energy and further exalts the beat that drives it. A little sidebar that might make this music more keenly felt is the fact that a member of this three piece was diagnosed with as HIV positive in the 1990s. To be honest I wasn’t completely won over until the second half of the album that houses some of their lighter in spirit shoegaze jams. Then you go back to the beginning and you’re like “alright”. As a debut, this album makes interesting statements about life and death in equal measure, in the form of fucking awesome long tunes.
"When The Sun" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUGrOg-sDoo

3. Tim Hecker - Ravedeath, 1972
Somehow, I once made a very wise statement that the difference between healing music and ambient is that your fatass mom can’t buy ambient at the World Of Science store in the mall. I’m not even sure if that sure if that store is still around, but a lot of ambient that comes out today is not on the good side of that distinction. And then there’s Tim Hecker. This is an album that’s as pummeling as it is atmospheric. Just check out the sleeve. The music on Ravedeath works with a certain aspect of production both pioneered and perfected by Mr. Kevin Shields, foreground and background trading off. That, in my opinion, is the most interesting dynamic in this album. Hecker uses relatively normal instrument tracks, pianos and organs, and textures them into boldly-named sets of songs that veil them with meaning and nostalgia. For example, my particular favorite of these is “Hatred of Music”. Any music-liker has listened to so much music in a day that they want to puke, and the atonal melodies and flat synths buried in these tracks recreates that feeling skillfully. These are just a few of the things to ponder about an album that truly has so many facets hidden in its noise. You’re provoked to really work out your mind’s eye making sense of these sounds and that’s what makes it one of the best albums of the year.
"The Piano Drop" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNgeixIKnko

4. The Horrors - Skying
On the last Horrors album, Primary Colours, which fucking rules by the way, there were two obvious influences they drew heavily upon, My Bloody Valentine and Joy Division. This time around the Horrors pay homage to a different group of classic artists, namely Suicide, Kraftwerk, Bowie, and a few others, but still make it clear through production choices that this could have only come out in recent times. Although some of the rough edges their previous albums showed off so well are toned down by production, there are new welcome additions to their sound like horns, synths, and non-standard percussion that add color and make the songs their own. Skying succeeds in combining old and new and it’s a solid album.
"Moving Further Away" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTETxZS4BsY

5. Radiohead - The King of Limbs
It’s not as easy for Radiohead to blow the doors off shit like they did five times before. This album is their most subtle yet, and the songs are still filled with the oblique melodies and progressions that Radiohead does best.
"Separator" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3oRhwOcQ3w

6. Iceage - New Brigade
A refreshing 20-some minute thrash in a year characterized by overproduction. A great mix of the raw sloppy energy of punk and cacophonic post-punk. Not much more to say than that. The jury is still out on whether the band members are racist, or some rumor like that. I hope not.
"Remember" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pi5hK0uVQ4E

7. Yuck - Yuck
I like Yuck. For a time I wasn’t sure because I felt a little betrayed. My introduction to them overwhelmed me because I heard a few of their most well written and noisiest songs, coupled with their music videos, the majority of which have naked chicks in them. I listened the entire album and was put off but the lull of relatively quiet “indie make-out” songs in the middle of the album. But after continued listening I’ve learned to appreciate the quieter side of the band, just like I learned to do with not-so-different band Yo La Tengo. Thumbs up on this one.
"Get Away" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz7vyrFhFE8 NSFW >:)

8. Deerhoof - Deerhoof vs. Evil
Although it seems Deerhoof’s more experimental work is behind them, they are still one of those bands that will make a catchy songs that have unusual dynamic between drums, guitar, and bass that are worth your scrutiny. You could say this album is similar to their past work but in no way should you say they are playing it safe. This is a short album with some excellent and challenging-as-usual music.
"Super Duper Rescue Heads" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SHcNVvnh7U

9. Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - Moshi Moshi Harajuku EP
PON PON WAY WAY WAY PON PON WAY PON WAY PON PON WAY WAY PON PON PON WAY WAY PON WAY PON WAY WAY PON PON WAY WAY WAY PON PON WAY PON WAY PON PON WAY WAY PON PON PON WAY WAY PON WAY PON WAY WAY PON PON WAY WAY WAY PON PON WAY PON WAY PON PON WAY WAY PON PON PON WAY WAY PON WAY PON WAY WAY PON PON WAY WAY WAY PON PON WAY PON WAY PON PON WAY WAY PON PON PON WAY WAY PON WAY PON WAY WAY PON PON WAY WAY WAY PON PON WAY PON WAY PON PON WAY WAY PON PON PON WAY WAY PON WAY PON WAY WAY etc. I can’t praise this EP without mentioning the brains behind it, Yasutaka Nakata. He is on top of shit.
"PONPONPON" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzC4hFK5P3g

10. Doddodo - Do
Doddodo's latest album, ど, romanized as "Do" is notably different from her previous releases and pretty much any other music out there. The thing that sucked most about music this year is I could rattle off a handful of bands any other given band was ripping off or sounded just like. Doddodo, who I would almost consider an outsider artist, never had those peers, and this time around, the chaotic sampling and hip hop beats common in her earlier work are absent. Instead, her new sound is heavily influenced by Japanese Min'yo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Min%27y%C5%8D) music, folk songs from Japanese rural areas, complete with live percussion and guitar. If you’ve never seen a picture of Doddodo you might also think she’s a mountain hag just from her singing voice. "Do" has a mature sound but is highlighted by accessible songs like "いろんな童" meaning "various children". There are still quirks like cheap keyboard melodies, the occasional animal sound, and tangents about which you can't help but wonder the reason why. Doddodo is expanding her strange and subversive and roots in Osaka's underground to areas of music previously unheard to most people outside of Japan.
「たぬきが来たから居留守した」"The Tanuki Came So I Pretended To Be Out" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp4Js_KqD98

Honorable Mentions:

Pure X - Pleasure
I think like three days ago I was talking to a friend and said “I am so sick of dream pop.” But Pure X does it in such a way where they escape banality. They find the sweet spot with a good guitar tone, a slow pace, and stick with that for the entire album and it’s really a lo-fi indulgence from start to finish.
"Heavy Air" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcUnotjcZKw

A Winged Victory for the Sullen - A Winged Victory for the Sullen

Disappears - Guider

The Beach Boys - Smile Sessions
This is the best music that was officially released this year but it’s sort of an exception because it was produced in the 60s.

Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact

Ringo Deathstarr - Colour Trip
The first thing anyone will say about this album is that it's a blatant rip off of MBV and JAMC but frankly I think that's an understatement. This is more like the world's first shoegaze mash-up artist. No sound in the entire pallette used in this album is their own, and anyone well versed in noisy music of the 80s can name the song they lifted it from. And the song structures are pretty much frankensteins of material that’s at least 20 years old. So why am I talking about this album if the spirit of originality that resided in the classic shoegazers is lost on Ringo Deathstarr? Because it's the most enjoyable ersatz I've heard all year. :-X
"Kaleidoscope" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxyYPlv4RVs

Glenn Branca - The Ascension

2011-09-23T04:22:00.008+09:00

"The Spectacular Commodity"

Wire - Map Ref. 41N 93W

2011-09-19T01:47:00.002+09:00

BBC Four Documentary - Krautrock: The Rebirth of Germany

2011-09-01T05:14:00.004+09:00

Wooden Shjips - "Shrinking Moon For You"

2011-08-17T23:41:00.002+09:00

Mr. Dibbs - Habitat 1st Section

2011-06-22T07:43:00.001+09:00

J Lep - Lookin' Good, Feelin' Fine

2011-06-05T20:13:00.003+09:00

Atsugari - DJ set 2

2011-05-29T13:23:00.001+09:00

atsugari - dj set 2 by atsugari

Atsugari - DJ set 1

2011-05-29T13:19:00.001+09:00

atsugari - dj set 1 by atsugari

Disco Inferno - D.I. Go Pop

2011-05-27T18:10:00.003+09:00

Battles - "Ice Cream"

2011-05-16T21:41:00.002+09:00

I consider music videos like this to be cheating in a way. Still a good watch.

PLASTICZOOMS - "Witch"

2011-05-11T17:15:00.003+09:00

The Chemical Brothers - "Swoon"

2011-04-24T23:13:00.002+09:00

Bo Ningen - "Koroshitai Kimochi"

2011-04-19T17:18:00.002+09:00

Dirty Projectors - "Useful Chamber"

2011-03-29T13:26:00.002+09:00

06 - Useful Chamber by astronauta

Disappears - Live In Brooklyn

2011-03-02T18:28:00.001+09:00

Destroyer - Kaputt

2011-02-22T16:39:00.004+09:00

Destroyer - Chinatown by tranzmission

Michael Cassette - Temporarity

2011-02-15T21:45:00.006+09:00

School of Seven Bells - "Dust Devil"

2011-02-14T19:30:00.003+09:00

Yuck - "Rubber"

2011-02-13T15:07:00.004+09:00

Talking Heads - "Once In A Lifetime"

2011-02-11T10:57:00.003+09:00

Starfucker - "Mystery Cloud"

2011-01-17T22:33:00.001+09:00

Starfucker - "Mystery Cloud" by catfoodparty

Deerhoof - "Behold a Marvel in the Darkness"

2011-01-07T14:16:00.001+09:00

Deerhoof - Behold a Marvel in the Darkness by Polyvinyl Records

Radiohead - "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi"

2010-12-19T11:11:00.002+09:00

My Bloody Valentine - "Blown A Wish"

2010-12-18T11:11:00.001+09:00

The Beatles - "Norwegian Wood"

2010-12-17T13:26:00.004+09:00

I'm posting this song because of the recent release of the Japanese movie of the same name. It's based on the book by Haruki Murakami.

Baths - "Plea"

2010-12-16T21:45:00.001+09:00

Yatsuya Nectar's Best Albums of 2010

2010-12-15T12:17:00.008+09:00

1. N'夙川ボーイズ (N'shukugawa Boys) - Love Song

2. Beach House - Teen Dream
3. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
4. Ceremony - Rocket Fire
5. No Age - Everything in Between
6. The Radio Dept. - Clinging to a Scheme
7. Disappears - Lux
8. Infinite Body - Carve Out the Face of My God
9. Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
10. Four Tet - There Is Love in You
11. Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
12. Holy Fuck - Latin
13. The Depreciation Guild - Spirit Youth
14. Everyone Everywhere - Everyone Everywhere
15. The Chemical Brothers - Further
16. Wild Nothing - Gemini
17. Vampire Weekend - Contra
18. Baths - Cerulean
19. Best Coast - Crazy for You
20. Pantha du Prince - Black Noise
21. Wavves - King of the Beach
22. 800beloved - Everything Purple
23. Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz
24. Jónsi - Go
25. Nest - Retold

Best shoegaze album of 2010:

Ceremony - Rocket Fire

Biggest poo poo album I sat through all year:
The Kissaway Trail - Sleep Mountain

Demontré - Masculin/féminin

2010-12-15T11:57:00.003+09:00

The Smashing Pumpkins - "Hummer"

2010-11-03T15:02:00.002+09:00

Grandaddy - "Lost On Yer Merry Way"

2010-10-30T10:47:00.001+09:00

Silver Apples - "Lovefingers"

2010-10-29T18:54:00.002+09:00

Brian Eno - "Lizard Point"

2010-10-20T22:30:00.002+09:00

Wavves - "Mickey Mouse"

2010-09-03T23:56:00.001+09:00

Holy Fuck - "Lovely Allen"

2010-09-03T00:35:00.001+09:00

I mean, everyone already knew this song rules, right?

Ponytail - "Beg Waves"

2010-08-28T08:22:00.003+09:00

The Beach Boys - "Let's Go Away For Awhile"

2010-08-20T20:27:00.002+09:00

The Jesus and Mary Chain - "The Hardest Walk"

2010-08-11T07:49:00.002+09:00

The hardest walk you could ever take
Is the walk you take from A to B to C

KARP - Suplex

2010-07-22T23:29:00.002+09:00

N'夙川ボーイズ - 物語はちと？不安定

2010-07-17T12:27:00.003+09:00

Shukugawa Boys - Monogatari ha chito? Fuantei

I'm really psyched about this band.

The Stone Roses - "She Bangs The Drums"

2010-06-23T21:59:00.002+09:00

Ceremony - "Regret"

2010-06-20T09:54:00.001+09:00

The Managerial Accounters - "Internal Rate of Return With Unequal Cash Flows"

2010-06-17T23:53:00.002+09:00

Ringo Deathstarr - Ringo Deathstarr (EP)

2010-06-08T23:00:00.003+09:00

To put it lightly, this band is influenced by The Jesus and Mary Chain. A really good EP, regardless.

The Depreciation Guild - "Dream About Me"

2010-05-29T12:03:00.001+09:00

The Radio Dept. - Clinging To A Scheme

2010-05-24T20:45:00.004+09:00

If someone told me Air France produced this album, I would not be surprised. A very welcome mix of dream pop with a hint of balaeria. A light sound and an enjoyable listen. Listen for the Thurston Moore soundbyte on "Heaven's on Fire".

The Clash - Combat Rock

2010-05-21T19:01:00.004+09:00

Turbo - "Push Your Grandma Down The Stairs"

2010-05-15T11:08:00.009+09:00

Turbo, a DIY hip-hop duo from Philly, make a brand of dancy, electronic hip-hop that channels its energy from 90s videogames, corny GarageBand synths, and overwhelmingly complex beats. With catchy refrains, and subject matter almost always centered around getting plastered and/or "plastering" chicks, there's never a dull moment. Sometimes it's so hardcore you'd never guess that they work at a bike shop and the Olive Garden.

This is one of their earlier tracks, entitled "Push Your Grandma Down The Stairs". Somebody get these guys a producer.

Click to Listen (plays on this page)

Stop Playback

For more Turbo, check out these links:
Turbo on Facebook
Official website of Turbo and associated projects

Pogo - "Gardyn"

2010-05-14T17:29:00.001+09:00

Nisennenmondai Interview

2010-05-12T17:04:00.004+09:00

I don't know how I've had a music blog this long without posting anything about Nisennenmondai. I recently found this interview and I was "psyched". Check it out.

LCD Soundsystem - "All I Want"

2010-05-10T00:29:00.001+09:00

Beirut - "Scenic World"

2010-05-08T11:58:00.001+09:00

Dinosaur Jr - You're Living All Over Me

2010-04-24T11:19:00.001+09:00

Like me, this album "came out" in 1987. One of my favorites.

The Beach Boys - "Wind Chimes"

2010-04-21T23:36:00.004+09:00

The SMiLE bootlegs are way better than the Brian Wilson 2004 recording.

Growing - "Wrong Ride"

2010-04-13T23:25:00.001+09:00

Lightning Bolt - "On Fire"

2010-04-05T12:49:00.002+09:00

from the album Wonderful Rainbow

Röyksopp - Junior

2010-04-04T12:56:00.003+09:00

I just got back from a week long stay in Tokyo and this album was playing everyday.

Vampire Weekend - Contra

2010-03-25T11:48:00.004+09:00

Deerhunter - Cryptograms

2010-03-10T07:49:00.004+09:00

Technical Difficulties

2010-03-07T17:46:00.003+09:00

Lately, Yatsuya Nectar has been experiencing computer issues dealing with audio playback. This means that posting may slow down until the problem is fixed. Apologies.

P.S. - For the computer savvy (savvier than me), my issue is on Windows XP and I experience choppy audio and video in all applications. I'm currently working on updating my drivers, freeing up space on my system's hard drive and then defragmenting. If you have any other recommendations, let me know.

No Age - Losing Feeling

2010-02-27T15:25:00.004+09:00

I would grovel before this band.

They have a blog at http://noagela.blogspot.com.

The Avalanches - "Etoh"

2010-02-25T21:44:00.001+09:00

Reminded me of Katamari.

OOIOO - "Mountain Book"

2010-02-21T21:04:00.005+09:00

I couldn't find a post-able version of this song anywhere on the internet and my next step would have been to upload it illegally myself. It's just that good. But then I found it on the Thrill Jockey website and posted it here using an iframe. It's off the Gold and Green album.

Click to Listen (plays on this page)

Joy Division - "Disorder"

2010-02-16T23:05:00.002+09:00

Joy Division is a band I read about for a long time but I could never figure out what all the acclaim was about. After repeated listening, I've come to see how it's exceptional. "Disorder" is a track that has a spacious and dark DIY feel, but something positive shining through in the sound. The bass part really moved me. It gives such a visceral feeling. The album, Unknown Pleasures, is worth more than a few listens.

Health - "Heaven"

2010-02-12T23:50:00.002+09:00

Whether you watch the Olympics or not, this is a cool video.

Four Tet - "This Unfolds"

2010-02-01T22:44:00.005+09:00

UPDATE: VIDEO BROKEN. I'LL TRY TO FIND A NEW ONE

UPDATE #2: fixed.

I really like the new Four Tet album after first listen. I hope it stays that way. This track caught my ear in particular.

Washed Out - "Feel It All Around"

2010-02-01T00:00:00.002+09:00

My Bloody Valentine - Loveless

2010-01-30T15:44:00.004+09:00

This is my favorite album ever.

David Bowie - Always Crashing In The Same Car

2010-01-29T16:53:00.002+09:00

VOICEsVOICEs - Origins

2010-01-28T20:06:00.003+09:00

An interesting new EP.

Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport

2010-01-28T18:56:00.005+09:00

One of my favorite albums of 2009. Every song is epic.

I'll have to put my top 10 of 2009 list up here soon.

My Bloody Valentine - Thorn

2010-01-26T07:39:00.001+09:00

Pantha Du Prince - Black Noise

2010-01-23T14:09:00.005+09:00

I don't know why this album is called Black Noise. It's not fitting of the sound.

UPDATE Feb 1, 2010: This album is fully streamable over at Stereogum.

Beach House - Teen Dream

2010-01-22T17:32:00.005+09:00

One of the better albums I've heard so far this year. The first thing that stuck out to me is the vocal melodies. The album also has a good keyboard and drum sounds throughout. My favorite song is "Walk In The Park".

Fennesz - Endless Summer

2010-01-21T18:04:00.005+09:00

A strong contender for my favorite ambient album.

"Caecelia"

The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin

2010-01-19T22:28:00.005+09:00

The Flaming Lips' best release. Only posting it for those who haven't already heard it.

This Heat - This Heat

2010-01-18T17:41:00.002+09:00

Recently I realized that besides David Bowie, Brian Eno's ambient work and a few more albums here and there, I wasn't really thrilled by any music from the 70s. I set out on a mission and recognized this band after hearing a Nisennenmondai song that was named after them. This Heat was an experimental group from England in the late 70s and early 80s. Their self-titled debut came out in 1979. The album's pretty good. You can definitely tell that Portishead took a hint from these guys.

Jun Togawa - Suki Suki Daisuki

2010-01-12T21:17:00.006+09:00

A pretty awesome 80s J-pop artist (considering its an 80s J-pop artist).

The Knife - Colouring of Pigeons

2010-01-07T20:06:00.000+09:00

Check out this new track by The Knife.

The Knife - "Colouring Of Pigeons" (MP3)

The Horrors - Who Can Say

2010-01-07T13:08:00.000+09:00

Atlas Sound - Walkabout (feat. Noah Lennox)

2009-12-10T23:35:00.001+09:00

Mazzy Star - Fade Into You

2009-11-24T22:05:00.001+09:00

Apparat - Duplex

2009-10-21T22:31:00.000+09:00

Apparat is an electronic artist from Berlin. He started out as a club DJ, but later moved into IDM. This album is very interesting and chilled out. It falls somewhere between ambient and IDM. I had it on my iPod for about a year before I listened thoroughly and really appreciated it. I hope you like it.

Belong - October Language

2009-09-02T23:37:00.002+09:00

For a very broad sound, and a very broad feeling, I recommend this album.

Air France - No Excuses

2009-06-13T13:18:00.000+09:00

This song RULESSSS.

Takagi Masakatsu - New Flat

2009-05-10T00:10:00.000+09:00

Gil Mantera's Party Dream

2009-03-24T07:19:00.001+09:00

Gil Mantera's Party Dream consists of two step-brothers from Ohio who make dance and party themed synthpop music. Both members of the duo, Gil Mantera and Ultimate Donny perform clad in spandex and inevitably strip down to man thongs. Bloodsongs is a catchy and fun synthpop album that seems to capture the fun of the dancefloor and also contains philosophical lyrics and emotional synth melodies. Their newest album, called Dreamscape has a more 80s feel to it, almost like Blondie. It's really fun stuff.

You'll get the idea.

A Place To Bury Strangers - A Place To Bury Strangers

2009-03-23T02:06:00.002+09:00

A Place To Bury Strangers makes super loud shoegaze music, and that's why I like them. They're a three piece which makes the fact that they're super loud even more impressive. About a year ago, I saw A Place To Bury Strangers play in Philadelphia and their live show was complete with multiple Fender Jazzmasters, strobe lights, projectors and fog machines. It was awesome. I later read that the guitarist and singer Oliver Ackermann makes his own guitar effects pedals. That being said, there are sounds on A Place To Bury Strangers' self-titled LP that you probably won't hear anywhere else. They take hints from both My Bloody Valentine and The Jesus and Mary Chain. It's good to see that a few folks are keeping the raw noise aspect of shoegaze alive.

A Place To Bury Strangers - To Fix The Gash In Your Head

Takagi Masakatsu - Coieda

2009-02-26T01:50:00.000+09:00

Takagi Masakatsu (高木正勝) is my favorite Japanese musician. He's from Kyoto and from what I heard lives in the countryside. My friend Ritsuko from Saitama recommended this to me in the Spring of 2008. Coieda, which Takagi Masakatsu released in 2004, is the album I would like to highlight. This album has electronic elements blended with live instrument tracks and the result is soothing and brilliant. It's very versatile. It goes great whether you're sitting alone listening to the album intently or have it on in the background amongst friends. I can't think of many other albums that shine in both of those categories.

Stream Coieda by Takagi Masakatsu

Douzo:

Cornelius - Sensuous

2009-02-18T01:30:00.003+09:00

I was living in Tokyo when I came across Sensuous by Cornelius. It was mysteriously on my computer. I didn't know what it was and I didn't know how it got there, either. Usually I'll remember downloading most stuff after I see it in my music library, but there was honestly no trace or recollection of me ever researching or downloading this. So in the process of finding out what it was, I heard something quite different and thought provoking. The first track that stood out to me, called "Toner", sampled what sounded like an ink jet printer, and the rest of the song was minimalist and almost random piano and synth arpeggios. I would call this album a minimalist experimental album. It's relaxed and at times contemplative. While some songs consist of clean synth bloops bouncing around in syncopation from left ear to right, there is great variety here, ranging from the loud and straight forward "Gum", to an amazing ambient track called "Like A Rolling Stone." As the album art suggests, Cornelius keeps Sensuous bright, yet at mature pace and feel. Although it's from Japan, it's not heavy on foreign vocals that might turn some people off. I'm glad this album somehow fell into my lap. It turned me on to Cornelius' earlier releases, like Fantasma, a more filled out pop album that draws from people like The Beach Boys and The Jesus and Mary Chain.

Cornelius - "Like A Rolling Stone"