Genre: Rhythmic Noise / IDM / Electro 

Track Listing:
 

01 ORDINATEUR - Cursor  
02 Symphonyspace - MUUS  
03 Sunao Inami - Stricken 
04 Aklihiro Yokotani -  I Know Everyone Hates Me
05 Kezzardrix - Smoker's Delight
06 ORDINATEUR - Agnostic Radioactivity 
07 Sunao Inami - Be Late Again 
08 Kezzardrix - Fnirrrrrrrrssssss!!!! 
09 Aklihiro Yokotani - 3008 
10 ORDINATEUR - Deathperate Option (edit) 
11 Sunao Inami  - Drain Your Glass 
12 Kezzardrix - HypVar 
13 Aklihiro Yokotani - Cyborg Ape Googled "Real Bananas" 
14 Symphonyspace - PIO 

Whenever we try to advance into Japanese culture the experience results in a shock or at least in some sort of huge surprise. Although standardized in western aesthetics and similar way of life sooner or later we’ll find that all are just appearances; the Asiatic spirit emerges with all the ignote contents and bizarre millenary construction defying our own cultural standards and surpassing our barrier for understanding and logic. This compilation made by the label electr-ohm from Japan tests this progress as it shows a very unique and particular vision on Rhythmic noise industrials. Completely breaking the norm and standards for the genre, the compilation shows a hyper modern musical exposition, probably advancing further in time and ultimately giving us a glimpse on how this music genre will sound in the future.

All the norms for rhythmic industrials are there off course, but not exactly in the order you and I are accustomed to follow, using a different logic for rhythm and a completely opposite vision on dynamics and atmospheres, the compilation displays a singular perspective and vision, quite different in many aspects and not compromised with the tradition of sound textures and musical direction within the genre we as occidentals are accustomed to, here is where the oriental factor prevails. The whole compilation comes split in different sections divided by different Japanese artists only, included there is: Sunao Inami, Ordinateur, Symphonyspace, AklihiroYokotani and Kezzardrix, each band presenting three songs except for Symphonyspace that just has just two.

Ordinateur opens with “Cursor” a very frantic and direct to your face piece, typical and somehow energetic enough to start this kind of compilation. An undulating analog wave comes in, ascending in an atmospheric crescendo to later being assaulted by the incessant rhythmic cadence that remains in a more or less unaltered sequence only to fall in a slowed down rhythmic pulsation and ambience groovyness. Quite fun for dancing and shaking the bones in an industrial robotic like fashion. The Subsequent song “MUUS” directed by Symphonyspace takes a more downtempo approach, with ambient undercurrents, chopped rhythms and bleeps navigate through an incessant course of pulsations and robotic breaks only reaching a crescendo to descend into some sort of ambientalistic dirge with a pronounced synthetic taste on it.

Quite futuristic and somehow, inert, reflecting perhaps a landscape of robots doing their programmed tasks. Sunao Inami the man at charge of Electr-Ohm Label follows with “Stricken” a whole attack of breaks, cuts and chopped rhythmic structures, bringing a touch of chaos and unexpected rhythmic methodology, mad, bizarre and non-synchronized structures that can trigger psychotic episodes on the listener. Aklihiro Yokotami comes with a very interesting investigation on spatial ambiences, full of beautiful electronic analog textures and eerie atmospheres juxtaposed with heavy glitch usage and micro clicks that demark the rhythm section, there is also a clear harsh tone within and somber conformations that gives this particular song something distinctive. “Smoker’s delight” comes as a drilling glitch compendium full of harsh analogies, cuts and breaks reflecting asymmetric sonic structures, equally entertaining and disturbing in its simplicity. Ordinateur retakes the course of action with a jungle heaviness full of noise and breakcore transits (this piece is probably more related with our western vision on rhythmic noise) although has this particular ambience that remits once again to an hyper futuristic vision, robotic, metallic, lifeless yet utterly alive, in some sort of mysterious way. “Be late again” marks the entrance to the best part of the album, almost as a second half, this time Inami adds some electro tints to his mad breaks and insane rhythmic virulence confronting the listener with a song of luxurious density and seducing rhythmology.

Yokotami follows this residue and aside from the extreme glitch foundation of scratches, clicks and mini bleeps comes with a more dancey rhythmic structure, reminding a bit of Autechre at times. “3008” definitively demonstrates that Yokotami is an expert in creating bizarre hyper-futuristic ambience and one of the aces from the compilation, seducing with strange rhythms and alien atmospheres, his work complements perfectly the necessity for cinematics within the genre of rhythm and noise. “Deathperate option” is an awesome robotic like march, full of dirty rhythm cadence, with subtle electro inductions, very catchy and voodoo minded, with time for a little piano lines that add this mysterious insane touch to the piece, excellent! Inami deconstructs structures in a IDM like fashion with “Drain glass”, and gives us his own aproximation to more atmospheric grounds, without abandoning his frantic rhythm feeling and equally submerging us in odd speculations on his aural manifestos. Three remaining songs creates a compendium of glitch, electro, breakcore and IDM momentums, evocative and addictive, continuously pushing further for rhythm cadences and atmospheric structures, nothing to envy from the western side of the globe!

If the sound of the Japan electronica is like this compilation I think we should experiment this more often as it is a very interesting display of electronic sonorities, with a distinctive flavour and quite unique aesthetic. The electr-ohm compilation vol.2 shows this particular oriental vision on modern electronica, leading us ahead in time, to a hyper-futuristic version on rhythmic noise, not only ahead of our time but surpassing the occidental elements of creation and compromise that has somehow stagnated this music in the current time we all live in. Perhaps this is not a cultural issue, perhaps it is that Japanese are living in the future, this music attest this feeling.