aus: Sonorapid
Music Related

aus's Sonorapid is tailor-made for those who prefer their electronic music warm and soothing rather than abrasive and chilling. Tokyo artist Yasuhiko Fukuzono's tracks shimmer like summer haze lifting off a desert highway and glistens like sunlight sparkle reflecting off a gently rippling lake. Don't get the wrong impression, though: while the tone may be placid on the dreamy meditation “It's Tomorrow Already,” aus's intricately programmed material is typically uptempo and bursting with activity. On “Tewa Tori Aeru,” scurrying electronics keep up a perpetual dance while a piano voices a minimal tinkling melody and Cokiyu adds soft vocals. Fukuzono often pairs a slow vocal line with a considerably more animated accompaniment, a case in point “Koeto,” where percussive treatments suggest its creator's Japanese origins. Led by Suntra's acoustic guitar picking and a gently funky rhythm treatment, “EMI” swings breezily under Yukiko Okamoto's vocal whisper while the multi-layered wonderland “Music” entrances. To Fukuzono's credit, Sonorapid manages to be delectably pretty without sounding vapid in the process.

August 2006