Inoué

Tetsu Inoue's experimental tendencies take full reign on his third Fax solo work. Heavily hacked samples and field recodings abound, and though not as immediately engaging as his early work, repays close attention with a depth of shape and color.

Those familiar with Tetsu's work need no introduction to this release. This was arguably his finest release, collaborative or otherwise. He has an impressive discography with the 2350 Broadway series, Ambiant Otaku, Organic Cloud, Masters of Psychedelic Ambience, Inland, Yolo and the more challenging Waterloo Terminal & Psycho Acoustic releases. What makes "World Receiver" special was the integration of atmospheres from Inoue's early works and the addition of the many sounds sampled from across the globe, presumably acquired by Tetsu during his travels.

Intriguing and mysterious, "Yolo", dissects a combination of Max random synthesised sounds and field recordings into fragments and particles which are then sieved through in microscopic detail. Inoue moves the focus with a speed that is at first disorientating but demonstrates the concise precision that has made his deserved reputation as an artist that is not afraid to explore and expand. In many respects it's like a diary of intimate impressions, internalised and deeply processed; a collection of fading super-8 memories moving jerkily in and out of the frame of the imagination.
There is no lengthy exposition or superfluous effect to be found on any of the tracks. Rather there's an insistence and urgency to cut to the chase…

Simply entitled "Datacide II", is Atom Heart and Tetsu Inoue's second collaboration work. Very different from their first Datacide recording, which mainly contained "acid" oriented, rhythmical tracks, "Datacide II" explores what finally became "Datacide's" main trademark: psychedelic ambient textures. Only remotely the "acid" background can still be heard, mainly in the track "Head Dance". "Datacide II" contains a series of trippy, relaxing, sometimes abstract ambient compositions which are tied together by the already mentioned centerpiece "Head Dance" and which may evoke the feeling of one traveling through a chain of audio images.

Tetsu Inoue - Ambient Otaku
MP3 CBR 256 | 1994 | 125 MB
Ambient, Electronica | Fax Records | Rare | No Covers

Tetsu Inoue's Ambient Otaku is indeed a brilliant piece of electronica. As the years pass by, many of the ambient albums from the mid-nineties age and fall away into obscurity, but there is a genuinely timeless warmth and appeal in Inoue's venture, which will draw you back in time and time again.