Jim Carrollsays atmospheric composer Susumu Yokoto's new offering is worth a listen.

SUSUMU YOKOTA
Love Or Die
Lo
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Albums such as Sakuraand Grinning Catestablished Japanese composer Susumu Yokota as a leading exponent of blissed-out ambience. His preference has always been for languid, liquid beats and a well-chosen smattering of chimes and bells.

Love Or Dieis stitched together from those same textures and fabrics that served him well in the past. But, unlike his previous triumphs, there's little for the listener to engage with beyond some interesting shapes and glossy sounds.

While other producers working in the same ballpark use drama and emotion to bolster their melodies, Yokota's sounds are stiff and aloof. Yet when there are occasional flurries to areas beyond his comfort zone ( For the Other Self Who Is Far Away That I Can Not Reach), Yokota shows he's more than capable of using a track's dynamic to dictate his mood swings.

[ www.susumuyokota.orgOpens in new window ]

Download tracks: For the Other Self Who Is Far Away That I Can Not Reach

JIM CARROLL