Event Horizon by Yoshino Yoshikawa
Yoshino Yoshikawa is a producer from Tokyo who first made waves releasing on Japan’s legendary netlabel, Maltine Records. In 2014, Yoshikawa made their Zoom Lens debut with the stunning "Yumetatsu Glider."
Originally producing music in a commercial setting, Yoshikawa in response created his own genre “Ultrapop” - a genre meant to subvert and challenge the Japanese Pop industry by merging sounds outside the context of Japanese music in an experimental, yet still pleasantly pop format.
"Event Horizon" is Yoshikawa’s first full-length album. The album thematically revolves around imagery of the solar system to convey different ways in which humanity, technology and art interconnect as a global means of expression.
Throughout the album we are greeted with sounds still relevant and distinctly J-Pop, yet merging with other experimentations and current stylistic trends such as maximalism & jersey club, all coupled with fluidly catchy synth-pop and house rhythms.
The effect is sweet & vigorous. Yoshikawa paints a world where the gloss of pop music is utilized to observe the more pressing matters of social circumstance. In singles like “Mirage,” Yoshikawa stresses the anxiety of living life like a game and struggling to find the solution towards the mundanity of existing in the confinements of society. Tracks such as “Opt-Out” duet with a vocaloid to highlight concepts of modernity, speaking of our reliance on AI-based recommendation systems such as Yelp, and the urgency in which we must reclaim our humanity and make our own decisions by pushing ourselves towards face-to-face interaction again.
"Event Horizon" is ultimately singular in its sound, but with a sense of longing and humanity that wishes to speak and reach a universal audience in its speculative, yet humble message.
*Yura Mari, Shu Ichikawa, Suzushiro & elizatwinkies guest vocals on the album, along with an eloquent & bubbly remix by Hercelot*
Tracklist
| 1. | PRNG | 4:09 |
| 2. | Mirage (with Yura Mari) | 3:22 |
| 3. | Take Me Away (with Shu Ichikawa) | 3:09 |
| 4. | Alarm Clock | 2:52 |
| 5. | Coldsleep (with Suzushiro) | 3:50 |
| 6. | Another Dream (with elizatwinkies) | 2:51 |
| 7. | Opt-Out | 4:00 |
| 8. | Event Horizon | 3:16 |
| 9. | Good Night | 4:27 |
| 10. | PRNG (Hercelot Remix) | 4:37 |
Credits
Artwork by yuu
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