Utah Kawasaki - utah.mod.radi
(Radio)
Japanese noisemaker Utah Kawasaki takes a different approach than that of most of Japan's most famous noise musicians, eschewing the intensity and abrasiveness of Merzbow, Masonna, or the like for a more atmospheric sound. His new release, utah.modi.radi is a compilation of tracks taken from his extensive discography of cassette releases. Only the untitled fourth track, performed with Tetsuro Yasunaga, is exclusive to this release. The majority of the disc's 33 tracks are fairly mild-mannered manipulation of breathy tones and swirls of sound. At times, more pronounced beats form the basis of Kawasaki's improvisations as he builds layers upon them, but, usually, the underlying form of his work is more fluid and flexible. Kawasaki's music has a sense of distance to it, there's the sense that a great deal of space exists between the listener and the music, even at some of its most clamorous moments. The gurgling and bubbling of thick, round analog sound material finds itself right up against phase-shifting whirlpools of crackly sound and occasional, echoed beats. The majority of the disc's tracks are untitled, and they tend to run together with little to distinguish many of them from the others. At times, a more unique sound will sprout forth from Kawasaki's science fiction soundscapes, but utah.modi.radi tends to deal with many of the same sounds for most of its 63 minutes. There's little that catches the ear, and, even when it does, Kawasaki's music has somewhat of a mechanical feel, even at its most unrestrained moments, that does little to enhance the listening experience.
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