Chihei Hatakeyama

Japanese musician Chihei Hatakeyama releases his new album, ‘Late Spring’ on 9th April 2021.

His debut on Gearbox Records, ‘Late Spring’ gently unfolds as a shared journeying experience through a series of rich and outstanding encounters. From the cathedral organ-like opener ‘Breaking Dawn’ with its sub-aqua resonances, to the subtle drift of the closing track 'Twilight Sea’, this record is a masterpiece of dense and beatific melodies. Drawn from evolving synthesised sounds and shimmering slow motion guitars, it combines these with occasional sonic elements that are best described as evoking computer code running through the veins of the machines like artificial blood. Inspired by the beauty in circular motions of landscape and the changes of season lying beneath ordinary everyday life (as shown in the work of renowned Japanese film director Yasujirō Ozu with whose 1949 film the album shares a title), ‘Late Spring’ is arranged to project the impression of an old film. The concept behind circular movement came to Hatakeyama as he was watching “Twin Peaks - The Return”, directed by David Lynch. From his first full-length album ‘Minima Moralia’ (“Excellent” 8.1 Pitchfork) in 2006, through the subsequent 70+ albums that followed, Hatakeyama has created a mighty canon of work. His catalogue is spread across a number of highly-regarded labels, including Kranky, Room40 and his own White Paddy Mountain imprint. His release rate is unquestionably impressive, but what is even more striking is the continual high quality of each alluring album.