Satoru Wono

Here is a really cool, unique, and rhythmic CD from Tokyo artist Satoru Wono. The music consists of sine, saw, and triangle waves, white and pink noise, static snippets and bursts that all start out slow then eventually speed up into very infectious beat-driven songs. It is a high-end form of futuristic, weird techno music. Slower passages are made up of low bass sound, wah wah tones, and piercing high amplitudes, blipping and bleeping. Descending and ascending sine tones hover in the mix, aiding a machine that is stuck in a cycle of eternal skip. The sound samples act and react in a disjointed, improper manner, like a glitch-y version of Japanese noise. All this strangeness still creates quite groovy tunes; it is just that they originate from some very unusual sources. Slightly distorted, thumping, low end, as well as high, sonorities make the beats heard throughout. Echoing effects add to the largely engrossing and encompassing sound. It is very harmonious and trance-y without going into the dreaded dance floor, modern techno area. The track "3rd mov. Adagio” even goes into a dreamy, atmospheric, drone of beauty using the same painful tones that live in the CD, quite lovely.