Japanese “ambient band” Unknown Me return with their fourth album, and second vinyl collection, ‘Bitokagaku’, on California’s Not Not Fun.
The quartet, comprised of Yakenohara, P-RUFF, H. Takahashi, and Osawa Yudai, fuses ambient, vaporwave, trip hop, and urban sci-fi utopia aesthetics into a unique listening experience. While their first two cassettes, ‘Subtropics‘ and ‘Astronauts‘, presented music suited for high rise saunas and cocktail lounges, ‘BISHINTAI‘ came off as a transmission from another reality.
In the band’s world, automation and technology aid rather than hinder progress, affording society the free time to reach new, psychedelic states of consciousness via meditation. Our pick from ‘Bitokagaku’ is “Mirage of Ocean (Science Edit)”. A delicate, wistful ambient tune, it washes over you with its tasteful synth swells and synthetic field recordings. It has the feel of wandering through a tranquil topiary garden in the middle of a shopping center, its contrast beautiful, serene and peaceful as you make your way through from one store to the next. Breath deep, exhale, and enter a gorgeous world crafted by these skilled sonic architects.
‘Bitokagaku’ is scheduled for release on the 19th July via Not Not Fun. Order a copy from Bandcamp.
TRACKLIST
1. A Rainbow in Meditative Air
2. Dancing Leaves
3. The Universe in Ore (Paradise Mix)
4. Kitsune No Yomeiri
5. Retreat Beats
6. Mirage of Ocean (Science Edit)
7. Eternal Sunset
8. Beauty and Science