"Luminous keeps up the momentum, instead looking up and outward, while unleashing a set of hypnotic late night burners that flash across your field of vision like a shooting star burning on the horizon."
As traditional music institutions continue their collapse, the most rewarding change for listeners has been streaming’s ability for fans to connect with artists outside the standard album cycle (record/tour/break/repeat). Musicians can post self-released albums, demos, singles, and alternate mixes long before an accompanying record is complete.
In the world of electronica, which historically operates outside the constraints of the full-length, the white label 12-inch has evolved to the one-off digital single. Projects not picked up by a label, or if a producer doesn’t want to be tied down to the vinyl or cassette pressing backlogs, can get their work online in an instant. We’re fortunate to be in an era of easy access to music from all over the world from artists whose works are as high quality as they are prolific.
Japanese farmer and producer Hiroyuki Tanaka creates strands of deep house and dub techno that coalesce under the Charles.A.D. moniker. His official releases range from the lo-fi dub electronica of ‘West Pontoon Bridge’ on 100% Silk to the lush, dreamy ambient of ‘Dry Flower’ on Umé Records. On his self-released Bandcamp albums, Tanaka offers up, and just as frequently removes, a constantly refined take on dubby ambient house, with digital only exclusives such as ‘Moonlit path’ and ‘Urban night’s’ every bit as colourful and expertly crafted as his physical releases.
In 2024, Charles.A.D. teamed up with Spanish label Avantroots for ‘Deep Diver’, a masterful collection that shed the loose, DIY sonics of earlier works for minimalist cuts of bass-heavy dub techno. Inspired by the sea and its critical role in Japanese culture, ‘Deep Diver’ was a showcase of introverted techno that reflected the vast swaths of unexplored territory beneath the waves.
Returning to Avantroots two years later, ‘Luminous’ keeps up the momentum, instead looking up and outward, while unleashing a set of hypnotic late night burners that flash across your field of vision like a shooting star burning on the horizon.
Tracks like opener “Epiplegic zone” and “Bioluminescence” display a playful spirit not often heard within the stark black and white atmosphere of dub techno. Both tunes are infused with a warmth that presents a bright mood and colorful soundscapes. The former pumps with a rhythm akin to a beating, mechanical heart, as cascading synths gently roll along with the percussive clips. The latter track comes alive with synths and drum machines locked into a tight groove, repeating its enthralling pattern before giving way to a coda of cozy, woozy synths.
“Cyclone Foraging” extends a pulsing rhythm awash with dubby flourishes echoing across your speakers. The track is classic dub techno, and one that shows you don’t have to reinvent the wheel to stick out among a crowded field of talent. Charles.A.D.’s skills behind the deck are the ways he adds vibrant, slightly psychedelic tones to what can often be icy, impersonal, and humorless music.
From his first release almost a decade ago to today, the sound has always unmistakably been Charles.A.D. To experience ‘Luminous’ is to hear a producer at the top of his game. With the pace in which Tanaka puts out new music, it’s likely that his benchmark will go even higher. For now, on ‘Luminous’, fans of the dubbier side of house and techno will find much to dig into and savour.
Luminous is out now via Avantroots. Buy a vinyl copy form Inverted Audio Record Store.
TRACKLIST
A1. Epiplegic zone
A2. Night fight
A3. Bioluminescence
B1. Sun set in the ocean
B2. Luminous
B3. Cyclone foraging