Ken Ishii was easily one of the most prolific techno producers in 1990s Japan and is still going strong, but it still feels like he’s always been more of a producers’ producer than anything else. Reissued for its 30th anniversary by Music Mine alongside an expanded version of »Acid Mt. Fuji« by Susumu Yokota, a record that has arguably amassed a far larger following, »Reference to Difference« is a diverse set.
Across only six tracks, Ishii threads together the different influences of his music, never really aiming straight for the dancefloor and instead injecting his subtle and only rarely, such as with »Interjection,« hard-hitting grooves with ideas and elements from a rich tradition ranging from minimal music to minimal techno, ambient music and then-contemporary electronica or IDM.
There’s always been a gentle playfulness to Ishii’s music, an openness that he shared with producers like Yokota, for which he never eschewed complexity, which all comes to full fruition on »Reference to Difference«. This sort-of first vinyl reissue—an expanded version was made available in 1995, released under his Flare moniker—hopefully reminds listeners and producers alike that techno can be so much more than a thumping four-on-the-floor kick.
