JD Twitch does it better. What the Optimo founder puts together also stands together well in the end. Most recently proven with »Kreaturen der Nacht« (Creatures of the Night) for which he sampled various German punk from the off. That’s why his Japan compilation was welcomed here with open arms, even though the range of such compilations has been rather overwhelming in recent years. Many of them good, but at some point too much of a good thing. However, nothing is really harvested in full until those who, at the end of the day, simply have the better taste and sense to find the really good stuff and curate it in a way that intensifies rather than diminishes the impact of its neighbour. And it works. Perfectly. Avant-garde spoken word computer music ranks alongside squealing funk ranks alongside uplifting pop. Everything totally, eclectic. It’s quite obvious, because Japan in the 80s, economic boom, more machines, blah, blah – click here for context. JD Twitch spent eight years compiling the pieces for »Polyphonic Cosmos: Sonic Innovations In Japan«. During this long time, he might just as well have dropped Hiroyuki Namba’s »Who Done It?«, a stupid song. The rest just top material, supported by well-known (in certain circles) pillars like Yasuaki Shimizu’s Celestial Crow or Normal Brain’s »M-U-S-IC«, and connected by drum machines. It often takes you by surprise, but almost never upsets you.
Aya
Hexed!
Hyperdub