Shuta Hasunuma mixes organic and electronic tones to produce poignant and intricately arranged compositions. The Tokyo artist's background in Environmental Studies helped inspire him to write music around the themes of both natural and urban soundscapes.
Paying close attention to detail, Hasunuma cuts together and manipulates assorted field recordings and instrumentation for his latest album OK Bamboo. The glitchy electronic textures and expressive piano work invoke imagined memories of a dreamlike world.
The album's title and music are inspired by the ancient relationship between Japan and bamboo. Hasunuma explains, "In Japan, bamboo is revered as a plant sharing properties of both wood and grass. It also has an enduring and remarkable strength. After bombings in times of war, when all of the people are killed and the buildings destroyed, often the bamboo plants are all that's left standing."
The title track "OK Bamboo" keeps a steady rhythm with scattered micro beats as a piano plays a simple melody. "Sunny Day in Saginomiya" begins with layers of high-pitched keys and noise that lead into a surprising melodic groove.
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