Aoki Takamasa

With RV8, the Osaka-based producer and musician Aoki Takamasa continues his long-term project that focuses on the modulation of rhythms and grooves. It began with his first EP Rhythm Variations in 2009, released as part three of the Unun-series. Besides his collaboration with Raster-Noton, he released records on several labels like Commmons, Progressive Form and Op.Disc, produced remixes for well-known musicians like Ryuichi Sakamoto and Yoshihiro Hanno and played performances at Elektra/Montreal and Club Transmediale/Berlin, all in all making him a renowned producer in Japan and beyond. Starting with a firework of bleeps and bops, already the very first minutes of this record reveal Aoki's preference for vibrating beats and likewise his playful approach to music, generating a sound that aims for the dancefloor. Like the first ones, almost all tracks of the record are characterized by a constant modulation of chords and lines that sometimes appears somehow hyperactive, but nevertheless results in a natural flow that perfectly reflects Aoki's laid-back attitude combined with his will to produce danceable and funky music. The fluent arrangement is only interrupted by the third track, which forms a caesura by being more reduced and slower. In contrast to this, the following tracks present a faster tempo and an increased intensity; and whereas the first tracks reflect downbeat and R'n'B influences due to their broken beats and chunky sound, the later songs are characterized by a more sleek and technoid style, incorporating dribbling basses, clappy-sounding snares and modulated voice snippets. Although all of the musical components are constantly broken down, modulated, and rearranged, the overall sound of the record is dense and compact, featuring a groove made up of numerous elements that are complexly intertwined. The eight tracks of the record fit seamlessly together and create a composition that nearly functions like a DJ set. The album was mastered by Yoshinori Sunahara.