Mitchell Akiyama

This debut album by Akiyama takes the concept of click-dub to an almost cinematic level and breaks from the constraints of this proliferated realm to venture into new territory. Hope... consists of deeply musical rhythm and sound constructions, along with field recordings that are integrated as part of the composition, brushing close to Tetsu Inoue's methods, which is an impressive feat. A prime example of this is track six, entitled "Named After The Chorus," a beautiful piece that sounds like a glockenspiel resonating an austere yet sweet melody. Track nine, "Interpretation. Deflection. Master," is the breakthrough piece; it opens with a church bell ringing in the distance, followed by car tires hissing down a street on a rainy day, then in fades a complex rhythm construction and gentle melodic sound - a truly inspired bit of work. At a time when the underground electronic market is flooded with emerging artists, Mitchell Akiyama is worth checking out first, since he shows that clicks and pops are not the only sound sources that can fill a minimal techno album.