Yamaneko has been one of the most prominent ambient and experimental producers in the UK in recent years. Since releasing his debut LP, ‘Pixel Wave Embrace’, on Local Action in 2014, the artist has developed somewhat of a cult fan base thanks to his enchanting approach to beatless soundscapes, new age forms and melodic subtlety.
Last year, Yamaneko released ‘Spa Commissions’, a nine-track release of compositions made to be played in a spa in Europe. A breathtaking, transportive listen, it showcased the artist’s intuitive skill at making music that remained captivating and interesting while still being utterly meditative.
Now, he is about to release his highly anticipated new LP, ‘Afterglow’. Returning once again to Local Action, the album is set to be released on 31st August and features some of Yamaneko’s most dynamically charged music to date.
‘Afterglow’ finds the producer deconstructing trance music forms and re-imagining the genre’s euphoric core into something much more vast, drifting blissfully away from the dancefloor. With arresting harmonic passages, distorted swells and reversed melodic runs, this album is a powerful recontextualisation of trance in a era where the genre is finding reinvigorated purpose.
The album ends on a dizzying high with ‘Hydrokinesis’, which you can listen to below in all its atmospheric, reversing majesty.
Pre-order 'Afterglow' here.
Photo credit: Eleanor Howard