YOSHINORI HAYASHI 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: RECOMMENDED
It's two exceptional albums in two for Yoshinori Hayashi, with the Tokyo-based producer's sophomore long player upping the ante on almost every level. Exceptional musicality, epic vision, tangible playfulness and plenty of dancefloor potential, this is one multifarious release to say the least. Not that we we didn't also love Ambivalence, the previous LP.


Pulse of Defiance is a beast unto itself, though, with so much worthy of discussion it's hard to know where to begin. Perhaps at the end, with the spatial, futurist jungle vibes of 'I Believe In You'. Or at the beginning, and the soft pianos and plodding downbeats of 'Collapse'. Betwixt those two you've got seductive jazz ('Twilight'), dubby techy techno ('Touch'), rude boy bass breakbeats topped with psyche accents ('Go With Us'), and galactic ambient symphonies ('Frequency'). That's really just for starters, too.

Review: Since debuting on Going Good Records in 2015, Yoshinori Hayashi has delivered a string of singles and EPs that sidestep convention in favour of more intriguing, esoteric and leftfield musical pastures. The Japanese producer treads a similar path on this belated debut album for Smalltown Supersound, mixing and mangling crackling samples, odd instrumentation, exotic percussion, slipped soul, wonky beats, mind-altering experimental pop, jazzy flourishes, ultra-deep club rhythms and flashes of out-there, intergalactic ambience. It's a curious blend, that's for sure, but one that repeatedly pays dividends, with eccentric and inspired highlights surging from the speakers at a furious rate. If you're in the mood to be surprised, entertained and challenged in equal measure, Hayashi has your back.