Written by Spike Sidor

SOMOKU HODO 

Hakushi Hasegawa Somoku Hodo Review Album Cover

HAKUSHI HASEGAWA

2018 JAZZ/IDM/POP 

Somoku Hodo is an EP by Japanese artist Hakushi Hasegawa. It appears to be one of the first releases of any substantial length from Kaushi Hasegawa who about all I can say about is that they are Japanese. Where did I hear the first track? On a streaming radio or in a recommended section? I can’t recall. I don’t know anyone else that has so much as heard of it either. On immediate listen it takes you aback, it’s weird, foreign in not just origin, but not off putting. These qualities land it in a mythical place. One where there is no outside interference, there is no expectation, there is no artificial storyline, and there are no easy stylistic comparisons. The only pieces in play are the music and the listener. Reminiscent of our collective discovery of left-field tunes, with no expectations or knowledge to burden us, adventuring into parts unknown and in constant awe of it all.

Somoku Hodo isn’t exactly some lost masterpiece but it demands your attention, and more importantly, is fun as hell. The sonic styling is something else, on first listen I was trying to label the genre and didn’t know what to say. For sure pop, leans heavily into jazz, but has some breakbeats and frenetic changeups like IDM, an unusual concoction to be sure and once lifted it’s difficult to put down. Things open up with the half title track Somoku, a monsoon of colorful keys and percussion swarm in a shocking but brief opening, after the action dies down there are wonderful swells of synths and very snappy jazz style drumming. Hasegawa’s vocals enter as well with a royal properness, gliding across the mix with a rich smoothness. This track is like a ritzy party except everyone knows how to have fun, and were the weird kids at art school. Doku continues the wild starts with keys shifting through the left and right channels freely before a host of, bizarrely enough, breakbeats rapid fire stutter all over. The action is thick but the track makes excellent use of quiet moments as well, everything feels so earned and when the chorus hits the vocals soar on angelic wings.

The manicness simmers down for Ta hui xiaoxi. featuring prominent squeaky synths, the instrumentation swirls whilst bright keys dance in unison with Hasegawa. The vocals string out with effects and chopped up Chinese spoken word samples convulse, before coming back on itself ouroboros style. Cue, an unexpected Yellow Magic Orchestra cover, brings us on a trip with spacey synths and twinkling stars. This new realm brings new language as English is seamlessly folded in. Not exactly pure poetry, but this project is sound and sophistication not lyrics. The closing track brings the familiar thrills, its feverish, and whipping its head in neurotic fits. Finally the energy sputters, an appropriate cool off to finish the sprint.  The zest, the levity, the mirth, the endless sea of five dollar words that expound on the joy of releases like this. That elusive feeling of hearing a project you could mistake for no other, that you can hardly draw a comparison, when you say what in the world take off your headphones and wonder how have I not heard this before? Why didn’t anyone tell me? Well, here you go.

8/10

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