- Future Life is defined by sharp differences. Tokyo-based producer Ryota Arai (AKA Ryota OPP) builds his house tracks on a slippery sort of funk, but there's a parallel world above those thick, disco-infused basslines. The low end stabs of "Zombie Boogie" are flanked by laser fire; crying babies and ghostly incantations hover over "Sweet Claim"'s chugging beat.
Arai's weird top notes converge with orthodox rhythms in ways that are absorbing, if not always convincing. "Sweet Claim," for example, is too busy combining disparate pieces of its jigsaw to settle into a groove. Arai does better elsewhere: "Rain Jazz" ties together a pitter-patter beat with cascading Latin piano, hollowed-out bass and ominous synths for a coherent expression of tension and contrast. In other places, only the constant rhythmic pulse offers comfort. As "Fluid" rouses itself out of a Café Del Mar-ish slumber and into a state of mild panic, Ryota OPP's thrumming percussion guides you through his most cunning trick.
TracklistA1 Zombie Boogie
A2 Fluid
B1 Rain Jazz
B2 Sweet Claim
B3 Ebola Attack