Wata Igarashi ­- Ciphers EP

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  • If you've read Jordan Rothlein's Breaking through piece with Wata Igarashi, you'll already have "Mantle" and "Displacement." The first track is a tense frogmarch through super-charged synth chords, while the latter is more of a lethargic daydream. But they, along with the rest of Ciphers, come from the same place. Peter Van Hoesen said Igarashi has a "psychedelic sensibility," which convinced him to include the Tokyo-based artist on his Stealth compilation. The trippiness prevails once again on his second record, this time for Berlin's Midgar. "Ciphers" opens the EP with deep and pensive dance floor fare. "Hailstones" is an eerie, bleeping alien signal from outer space—until it builds into something punchy, dramatic and strange. "Lucifero" switches things up again, this time finding a bright, upbeat and melodic sound with its splash of shimmering synth. "Cocytus" adds in some moody, droning ambience. Suffice it to say, Igarashi has always brought great diversity to his records. But his craftsmanship remains consistent, tying all those moods and BPMs together. Ciphers is no different. It's a huge EP, with the kind of range and consideration of a techno album.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Ciphers A2 Hailstones B1 Lucifero B2 Cocytus C1 Mantle C2 Displacement
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