Wata Igarashi - Question And Answer

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  • Wata Igarashi has a gift for versatility. He makes what's easily recognisable as deep techno—and is already one of Japan's finest producers of that sound—but the term doesn't quite capture his range. The records he's made in the last two years, his most prolific spell, have displayed an especially rich array of textures, techniques and moods. Take his 2016 EP for The Bunker New York. Mood Of The Machines's self-titled tracks were all heady cosmic panoramas, but each had its own special flavour. There's even more variety on Igarashi's latest EP for Bryan Kasenic's label. "Broken Telephone" is Question And Answer's most ear-catching cut. It's 95 BPM, and begins with a warm four-note arp sequence. All seems normal until we hear a new element bounce in—a dribbling double-time lead that sounds like a game of squash on fast forward. A snaking low-end dictates the ebb and flow of "Outburst," and for most other techno artists this would be good enough. But the atmospheric outer layers, and the way each constantly shifts position, give the track a special depth. "Question And Answer" is one of Igarashi's more accessible cuts, draining some of his typically thick ambience and giving more space to unfurling arp leads. "Train Of Thought" is at the opposite end of that scale. The vocal pads might give it a sense of openness, but the minor-key loop drives a sinister, Terrence Dixon-style mood throughout.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Outburst A2 Train Of Thought B1 Question And Answer B2 Broken Telephone
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