It’s time for another limited edition vinyl-effect CDr release and next up we welcome Sleepland. Kengo Yonemura the man behind the project has recently returned to Kobe in his native Japan following a short time spent residing in Berlin. His sound has emerged on labels such as Taâlem, White Paddy Mountain and Cellar Tapes. ‘Transition / Composition‘ is a gapless album comprised of an overall continuous presentation which also contains a hidden album. It blends guitars with effects pedals, synthesizers and field recordings. This one might appeal to those who enjoy Seaworthy, Asuna or Wil Bolton.
This album was announced to our mailing list last weekend and there are but a few copies left at the time of writing. You can listen to the album in full by hitting play above or clicking the link below, where you can purchase a physical or digital version. To avoid missing out on our future releases, you can join our mailing list HERE
https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/transition-composition
press release
Sleepland is Kobe, Japan based artist Kengo Yonemura who has released albums with labels such as Taâlem, White Paddy Mountain and Cellar Tapes since he began operating under this project back in 2011. Kengo has recently returned to his homeland after having spent some time residing in Berlin.
His sound is mainly based around guitar and synthesiser as well as the use of some field recordings. He has performed live on many occasions, including events which headlined fellow artists such as Chihei Hatakeyama, F.S Blumm, Asuna and Christoph Berg. He also plays guitar as part of a band named Weather Spoon in Osaka.
Transition/Composition was recorded in the comfort of his home town between 2012 and 2017. This album in fact consists of two different albums merged into one: ‘Transition’ is three mid/longform drones with longer track titles, whereas ‘Composition’ is made up of eight short form pieces with shorter names. The two albums overlap as they play, with each of the separate recordings folding into one. Not only are the recordings buried inside the mix but the track titles for ‘Transition’ are also embedded within those of ‘Composition’. The tracks of Transition are listed below along with a guide of where these sit within the wider album presentation:
Transition
a. Tall slant
b. So far away
c. Lines has led a plane
Transition / Composition
01. Crys(tall)ized [a-i]
02. Moment(s la)ter [a-ii]
03. Varia(nt) [a-iii]
04. point(s of) view [b-iii]
05. (A ra)in check [b-iv]
06. S(way)ed by [b-v]
07. fine (lines) [c-v]
08. P(has)e bubble [c-vi]
09. Tang(led) up [c-vii]
10. In tr(ap lane) [c-viii]
The albums blend over a gapless audio presentation to emit a warmth in its early stages, as gentle guitar strokes adorn the hum of a comforting drone accompanied by washes of water and bird song. Before long, the album delves into deeper drone territory whilst retaining a restorative, comforting aesthetic. Towards the mid stages a foggy murk transmits before swathes of warm drone return, concluding with familiar sounds of bird song and soft rain.
credits
Written and produced by Kengo Yonemura
Mastered by Tim Diagram
Photograph by Kengo Yonemura
Artwork arranged by Akihiro Morita
whitelabrecs.com 