Shinichi Osawa – Teppan-Yaki: A Collection Of Remixes review

Artist: Shinichi Osawa
Title: Teppan-Yaki: A Collection Of Remixes
Label: Southern Fried
Genre: Electro house/Electroclash
Format: CD, Digital
Buy From: Juno Records, Juno Download

It’s definitely about time that Shinichi Osawa’s remixes were collected in one place. There’s been so many belters over the years, and they always manage to bring something special and unexpected to the original. Perhaps best known in Britain for his cover of The Chemical’s “Star Guitar” (always a favourite in Rob Da Bank’s live sets), this collection should help introduce him to the uninitiated.

His face-melting take on Alex Gopher’s “Aurora” is worth it alone, a crazy slab of good times electro; the same goes for Bag Raiders’ “Turbo Love”, with its fiercely looped vocoder vocals.

There’s a strong, unashamedly pop element to Osawa’s production, as seen on his mix of “Lost and Found” by Popular Computer. The technicolour sheen of his production work would fit in nicely within a daytime Radio 1 show, and still be cool and not in the slightest bit mainstream. Along with classics like his version of the Mighty Dub Katz’ “Magic Carpet Ride”, there’s also a brand new song, “EEAA”, that previously only existed on his MySpace under the name “Sora”.

If you’ve yet to sample any of these delights, this collection is a must-hear.

Review: Oliver Keens