Noton Germany Vinyl & CDs

Review: Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto dropped this one first back in 2006. It was the third collaborative album between the ambient maestros and the third installment of V.I.R.U.S.'s five albums series. It was remastered last year and now gets served up as a reissue alongside three all-new pieces, namely 'City Radieuse', 'Veru 1', and 'Veru 2'. The first of those was written for a short cinematic essay in 2012. The album centres around the pano with padded bass and electronic frequencies adding extra depth and texture. It is another classic in their oeuvre.

Review: Vrioon was the first ever collaboration album between Alva Noto and legendary synth man and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. 20 years after it became the first instalments of V.I.R.U.S.'s five records together it gets the full reissue treatment. The original tracks from the album are joined by an all new composition 'Landscape Skizze' which was laid down in 2005. The record is defined by alternate piano chords, lush electronic tones and quivering timbres that are delicate yet impactful.

Review: Spanning five EPs beginning with the 2002 EP 'Vrioon', the VIRUS compendium marks an important era in the shared history of minimalist magna Ryuichi Sakamoto and Alva Noto. The look-back comes after the duo first connected through a mutual appreciation for each other's work in the early 2000s: Sakamoto had become interested in experimental electronica and came across Nicolai's (Noto's) minimalisms under the Alva Noto moniker. Intrigued by the precision and texture of Nicolai's sound, Sakamoto reached out; though he was hardly able to predict the unbalanced, restlessly abstract expressionist sound to follow: the sonic equivalent of a sputtery colour field painting.