Studio Mule Japan Vinyl & CDs

Review: Mule Musiq sub-label Studio Mule looks back to 1983 here for a new vinyl reissue of Silence by Shinsuke Honda, which originally came on Apollon Music. Honda has unreal guitar and compositional skills and grew up in Hiroshima before moving to Tokyo in the 7os where he was a core part of folk-rock outfit Hachimitsu Pie. Once that band disbanded, he got more into jazz and experimental and worked making music for TV and film. Silence was his major label debut and one that fuses sepia-toned rock nostalgia with minimalism, jazz and blues. It remains a deeply moving record and one perfect for a bit of mindful listening.

Review: Renowned for the immersive nature of his sunset-ready blends of ambient, Balearic, deep house and new age sounds, Soshi Takeda is best-known for Floating Mountains, his cassette-and-digital only 2021 album on 100% Silk. Soon, it may be this mini-album - his first outing on Studio Mule - that people cite as the Japense producer's best work. Rich in colourful 1980s new-age synths and sparse drum machine sounds, twinkling piano solos, and oodles of enveloping ambient textures, the six tracks on show draw some inspiration from Japanese ambient pioneers (Midori Takada especially) and contemporary crews (Coastlines in particular) while delivering a distinctive musical voice. Inspired stuff all told.