The Boy And The Tree

Japanese producer Susumu Yokota is one of the most prolific dance/electronic artists of ‘em all, and while he hasn’t been as productive in 2002 as in previous years, this new work more than compensates for his absence.

Focusing predominantly on ambient textures, ‘The Boy’ manages to fuse traditional Asian and Oriental influences with an electronic interface. Normally such notions would have us running for the hills – anyone remember Deep Forest? – but here Yokota makes his amalgamation of tribal chants, Gamelan atonality and Cocteau Twin-informed ethereal passages sound nothing short of mesmerising.

All other ambient artists should take a leaf from his book.