It must be stated immediately: this compilation is a magical gem – a living organism. It has been in my life for 14 days now, breathing with me in a variety of environments; at work; in my bedroom; whilst making dinner; whilst window shopping; and now, sitting in a quiet park transcribing my thoughts about it. Every day has yielded a new favourite track, a new overwhelming emotional attachment. This phenomenon has continued in a gravitating, spiral form, to the point where now the depths of my soul have been parented by the album as a whole.
One of my initial thoughts when the aura of this music first began ingratiating itself upon me was of a Godly nature – who created these spiritually piercing sounds?
Not altogether surprising to me, I discovered this ‘God’ was, in fact, Japanese producer Susumu Yokota (unsurprising, because Japan has always had a sense of mystique and ethereality, as seen in the nobility and spirit of the Samurai culture, or the inter-planetary, technologic Anime fascination). A highly creative artist, whose output covers everything from early techno/house production, and later, ambient electronica (of which this compilation focuses on), through to graphic design and planning, Susumu Yokota has been flowering a burgeoning body of work in the music realm since his debut release, in 1993.
The title of this compilation, ‘Skintone Collection’, refers to a collation of back-catalogue tracks from Yokota’s record label, ‘Skintone’. Plucking some of the most emotionally engaging tracks from 10 of Yokota’s Skintone albums, this collection has been compiled and arranged by the highly accomplished UK radio producer/DJ, Ben Eshmade. Eshmade began his music career as a DJ in the early 80’s, impressing niche audiences and breaking convention by steering ears away from the popular ‘New Romantics’ synth-pop affection of the time. With an ever-developing, eclectic taste in music, Eshmade eventually moved into the field of radio, where he now presents the widely regarded digital broadcast, ‘The Chiller Cabinet’. More recently, he has begun promoting live music as part of the collective, ‘The Arctic Circle’. It is therefore appropriate, and justified, that Eshmade be called upon to compile this, the first, ‘Best of’ compilation of the prolific Japanese producer’s much adorned body of work.
‘Skintone Collection’, for those unfamiliar with Yokota’s music, is the perfect invitation into his magical world, and one which will leave you with a thirst for the juices of his back-catalogue. For those already aware of Yokota’s genius, this compilation will be a wonderfully melancholic and nostalgic reflective journey into the memories of your soul.
Click here to hear a track off the album on YouTube
Skintone Collection was released in 2007, and is available to download from Amazon - click here
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