Port Entropy

Even though Shugo Tokumaru records in his bedroom, his music can t be called "lo-fi." From L.S.T. onward, there s been a gradual evolution in his work, and Port Entropy is his most professionally recorded album yet. It s also his happiest-sounding, eschewing some of the darker corners that his earlier albums sat in from time to time. The album was released in Japan in April 2010, and its songs capture the happiness of being a child during springtime. "Rum Hee" twitters, chirps, and sparkles like the first warm day of the year; "Lahaha" mixes laughing and singing with insistent percussion, evoking the feel of running around outside as fast as possible; and "Suisha"'s wildflower folk-pop slows things down like the end of a perfect day. Given the happy tree and children on Port Entropy's cover and the cheeriness within, some listeners might worry that this is just too much joy for anyone with an age in the double digits. However, this isn t the case. Though "Tracking Elevator" is unabashedly gleeful, Port Entropy isn t full-on sugar -- nearly every track offers peaks and valleys in melody and energy, and melancholy still lurks at the edges at many of these songs. The Theremin on "Linne" adds a welcome eeriness to its bittersweet piano; likewise, the strange key changes on "Laminate," and "Malerina"'s unexpected blue notes add a sophistication that keeps things from being too sweet. However, the real joy of listening to Port Entropy comes from experiencing how evocative its songs are, whether it s the droning flutes and organs at the end of "Orange" that suggest a sunset giving way to night, "Drive Thru"'s clanking, tooting, and whistling capturing rush hour in a toy city, or the percolating Rube Goldberg-meets-Raymond Scott free for all of "River Low." As creative as it is cheerful, Port Entropy just might be the most inviting welcome into Tokumaru's world yet.|

日本が世界に誇る才能より新作が到着。このめくるめく音楽体験をどう表現しよう？アニマル・コレクティヴ「Merriweather Post Pavillion」が提示した音世界をビーチ・ボーイズ「Pet Sounds」の手法で現出させたかのような・・・・・・とか？無数のアコースティック楽器や楽器ですらないモノたちによる躍動的な音の饗宴は、まるで自然そのもの、宇宙そのもののような美しいサウンドスケープを描き出し、多くの生命を活き活きを輝かせる。サイケもフォークもポスト・ロックもトイ・ポップも融和した先にくっきりと浮かび上がる、ここではないどこか。なのに歌のメロディーにはほんのり日本情緒を漂わせていたりと、もう刺激される感覚が多すぎて、ただうっとりと放心するしかない。すごい。傑作。
bounce (C)土田真弓

たぐいまれなるポップ・センス、すり抜けて行くような不可思議な言葉。底知れぬ才能を秘めつつも、さらっと自然体。その軽やかなサウンドに、その溢れんばかりの豊かなメロディに、ついつい口ずさんでしまう、恐るべし。日本語詞ながら世界各国でのリリース、ツアーの依頼が相次ぐのは、私たちが洋楽をごくごく自然に楽しんでいる、それと同じく。 非楽器さえも駆使したトイポップ楽団的シンガーソングライターはさらなる高みへと飛翔する。まるでメリーゴーラウンドのようなドリーミーなポップスの素敵な魔法をかけ続けられたいのです。
intoxicate (C)水上渉