Ritual Union

Rolling Stone (p.76) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "'Precious' begins as dubstep pop, then morphs into an off-kilter house jam." Rolling Stone (p.72) - Ranked #41 in Rolling Stone's '50 Best Albums Of 2011' -- "[T]he Gothenberg quintet spiked their synth-happy pop with freaky soul..." Spin (p.73) - "Little Dragon's third full-length deepens the group's down-tempo mix of icy techno and smoldering R&B." Uncut (p.93) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "RITUAL UNION continues the work of 2009's MACHINE DREAMS, weaving a lush tapestry of warmly surreal art-pop around Nagano's cries and whispers." Uncut (p.32) - Ranked #37 in Uncut's '50 Best Albums Of 2011' -- "RITUAL UNION showcased their elegant brand of electropop, pleasingly understated and immune to fashionable whim." CMJ - "On RITUAL UNION, electronica and soul are merged and juxtaposed in every conceivable way." Q (Magazine) (p.117) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[I]t's all beautifully poised....Their instinctive subtlety works to their advantage on the title track..." Mojo (Publisher) (p.93) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he lyrics are more revealing than before, with Nagano giving out a general plea for contact and connection." Paste (magazine) - "[T]he title track doesn't waste any time letting you know how good this band can be....'Crystalfilm' sends cavernous vocals careening off crystalline walls..." Pitchfork (Website) - "They are essentially an R&B band, but the major elements of their style are skewed enough that while the music seems vaguely familiar, it doesn't sound quite like anyone else." Clash (Magazine) - "It's dark and downbeat, smoky and soulful....RITUAL UNION is the rich vindication of Little Dragon's slow burning upturn."

透明感とミステリアスな雰囲気が同居したヴォーカルが人気のシンガー、ユキミ・ナガノ。近年はゴリラズやラファエル・サディークらの話題作に次々と招かれ、音楽シーンで存在感を高めている。そんな彼女が率いるリトル・ドラゴンが、サブトラクト作品への参加を経てサード・アルバムを完成させた。今回は、ジャジー&ディープな1作目とエレクトロ・ポップな2作目の中間へと舵取り。相変わらず親しみやすさはあるが、奇妙な電子音による装飾やトリップ・ホップにも通じる深い音作りでポップになりすぎず、彼女の魅力を引き出すには非常に良い均衡が保たれている。不思議な音階で構築されたメロディーが印象的な名曲“Nightlight"を、まずは聴いてみて!
bounce (C)青木正之