LP＜Orange Vinyl＞

On 2010s albums like Sunny, Lucky, and Emo, Towa Tei simplified his musics titles and concepts, as though he was boiling his art down to its essence. The process continues on LP, Teis inspired love letter to music and sound itself. Even within his playful body of work, LP is remarkably charming. Unlike some of his previous cameo-laden releases, there are relatively few vocals this time around, leaving Tei plenty of room to revel in synths, beats, and samples. DJ DJ, a bouncy, buoyant self-portrait, makes spinning, chopping, and mashing songs sound like its the most fun its possible to have. LPs vibrant wit is far from unexpected: Teis gift for creating songs that are so vivid that theyre practically visible stretches back to his time with Deee-Lite (and, one could argue, his roots as a graphic designer and art director). However, theres something special about the way Tei bridges past, present, and future on this album. The pop star Hana and Yellow Magic Orchestras Haruomi Hosono lend their voices to Birthday, and the juxtaposition of her brighter tones and his gruffer ones over Teis bubbly backdrop suggests its an all-ages celebration. The producer also touches on generations worth of witty, sophisticated sounds like the Shibuya-kei and city pop homages on the sleekly funky Rendezvous and Magic, or Consumer Electronics, a glowing vision of technology that feels nostalgic. Fortunately, LPs ties to the past arent so much dated as they are a summation of all the tricks and techniques Tei perfected over the years. Fabulous is a meticulous confection of chopped-up slap bass, staccato trumpets, and vocal harmonies in search of the nearest catwalk, but on Ringwear, it feels like Tei is physically grabbing his samples and pulling them like taffy. Similarly, he expertly navigates the extremes of Mind Powers buzzing sonic overload and the drifting finale Nomadologie, where a trumpet wanders through a fluttering ambience thats just as intricate but much less hectic than what came before it. Though the likes of the PC Music collective made stylish, proudly artificial pop in vogue at the time of LPs release, these amuse-bouches for the ears prove that Teis excellence at his craft transcends trends. ~ Heather Phares

世界的な成功を収めたディー・ライトでのデビューから音楽活動30周年にして、ソロで通算10作目という節目のニュー・アルバムは、その名もズバリ『LP』。細野晴臣、高橋幸宏の両名をはじめとする敬愛してやまないゲスト勢に加えて、マスタリングに砂原良徳、アートワークに五木田智央といった馴染みの面々も華を添える。先行シングル"MAGIC"で聴かせる間や音の配置は一聴して彼のものとわかるオリジナリティーを携えたサウンド・コラージュで、どこか懐かしい響き。記念日を祝した"BIRTHDAY"の華々しいオープニングからラストを飾る哀愁のチルアウト・チューン"NOMADOLOGIE"までさらりと聴ける構成ということもあって、LPに何度も針を落とすように嗜みたい至高の逸品だ。
bounce (C)藤堂てるいえ