We can't recommend strongly enough the intoxicatingly elegant dream pop of Yongen?the project name of songwriting team Chieko and Toshio Kamei. A modern crooner a la Bryan Ferry, Toshio's voice has a refined, architectural quality about it; he arcades serenely through the big, curvaceous melodies of Moonrise, giving the entire album a great neo-debonair sound. Rhythmically this album contains lots of savvy bossa nova and samba references; tailored synths keep the overall tone airy and modern. An exquisite blend of transnational influences, lush sound, and sophisticated mood. Standout tracks include "Moonrise," "Sunflower," "One," "Whispers and Knives," "Nylon Heart," and "Beauty."
m3u audio streams (if the flash player above doesn't work for you): [hifilofi] Play all tracks as an m3u audio stream (or xspf, ogg, mp3 file)
[hifilofi] 01-Moonrise (4:49)
[hifilofi] 02-Science of Farewell (3:56)
[hifilofi] 03-Sunflower (4:35)
[hifilofi] 04-I'm In Love (2:52)
[hifilofi] 05-One (5:14)
[hifilofi] 06-Whispers and Knives (5:45)
[hifilofi] 07-Vertigo (4:20)
[hifilofi] 08-Nylon Heart (4:42)
[hifilofi] 09-Beauty (5:55)