House music can be really good. It can also have a lasting cultural impact. Case in point: Satoshi Tomiie’s collaboration with Frankie Knuckles, “Tears.” As a trained classical and jazz pianist, Satoshi’s musicality just glistens in every track he does. Ryuichi Sakamoto once called on him to play keys for Yellow Magic Orchestra.
In the 25 years since “Tears,” Satoshi has released one album, 1999’s Full Lick. The second, New Day, will drop May 18 through his new label Abstract Architecture on vinyl, CD, digital, and limited cassette. It also features John Schmersal, a member of Caribou’s live band and former member of Braniac, on the title track.
One always wonders if an album by a constantly touring artist will have enough depth to warrant a close listen, especially one by an artist working with house, a genre that can sound headachingly functional. No worries though, because Satoshi has a knack for geometric compositions with a surrealist sheen that sound good big and small, taking on different character as the volume shifts.
Listen to “Thursday, 2AM” with the album art below, and check the tracklist below that.
New Day tracklist:
01. Last Night (In this dream I watched a film of a dream within this dream)
02. Landscape
03. Odyssey
04. New Day (feat. John Schmersal)
05. Nature Abstraite
06. Thursday, 2AM
07. Calm Me Up
08. Momento Magico
09. Wave Side Back
10. 0814
11. Sinfonia
12. Cucina Rossa
• Satoshi Tomiie: http://www.satoshitomiie.com
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