Kompakt
Often when electronic artists try to put a new spin on an old album it comes via an inevitably hit-and-miss remix collection. For Kaito (a.k.a. Hiroshi Watanabe) the veteran Tokyo producer takes an ultimately more satisfying approach overhauling each album for a series of beat-less companion pieces. Such is the case with Less Time Until the End of Time which finds Kaito reimagining his 2013 deep house effort Until the End of Time as an ambient-geared sister album.
More than ever Kaito’s full-album rework stands on its own two feet. While the Until the End of Time was full of ups and downs Watanabe has smoothed out any and all sharp edges trading the pulsing club beats and driving synth lines for calming and surprisingly organic atmospheres.
With cosmically laced drone work watery keyboard passages and light airy natural instrumentation the album is much more vintage kosmische than you’d expect from a Kompakt artist as the meditative mood pieces bring to mind classic German ambient masters like Hans-Joachim Roedelius while also sounding at times distinctly Japanese by weaving in some very ’80s Haruomi Hosono-like tones.
Surprisingly Less Time Until the End of Time manages to surpass the original emerging as one of Kaito’s most satisfying and straight-up gorgeous albums yet.
