OPITOPE- THE DAWN OF MEMORIES PHYSIS (SPEKK, 2014)
I’ve long had a soft spot for the Japanese label Spekk. Now ten years old, Nao Sugimoto’s imprint champions an approach to design and sound that make Spekk a close cousin of 12k—a connection made concrete with its first release, an album by 12k head Taylor Deupree that is one of his best.
Dormant for the past few years, the label now returns with the release of a new album by Opitope, the duo comprised of Chihei Hatekeyama and Tomoyoshi Date. Their first record, Hau—also released on Spekk— is a small gem, finding a comfortable balance between the hushed, pastoral work of Tape and the processed grandeur of Deupree or perhaps Asuna. It feels intimate and widescreen at once, which is to its credit. A new Opitope album, Physis, is now available and the duo appears as adept as ever at mining that sound.
Also of interest: a second new Spekk title for the year—Celer’s Zigzag—is out next month, apparently influenced by ’60s and ’70s minimalism—as well as new wave…