Reviews 139: Studiomule
A common theme running through many of the releases on Studio Mule is that of reinterpretation. This is most evident in the work of Motohiko Hamase, whose Intaglio and Reminescence LPs have been recently released by the label not as reissues but as new albums with fresh recordings and artwork. Elsewhere, Kuniyuki Takahashi and Miyako Koda have been busy with their Studiomule project, offering updated and subtly adventurous takes on Japanese dance/pop classics. So far we’ve gotten their spellbinding versions of Taeko Ohnuki’s “Carnaval” and Mariah’s “Shinzo No Tobira” and now, they take on Yumi Murata’s “Face to Face” (from the 1985 album Desire on Eastworld). The extended edit is a faithful tribute to Yumi’s lush world of synth-pop romance, with glistening guitars, chiming synths, sliding bass, and cavernous drums swaying together while Miyako’s soothing voice floats above on clouds of euphoria. And though this is already the dreamiest song in the Studio Mule catalog, Kuniyuki and Miyako push us even further into their world of heart-aching fantasy with a gorgeous and deeply moving ambient mix.
Studiomule - Face to Face feat. Miyako Koda (Studio Mule, 2018) For the extended edit, palm muted echoriffs join a cascading flow of rolling toms and snare backed by massive kick drums and sparse cymbals. The funk bass is slow and expressive, with long sensual slides up and down the fretboard and occasional flights of smooth fusion jamming. At first, Miyako lets loose a calming storm of breath and whisper while the drums grow increasingly epic, with the whole kit beautifully recorded so that every vibration is intimately felt. Then we move into a spellbinding operatic passage where her pure voice fantasias drift above shimmering synth-pop magic generated by descending chimes, blissed out guitar lines, and intensely physical tom hits moving slowly around the stereo field. An interlude dominated by synthetic 70s prog flutes sweeps the track into the chorus, the sound growing massive and majestic while still remaining minimal. Miyako’s voice is beautiful and fragile…shadowy and frail…like some spectral goddess calling out over a romantic downtempo dreamscape. The lyrics flow harmoniously between Japanese and English and when she hits the “face to face” refrain, the soul melts completely. All the while guitar arpeggios smolder with hues of heartache and are obscured under near infinite layers of reverb as they play in counterpoint to the raining synth chimes from heaven. And the track ends on a hypnotic outro wherein Miyako’s soft lullabies float amongst the glowing stars.
In the ambient version, hovering pads like a choir of mermaids are foregrounded and the echoriffs swim through a luscious yet understated sea of synthesizers and glassy alien pianos. It’s an aquatic world of enchantment, with Miyako’s delay-laced whispers all the more enveloping untethered to any rhythm. The operatic passages gleam with a harmonious light as the guitars ring out from infinite mountaintops and Miyako’s melodies of eternal warmth fill the mind, body, and soul with a sense of universal peace. The prog flute interlude is preserved and leads again into the glorious chorus, but now the rhythmic movement is carried by the euphoric rushes of synth-pop sound and their waves of reverb crashing and colliding. Sometimes it’s like walking on pink clouds of otherworldly light high in the sky while flowers of blue and purple bloom all around in slow motion, their mesmerizing colors and smells transformed into angelic waves of sonic meditation. Other times it feels like awaking in some fantasy forest whose dark old growth and thick canopy are penetrated by pale sun rays that play off drifting particles of dust and pollen, resulting in dazzling displays of dancing light.
(images from my personal copy)
