Masahiro Takahashi, Friendly Rich, Sun Sun
Masahiro Takahashi
Humid Sun // Telephone Explosion
Toronto based Japanese composer Masahiro Takahashi has returned with another spellbinding offering to help lift winter’s curse. Humid Sun is a calm ambient ocean of saturated hues and warm tones that serve to warm us for the remainder of the cold days and beckon the start of the new season. A tropical ambient oasis to gently wake us from hibernation as dawn breaches the horizon and our bones begin to thaw.
While much of Takahashi’s recent work has been solo, for Humid Sun he dispels the hermit rumours by enlisting a large crop of collaborators from his new and former home.. Each collaborator brings their own take on Takahashi’s style and cracks open the barriers of his sonic domain. The result is a rich and abstract offering from a wide swath of influences - vibraphones serve to bolster a tropical ambiance while warm pulses of electronics and vaporwave guitars fill the space between, bossa nova evokes a piña colada in hand while woodwinds swirl gently, surrounding it all are still waters of shimmering synths. Takahashi makes shaping his sonic world easy, but it is a skillfully crafted ambient tapestry.
Humid Sun deals in peace and optimism, but its ability to overwhelm should not be underestimated. It comes across as humble and unassuming until you find yourself drowning under a tropical swell. The curiosity of improvisation doesn’t distract from its trajectory, it only enhances its character. “I communicated with the musicians and tried different directions in improvisation,” explains Takahashi. “We recorded three takes for each instrument. I took the recordings back to my home studio, listened to them repeatedly, edited them in my DAW, applied effects, and arranged them.” The result is a bright, lively and gregarious record that continues to open itself up to you throughout its 37 minute runtime and each subsequent listen.
As the gloom of winter subsides, Humid Sun provides the perfect soundtrack to jumpstart the season. Crack and cold beverage and get lost in its tropical realm.
- Clay Geddert
Friendly Rich
Man Out of Time // We Are Busy Bodies
Friendly Rich, the Brampton merchant of unhinged folk delivers his latest, Man Out of Time - a deranged collection of maniacal melodies and truncated tones not unlike Tom Waits. Billed as a “dark reflection of the pandemic”, Man Out of Time is an absurdist black comedy for our current era.
Hinging around an ode to French songwriter Felix Lerclerc, Friendly rich delivers a surreal take on his song Le P’tit Bonheur. “I hope you enjoy [Le P’tit Bonheur], this work means a lot to me, I honour the great Quebecois songwriter Felix Leclerc, and I go to even darker places as a songwriter. I wanted to honour Felix Leclerc's music, and was able to dive into it with Mike T Kerr and Drew Jurecka to help.” The result is a wonderfully creative reimagining of the Quebecois songwriter’s piece that serves as the tonal centre for Rich’s record.
While Man Out of Time may have been crafted for our most recent pandemic, it often sounds like a jester’s swan song for the black plague, a veritable Fellini freak show. Haunting incantations crackle from smoke hardened vocal chords as dissonant strings screech and wail. Classical guitars play gently alongside the chaos, as though they are playing on the deck of the sinking Titanic.
Friendly Rich shows no trepidation towards experimentation, but I was pleasantly surprised at how balanced the final product became. I listened along gleefully as I never knew where the next song would take me. Amidst the dark chaos are moments of peace, levity, and even a tiny bit of serenity. Overwhelmingly though, Man Out of Time is percussive, frenetic, jilted, and energetic. There are a myriad of genres driving the noise, but few of them are subtle. From Latin guitars, to drum machines, to country twang, to glam rock - it’s got the whole kitchen sink. Friendly Rich proves himself a weary troubadour of tone as he wrangles all his influences together into a unique blend of Bowie, Waits, Fellini, and Gainsbourg - you won’t hear another album like this any time soon.
- Clay Geddert
Sun Sun
No Friends in Toronto // Heart Lake Records
Sun Sun’s experimental production has been shaping the sound of the Toronto scene for years, and sophomore album No Friends in Toronto is a reminder of the sophistication and power of Sun Sun’s creative light. The album opens with “I’m Lost Without You”, and suddenly it’s as if you’ve stumbled into the middle of a set by Sun Sun…but this DJ set isn’t at a packed club or festival…instead you find yourself stepping into a thoughtfully-curated house party. The sounds surround you and with no friends in sight at the start, the focus is solely on the music. No Friends in Toronto is a re-introduction to the cutting edge of Sun Sun’s production. The first few tracks are mainly without vocals, and set the listener into a mindset that focuses on the production and mix of sounds that Sun Sun is threading together. It’s easy to imagine artists like Rihanna and M.I.A. flowing over the opening sounds of the reggae-fused “Dub” and the buoyant “ Take You Higher”. Sun Sun’s beats would fit seamlessly on classic albums like ANTI, Kala, Views from the 6, and Blonde.
As No Friends in Toronto continues, Toronto based musical friends of Sun Sun drop in to lend a voice and vibe, including DijahSB, DillanPonders, Lex Leosis, Mighloe, M.I.BLUE, Cola H, Yazzy, and Rosie Monday. Longtime musical partner and wife Witch Prophet also stops by, dripping confidence with Mighloe on the sultry sweet, sweat-soaked “Fever Dream”. This feature is placed halfway through the album and grounds No Friends in Toronto fully into the state of an intimate house party. “Goddy” feat. Lex Leosis is a late album highlight, with Leosis stomping on the beat and leaving the listener breathless. DillanPonders then graces the album with his steady, percussive spitting on album closer “Racks To Go Outside”, bringing the album full circle with his hypnotic words before Sun Sun closes with a sudden fade. A perfect ending that encourages listeners to roll this record on repeat.
Sun Sun’s production is top notch and the sounds on this album, along with the production of Witch Prophet’s upcoming album Gateway Experience, demonstrates the abundance of beats and shine that Sun Sun is providing to the musical landscape. But the album isn’t just fiery beats and features, it also touches on themes of isolation, heartache, and loss, as Sun Sun states: “It's a reflection of my stages dealing with sadness during the past few years and a reminder to never give up. Even when you feel isolated, there are always people by your side. The album features majority women and non-binary artists because I wanted to showcase the variety of styles and abundance of talent that the city has. It's important to provide a platform for everyone to shine.” Sun Sun’s sophomore album No Friends in Toronto is released just as the sun is bringing its heat, so check it out and add your favourite tracks to your sunny, summertime playlists.
- Gregory Torwalt
