ambient
The Heisei period is the current era in Japan. It period started on 11 of January 1989 after the death of the Emperor Hirohito, when his son, Akihito, acceded to the throne as the 125th Emperor. The Heisei period will likely end on 30 April 2019 (Heisei 31), the date on which Emperor Akihito is expected to abdicate the Chrysanthemum Throne and pass it to his son, Naruhito.
For composer Hirotaka Shirotsubaki this era has been hugely important. He grew up throughout it and now needs to prepare for a new era. In tribute of that, 'Last Goodbye' celebrates and parts way with the old. The result is a beautiful and melancholic ambient album.
The album contains six tracks, each one breathing a gloomy, nostalgic atmosphere. Very early in opener 'Autumn Blanket', ambient pioneer Biosphere comes to mind but throughout the rest of the album that reference gradually fades away. Hirotaka Shirotsubaki delivers a more minimal approach, with meandering soundscapes and soothing guitar drones. On 'Rokko', these drones come close to the calmest pieces of people like Aidan Baker and Dirk Serries, something I can only admire.
There is a lot of emotion hidden beneath these compositions, which results in an immersive and rich sound, one that every fan of ambient music will appreciate. Picking a favorite track is difficult. The bright yet wintery soundscapes of 'Solitude' are beautiful but so is everything else here. If I have to pick, it will be either 'Rokko' or the mildly pulsating closer 'Sputnik'. What is certain, however, is the fact that these tracks will definitely appear in my day-to-day playlist from now on. I suggest you do the same.
Serge
For composer Hirotaka Shirotsubaki this era has been hugely important. He grew up throughout it and now needs to prepare for a new era. In tribute of that, 'Last Goodbye' celebrates and parts way with the old. The result is a beautiful and melancholic ambient album.
The album contains six tracks, each one breathing a gloomy, nostalgic atmosphere. Very early in opener 'Autumn Blanket', ambient pioneer Biosphere comes to mind but throughout the rest of the album that reference gradually fades away. Hirotaka Shirotsubaki delivers a more minimal approach, with meandering soundscapes and soothing guitar drones. On 'Rokko', these drones come close to the calmest pieces of people like Aidan Baker and Dirk Serries, something I can only admire.
There is a lot of emotion hidden beneath these compositions, which results in an immersive and rich sound, one that every fan of ambient music will appreciate. Picking a favorite track is difficult. The bright yet wintery soundscapes of 'Solitude' are beautiful but so is everything else here. If I have to pick, it will be either 'Rokko' or the mildly pulsating closer 'Sputnik'. What is certain, however, is the fact that these tracks will definitely appear in my day-to-day playlist from now on. I suggest you do the same.
Serge
