Anchorsong - Ceremonial [Japan Edition] (2016)

Following the impressive Chapters LP, Tokyo-born Masaaki Yoshida aka Anchorsong returns to Tru Thoughts with his second full length Ceremonial. Anyone familiar with Yoshida’s output will immediately notice a change of direction in his sound, with the artist recently becoming discovering and becoming consumed with vintage African recordings, especially the hallucinatory polyrhythms native to West Africa. Throughout Ceremonial, the Japanese artist seamlessly infuses his influence with deft electronic touches; augmenting ancient indigenous rhythm for today’s listenership, leading first with the drone-backed ‘Eve’ with its subtle nods to gamelan percussion, moving through the rousing tribal clatter of ‘Mother’ and ‘Kajo’ – a twinkling, Detroit-indebted gamelan cut with dancefloor sensibilities. The accordion led ‘Monsoon’ marks a brief interlude before slipping into the rich melodies of ‘Butterflies’ with its gentle thumb piano notes, whilst the acidic twinges and orchestral strings of the title cut ‘Ceremonial’ wraps up, rounding off a perfectly executed hybrid of styles.