Rob Price
Gutbrain Records
rob + gutbrain.com = email

2019 November 11 • Monday

Once upon a time I actually did a gig or two with the great bass player and multi-instrumentalist and composer and improvisor Kato Hideki. His music for the documentary film El Viaje de Monalisa is our 595th Soundtrack of the Week.

The first track, "Night Out", is a lovely instrumental with a swaying reggae-like feel. The different instruments sound like they have different colors and blend very nicely.

"Mystery" is a very meditative and hypnotic piece with sounds that are similar to bells or gongs but are probably created with different instruments. There's a background of resonance tones and eventually some string-like sounds come in as well.

This mood and gentle, slow not-quite pulse are continued in "Transformer", a dreamy and soothing piece that has a hint of possible danger.

Things pick up after this with the rock instrumental "Someone Wants Sex, Someone Wants Money". This has a great groove with some snarly guitar work.

The atmosphere becomes mellow again with "Poetry", the most textural and ethereal piece on the record. There are long tones that sound like pastels and some delicate crystalline voices that ease in and out of the landscape.

The record concludes with "Reflexion", a gently pulsating piece with delicate angelic sounds floating above a slightly fuzzy and softly driving bass line. The overall mood is hopeful.