Atsuo Ogawa – Untitled (Cassette)

Atsuo Ogawa
Untitled
Tabi Tapes
UK, 2022 (2026 reprint)
Cassette

Snagged spare copies of a couple of my favorite Tabi Tapes (the house mixtape label of the mighty All Night Flight). This one is just beyond!

FROM THE LABEL:

In house mix series Tabi Tapes mobilises for the first time in 2022 with a shock release from Japanese artist and occasional DJ Atsuo Ogawa, whose recent novelty mix CDr ’Rotae’ had us totally floored.  Once again employing the same lo-fi / ‘distanced’ recording techniques, Ogawa concentrates his focus on a drifting suite of strictly solo piano pieces, ranging from stark improvisation, to graceful contemporary jazz and genuinely touching, exquisite post-modern pieces.  Capturing his environment with the windows wide-open (beautifully illustrated on the insert), wind billowing in, murmurs of sub-urban traffic crawling past and birds chirping outside, we’re placed within a specific room - utilising an usual depth of field that gives a specific sense of space and intimacy, akin to overhearing a family member practicing their craft in a different room of the house.  As with the recent Rotae CDr, there’s a genuine sense of innocence and naivety instilled in the sound, but with a rare hyper-specific music focus that comes from a true artist properly in sync with their craft.  Across the 80 minute sequence of piano tracks, we’re transported into a different world where time stands still, enjoying new sounds and their habitat.  A real stunner that pushes the concept of a DJ mix into new realms entirely.