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NanoSweep :: Review by Don
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Album Title: | NanoSweep |
| Record Label: | NanoSounds / SuperSweep | |
| Catalog No.: | NS-001 | |
| Release Date: | December 30, 2004 | |
| Purchase: | Buy at VGM World |
Overview
NanoSweep is an ongoing series of original music that was initiated in 2004 by various members of NanoSounds and Supersweep. It usually features members from each of these companies and occasionally a guest composer. This is the first original album and features compositions by Nakany (aka Tetsukazu Nakanishi), Koji Nakagawa, Hiroshi Okubo, Masashi Yano, Yousuke Yasui, Shinji Hosoe, and Ayako Saso.
Body
Nakany's contribution, "Red-eye," is what I like to consider a slow-burner. As the piece advances, it just builds and builds. While there is no real climax to the piece, the variety of elements in the piece is quite nice. I'm a big fan of the beat here, even if I find the melody line to be a bit lacking. However, there are portions of the melody line that I enjoy, particularly the slower sections. This piece as a spacey feel to it and it's not bad, by any means. It just doesn't particularly strike a chord with me.
"Recycle," by Koji Nakagawa, is a techno piece that I just can't get into. The beats are obnoxious, go on for far too long, and there is really no melodic material in this one at all, or any discernable variation. Perhaps this one should be recycled into something with a semblance of enjoyment.
Hiroshi Okubo contributed "DENKI GIRL (part.1)." This is a fantastic piece in comparison to the track prior. It's got a very playful atmosphere, with some semblances of jazz. The melody is really catchy and the vocoder inclusion of "Denki Girl" spelled out is a nice touch. It's one of my favorites on here. There are just a ton of elements, such as the piano, vocoder, and bleeps and bloops that make for great entertainment. I wish it was longer!
Masashi Yano manages to impress with "FLOOD" as well. While it doesn't vary much throughout the piece, the beat is much more tolerable than in "Recycle" and the melody has a futuristic sound to it. There are also some crazy synth lines as well. In the end, it melds into something pretty enjoyable.
"prospect," by Yousuke Yasui, suffers from the same problems as "Recycle." The droning repetitive beat continues to meander on throughout the piece, with nothing really entertaining about it. For most of the piece, the melody suffers from the same thing as well with a very tinny synth lead that repeats ad nauseum. There is another synth line used that makes it sound a bit more menacing, but in the end, I'd rather listen to two cats dying than this. However, it is a bit more enjoyable, albeit slightly, than "Recycle."
Shinji Hosoe contributes a very interesting piece to this album. "Primitive recycling" features an interesting combination of ethnic flavors and synth work. The beat resembles tribal drums and, as it progresses, the melody line constantly changes. At times, there will be some Arabian influences, at others deep voice mutterings. It's an interesting piece with a lot of variety and one of the standouts on the album.
Lastly, Ayako Saso offers "matoryoshka." This piece is also quite interesting. Featuring some spacey synth work, it also manages to combine some exotic vocal work to create a very interesting atmosphere. As it advances, it transforms into more of a dance piece. It's also quite catchy and really contrasts to the first part of the piece. There are some vocal samples including in this one as well, offering more of a modern approach. It's probably my favorite on the album. Fun, crazy, and boasting some interesting melodic lines, Saso manages to create another standout piece on the album.
Summary
The first entry in the NanoSweep line of albums is a mixed bag. Some of the composers manage to create something worthwhile, but at the same time, there are some composers that manage to fail to capture any positive reaction from me. Granted, these albums are fairly cheap, running at approximately $5.00, but I'd honestly forgo this one, as there were just a few tracks that really piqued my interest.
