An album of a humble nature, Japanese musician Chihei Hatakeyama’s ‘Late Spring’ gently unfolds as a shared journeying experience through a series of rich and outstanding encounters. From the cathedral organ-like opener ‘Breaking Dawn’ with its sub-aqua resonances, to the subtle drift of the closing track ‘Twilight Sea’, this record is a masterpiece of dense and beatific melodies. Drawn from evolving synthesised sounds and shimmering slow motion guitars, it combines these with occasional sonic elements that are best described as evoking computer code running through the veins of the machines like artificial blood.
“A wonderful album from a true master of modern ambience…a sheer delight” Future Music 8/10
“A soothing breeze, teleporting you to lying in the grass in the sunshine – as transfixing as any record released thus far in 2021” The Vinyl Factory
“A gorgeous, subconscious, psychedelic trip around the insides of your own skull” Backseat Mafia 9.3/10
“Unfolds as gently as fresh blossom, draped in deep, synth-washed tones and shimmering, reverb-drowned electric guitars” Fluid Radio
“The album’s gentle upward motion carries the listener on a blanket towards the promise of summer heat” Inverted Audio
“A sultry haze of shimmering ambient electronics and sparkling, effects-heavy guitar. Just what the ambient doctor ordered” Electronic Sound
“Splendid” Buzz Magazine ★★★★
“Stunning. The sound is rich and vivid making for an absorbing 42-minute listen” Twisted Soul
“Showing the commonalities between jazz improv and Hatakeyama’s approach to ambient music” Stamp The Wax Self Portrait Mix + Q&A
Radio support from BBC 6 Music (Ambient Focus, Gid Coe, Radcliffe & Maconie), RTE RNag (The Other Side), Scala Radio (Alex Ffrench), Soho Radio (Anna Phoebe).