ALBUM STREAM: Yosi Horikawa – Vapor

yosi

Stream and download link below. From First Word Records:

Yosi Horikawa is a Japanese producer whose music truly deserves the adjective original. Born in Osaka, Yosi first started making music at age 12, recording in his bedroom using his voice and various found and made sounds – tapping on the side of his bed soon became a kick drum for example. Overdubbing across two tape decks, Yosi started on his own musical journey in a DIY style that continues to define him today. The music Yosi makes draws deeply from these early experiments by bringing unusual found sounds into his compositions, sounds which often form the core of his songs and give them a truly organic quality. Whether it be birds chirping in the forest, the everyday sounds of a city or even the noises your kitchen utensils can make, everything has the potential to be turned into a song for Yosi.

After many years honing his talents, 2009 saw him join the French label Eklektik Records where he released his first EP, Touch. This in turn lead to a request by Jay Scarlett – of Beat Dimensions fame – to include Yosi on the Maverick Sessions EP series for Jay’s own Ubeat label. 2011 was a significant year for Yosi: he contributed a track to the Nihon Kizuna compilation – which raised over $30,000 for earthquake and tsunami relief efforts in Northern Japan – and shortly after this he was invited to the Red Bull Music Academy in Madrid where he collaborated with the likes of Dorian Concept, Anenon and Jesse Boykins III as well as receiving further praise for his productions from the likes of BBC Radio 1′s Benji B.

Vapor is Yosi’s latest release on First Word. A tightly-woven sonic journey that benefits from repeated listens. Picking out individual tracks is pointless, as ultimately it’s about the feeling that the songs on Vapor create, despite how cheesy that may sound. You can opt to lose yourself in the music or pay attention to the fascinating details that fly across the sonic spectrum, whichever way you’re in for a ride.