The pointedly rhythmical outings of “Assembllage Funk” are a striking contrast with the floating Ambient Sound Art arrangements of his previous outing “systemisch2” on communedisc, on which she skimmed the frontiers of Drone and Electronica. On the other hand, they make perfect sense in a discography which has always openly alluded to the world of computer game soundtracks – in fact, before opening up shop with his own Elegant imprint, Hidenobu Ito worked as a cartoonist for many years in order to be able to buy himself the equipment needed for his musical endeavours.

Because he has spread his releases out nicely over a plethora of labels, the back catalogue of Hidenobu Ito nicely documents recent developments on the Japanse electronica scene, which has gone from mostly imitating and improving on Western-style blue prints to a self-confident voice of its own. Reaching into the most diverse genres while maintaining a steady momentum, “Assembllage Funk” is a perfect example for this new and promising direction.

Homepage: Hidenobu Ito
Homepage: WIMM Recordings
Homepage: Elegant Disc Records