pgh1
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Album Title: pgh1 |
| Record Label: KLAMNOP |
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| Catalog No.: KLMN-0002 |
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| Release Date: October 26, 2013 |
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| Purchase: Buy Used Copy |
Overview
pgh1 is a solo album by Takahiro Eguchi published by KLAMNOP, a doujin/independent label of which he is a part. However, all of the songs are credited to a variety of aliases that he uses, such as tanakaEmotional, eoll, Kohta Naganuma, etc. In addition, there are also a few bonus remixes by other independent artists. Compared to his other original works featured on the Nanosweep series, how do the compositions on this album turn out and does it show his versatility as a composer?
Body
The album opens up with “LOVE SHOT,” a nice dance tune with some beautiful synth distortion, a great beat, plenty of ethereal moments, some female vocal samples that are reminiscent of Sampling Masters, but never feel out of place. This is a fantastic way to open up the album and really manages to build layers upon layers of different sounds to create a truly captivating experience. “010” is a beautiful electronic tune featuring beautiful piano, plenty of heavenly synth tones, modified male vocals, and a nice drum n’ bass accompaniment. It really reminds me of some of his Nanosweep work in a way. Similarly, “Really run my life” provides another exhilarating electronic soundscape with female vocals that has a style that reminds me, in some ways, of Mitsuto Suzuki’s Neurovision title track. However, there are plenty of synth effects and some beautiful ethereality added in the harmonies. “Welcome! New World” is an intense drum n’ bass based tune focusing on dark and punchy synth lines mixed with some more uplifting sounds as well. It also features some distorted sounds and the same vocalist as on “010.”
Another drum n’ bass based tune, “Great Escape,” is features more modified male vocals; however, it definitely has a more uplifting and hopeful sound combined with some beautiful synthesizer tones. One of the highlights of the tune is definitely the electric guitar solo that is incorporated into the mix. One of my personal highlights of the vocal themes is “HIIRO NO KAMEN.” Unlike many of the electronically processed vocal tunes, this theme is purely organic in terms of vocals and largely organic in terms of instrumentation. It has a beautiful Spanish flair with sultry male vocals featuring plenty of flamenco guitar, synth strings and horns, a nice, but unobtrusive, dance beat, and a sexy jazzy piano and flamenco guitar solo that really manages to fit right into the tune. “Unexpected rain” is an extremely beautiful pop tune featuring female vocals. The drum pad work is some of my favorite aspects of the tune, although the piano is also quite stunning, particularly in the solo, and complements the tune quite well. Of course, it is also largely synth based, but it really manages to enhance the atmosphere of the piece and in some ways, one can imagine rain falling.
There are also some instrumental tunes on the album. “New Windy Paradise” is one such piece and is one of the strongest pieces on the album. It has a really nice, somewhat tropical vibe mixed with a catchy dance beat and synth that is reminiscent of woodwinds. This tune would fit perfectly in an RPG created by Gust. The melody is absolutely mesmerizing and extremely catchy. Throw in a fantastic synth and acoustic guitar solo for good measure and you have a winning combination. “coldplay” is another instrumental tune that would fit perfectly in an Gust RPG. It opens up with rhythmic clapping before moving onto some acoustic sounding synthesizer and some drum pad work. There are also moments where xylophone or similar percussion instrument is incorporated into the mix, giving the tune a playful air as well as moments where beautiful electronic synthesizer tones are featured to give it a bit more depth. “curtain” is another stunning composition. It really gives off a warm atmosphere, thanks to its piano and strings focus, although, at the same time, there is definitely a playful vibe in the track as well, especially when the xylophone is incorporated into the piece. “SHI*O*KA*RA” shows the unique and quirky side of Takahiro Eguchi. It features plenty of vocal samples, a great dance beat, and lots of random things, such as incorporation of Japanese flute, chopped synth accompaniment, and some great synth melodies and runs as well. It’s a short tune, but one that is quite fun.
The bonus remixes cover music featured on the album, for the most part. “Great Escape (ETIA Remix)” is a Japanese hard trance take on the original. It’s a fun tune, but at the same time, some of the charm is lost from the original. I’m not sure where the original “Phthalocyanine” comes from, perhaps an earlier album featuring Eguchi’s work, but the remix by takdrive is quite lovely. It features a nice deep house style beat, plenty of groove, and some nice light hearted notes in the melody. “End of the new world” by eicateve is a truly interpretive and abstract take on “Welcome! New World.” There is a ton of distortion featured in the piece, giving it a very dark atmosphere, and the vocal samples present in the original are nigh unrecognizable. While these remixes aren’t the main attraction, their mileage may vary, but there is definitely some enjoyable moments in all of them, depending on your tastes.
Summary
The first solo album by Takahiro Eguchi is quite successful. While many of the tunes are largely electronic in nature, Eguchi is able to showcase his abilities in utilizing various electronic styles of music. In addition, his instrumental tunes really manage to capture that RPG spirit, which is something you don’t get to hear on his Nanosweep contributions. This album is definitely worth a purchase for those fans of Takahiro Eguchi’s Supersweep works and features some of his best released work to date.
Do you agree with the review and score? Let us know in the comments below!
4.5
Posted on March 14, 2014 by Don Kotowski. Last modified on January 17, 2016.
About the Author
Don Kotowski Currently residing in Philadelphia. I spend my days working in vaccine characterization and dedicate some of my spare time in the evening to the vast world of video game music, both reviewing soundtracks as well as maintaining relationships with composers overseas in Europe and in Japan.
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I’ve added the official Soundcloud preview for the album for those who want to get a better idea of the sounds on the album. It jumps around each tune a bit to give you ideas of different sections in each tune.