 | Album Title: EDM IS CONTINUED / SATO |
| Record Label: Detune | |
| Catalog No.: DTSN-0018 | |
| Release Date: October 30, 2016 (M3 Event); December 28, 2016 (General Sale) | |
| Purchase: Buy at Amazon Japan |
Overview
EDM IS CONTINUED is the second album by duo SATO, comprising Nobuyoshi Sano, of DETUNE, and Hiroyoshi Kato, of Noisycroak. As the title of the album suggests, the focus of the music is electronic dance music. How does the album turn out as a whole compared to their first release?
Body
The album, like the previous one, is split between the two composers. The album opens with Sano’s “Overture Sato,” a dramatic orchestral tune that migrates towards more electronic elements and a vocoder as it progresses. I can see how this tune fits in with the idea of a DJ set, but it feels out of place on the album. Sano’s next tune, “Breast,” features autotuned vocal samples, catchy rhythms, bright synths, and overall good production values. It certainly is one of the highlights of the album, even if it feels a bit generic at times. “Tirol” is a tune that almost instantly grates with its opening vocal samples that overstay their welcome throughout the tune. The tune is nothing too special and rather ho-hum. To its credit, it has a very rave-oriented feel, but certainly doesn’t stand out. “Tall Boy,” on the other hand, is an electronica tune with quirky rhythms and synths, a great progression, and some softer breakdowns that help add a nice beauty to the piece. Sano’s last tune, “Dawn,” is one of two vocal tunes on the album, both sung by Ryohei Matsufuji. The tune has an electro/pop flavor to it and the melody itself is quite catchy, incorporating warm synths to generally successful effect.
Kato’s first tune, “Hoo,” is a trap tune that comes off as a bit generic, incorporating rap tracks, which certainly fit the style to give it a hip-hop feel, but the end result won’t be for everyone’s liking. “Little Paralyze,” the Kato vocal tune, on the whole, is quite successful, featuring beautiful piano tones, a wonderful melody, and an overall trance influence. The vocals themselves leave a bit to be desired, but more egregious are the lyrics, sung in broken English, to the point that the tune doesn’t even make sense if you take the lyrics at face value. His “Berserkr” tune has a trance vibe to it, with a great progression, incorporating softer synths and some beautiful breakdown sections. Lastly, “Drop the Bass,” has a big-room feel to it. Deep bass hits take front and center, providing a fitting circuit party sound, while also incorporating some softer elements to help add some variety to the mix.
Summary
The second album by duo SATO continues the trend of the original. As with the first album, there are some excellent tunes on here, as well as some on the weaker side and some in the middle. Fans of these two artists will probably find something to enjoy, especially if they are into popular electronic dance music. There was room for improvement compared to the first album, but I felt the status quo was kept with this album.
