Leaf Newsletter #33
August 29th 2000
NEW RELEASE
SUSUMU YOKOTA - Sakura
formats: limited double LP (BAY 13V) & CD (BAY 13CD)
release date: Monday 11th September 2000
mail order price: LP: 9.00 GBP (+p&p) / CD: 10.00 GBP (+p&p) - available from us now!!
barcodes: LP: UPC 0666017010816 / CD: UPC 0666017010823
Susumu Yokota¹s Skintone label is designed to facilitate musical projects with an introspective feel, rather than dancefloor bent he is perhaps better known for (Yokota is one of Japan¹s biggest house/techno DJs). It¹s these releases, Magic Thread and Image 1983-1998, that Leaf has brought to a wider audience and enjoyed enormous critical acclaim for in the UK and Europe. Sakura is the third album of this reflective creative thread, bringing in subtle elements of deep house and vocal lines to culminate this initial trio of beguiling ambient works.
An album in the classic sense, Sakura is a 50 minute ever-so delicate slow build to a gentle crescendo, weaving tendrils of melody through spiralling loops and heartbeats to complete a watercoloured study in the vagaries of the human spirit. It highlights Yokota¹s remarkable ability for imbuing ambient sounds with eccentric personality and enveloping warmth and depth. Sakura features the original version of Naminote¹ that made its way onto the deep house Mix EP released this July on Leaf in the UK.
Yokota is best known at home for a delicious blend of house, techno, disco, jazz and breaks on Sublime Records. After Ken Ishii, he was the first Japanese techno producer to have his music released in Europe. His next Sublime album, Zero (following the house and techno dancefloor hits 1998 and 1999) is also due in September, its Japanese release coinciding with a Tokyo gallery exhibition of some 12 years of Yokota¹s visual artworks.
Another Skintone album is planned for early next year, and his first ever mix album will be released on Skintone in Japan in October this year, using music solely from The Leaf Label. An exclusive track (the delightful Fancy Flavour¹) appears on the latest instalment of Leaf¹s Invisible Soundtracks compilation series.
CD: LP:
1. A1. Saku
2. C3. Tobiume
3. A2. Uchu Tanjyo
4. A3. Hagoromo
5. B1. Genshi
6. B2. Gekkoh
7. C2. Hisen
8. D3. Azukiiro No Kaori
9. C1. Kodomotachi
10. D1. Naminote
11. D2. Shinsen
12. B3. Kirakiraboshi
SUSUMU YOKOTA - Image 1983-1998
³sexy and funny...Image's micro mood engineering is pure phantasmal pop, a compelling tour of musical dustworlds. It makes you itch to hear whatever ivory dice Yokota rolls out next² Ian Penman, The Wire
³this is the sort of music you put on while you're doing the washing up only to find it has taken control of your very soul² Ben Thompson, Mojo
SUSUMU YOKOTA - Magic Thread
"[Magic Thread] really is magic" Jockey Slut, 4/5
"Yokota, enchanted by witchy dreams and properly ethereal sounds, exists on a different spiritual plane to most of his contemporaries" NME
³Like Eno, Yokota demonstrates the knack of conveying tension through ambient, like wind rustling over abandoned urban landscapes, an intangible presence conveyed through seemingly empty musical spaces² Uncut, 4/5
SUSUMU YOKOTA - Mix EP
"Fuck me, this geezer's good. Four jazz-house, piano dancefloor excursions that simply demand every fibre of your soul's attention. Spankin' gorgeous, mate" Jockey Slut
"Four tracks of deep, organic, moving house music, with more musical nous than most house producers even know exists" Wax, 8/10
"['Naminote'] is transformed into a wonderful piano-led almost St Germain-inspired house groove that also comes with a rolling bass line and some big beats. Simply stunning... You can't really go wrong with this one" Blues & Soul
"All the retreated tracks here are suitable for a club environment. Hopefully this EP will introduce DJs and clubbers alike to Yokota's soulful innovations" DJ, 4/5
"Where deep house often spirals into a black hole of its own making, this succeeds by being implicitly warm to the touch" NME
LIVE LEAVES
we are looking to put together a series of European dates this year and next, featuring any or all of Eardrum, 310, Beige, Susumu Yokota and DJ Tony Morley, plus new signings Si Begg (his Noodles imprint has been licensed to Leaf) and Freeform. If you can help, get in touch! Also, many of our artists are available for remixes - let us know if you're interested.
MAXIMUM ROTATIONS
chart compiled by Tony Morley - 29/8/00
position. artist - title - label (country)
1. Luomo - Vocalcity (LP) - ForceTrax (Ger)
2. Capoeira Twins - Four Times Three (Mr Scruff Mix) - ffrr (UK)
3. The Kingsbury Manx - The Kingsbury Manx (LP) - City Slang (UK)
4. Zoot Woman - Automatic - Wall Of Sound (UK)
5. Jimi Tenor - Out Of Nowhere (LP) - Warp (UK)
6. Flanger - Midnight Sound - NTone (UK)
7. Borneo & Sporenburg - Hunter - Italic (Ger)
8. Big Dada Sound - Showtime - Ninja Tune (UK)
9. Burnt Friedman - Love Songs - Nonplace (Ger)
10. Two Lone Swordsmen - Brutal - Warp (UK)
11. Jill Scott - Who Is Jill Scott? (LP) - Epic (UK)
12. Moodymann - Forevernevermore (LP) - Peacefrog (UK)
13. Kreidler - Circles - Wonder (Ger)
14. Spiller - Groovejet - Positiva (UK)
15. David Abir - Movement A, Study 33 - Sulphur (UK)
16. Snooze - It¹s More Expensive For This (Swag¹s HP Dub) - SSR (Bel)
17. Mika - Target - Klein (Os)
18. various - GP Worldwide (LP) - Talkin' Loud (UK)
19. Silent Poets - Someday - Toy¹s Factory (Jap)
20. Sofa Surfers - Guns¹n¹Bombs¹n¹Knives (Eardrum mix) - Klein (Os)
21. Zombie Nation - Kerncraft 400 - International DJ Gigolos (Ger)
22. Doctor L - Psycho On The Bus - Jive (Fr)
23. Mapstation - Sleep, Engine Sleep - Staubgold (Ger)
24. various - Putting The Morr Back In Morrissey (LP) - Morr Music (Ger)
25. Stratus - Uplink - Fragments (UK)
chart compiled by Kieran Hebden (Fridge/Four Tet) - 8/00
position. artist - title - label
1. Quasimoto - The Unseen (LP) - Stones Throw
2. Aaliyah - Try Again - Virgin
3. Big Scoob - Kryptonite - Fully Blown
4. Icarus - Squid Ink (LP) - Output
5. MJ Cole - Sincere (MJ'S Dubb 2000) - Talkin Loud
6. Princess Superstar - Last Of The Great 20th Century Composers (LP) - The Corrupt Conglomerate
7. Playgroup - Make It Happen - Source
8. Architechs - Body Groove - Go Beat
9. Unai - Follow The Revolutions EP - Raum...musik
10. Basement Jaxx - Camberwell EP - Atlantic Jaxx
11. Aysha - Say My Name - Jet Star
12. The Kingsbury Manx - LP - City Slang
13. Susumu Yokota - Sakura (LP) - Leaf
14. Nelly - Country Grammar - Universal
15. Leila - Courtesy Of Choice (LP) - XL
16. Vashti Bunyan - Just Another Diamond Day (LP) - Spinney
17. Seraph - Musical Messenger (LP) - Seraphsound
18. Neptune - Soul Pride - Ninja tune
19. Angie Stone - No More Rain (Wookie mix) - Arista
20. Jamie Lidell - Muddlin Gear (LP) - Warp
Thanks for listening. Get in touch!
The Leaf Label
Suite 209, Bon Marche Building, 241 Ferndale Road, LONDON, SW9 8BJ, UK
Fax: +44 (0)20 7733 5818
leaf@posteverything.com (please update your address books!)
Leaf is a Posteverything label
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