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Versatile

by Naoki Kenji

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YURY SALMIYANOV
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1.
La Musique Japonaise 05:03
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2.
Haru 05:17
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3.
Let it flow (The Jazz Mix) 05:02
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4.
Bedtime 05:49
lyrics
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Pat Aplleton
5.
Ashita no Taiyo 05:25
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6.
Tsunami 06:21
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7.
Oshitsuki 05:27
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8.
Rain On 04:06
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9.
Mainichi Pia 05:25
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10.
Seaside Club 06:28
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11.
Endless 04:57
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12.
Rain On (Sophisticated Remix) 04:21
info
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about

Times have changed: two years after Naoki Kenji bade farewell to the Offenbach chill out institution with his fifth Elektrolux album Ecoustic, and decided to set up his own outlet in the form of 4MPO, this new label now proudly presents his latest long player: Versatile. A title that can be interpreted in as many ways as the artist himself, or in fact the eleven new productions on the disc: free and unfettered, constantly transforming, for every kind of moment and fielding a wide range of talents.
Once again Kenji has accomplished the volte face of keying into his Asiatic musical backbone while simultaneously osmosing western influences and distilling the whole into his own unmistakable musical style. With sophisticated compositions and surehand keyboards, with no vulgar sampling orgies or casting around for the next best loop, and free of the typical sultry clutter of MOR-lounge-muzak.
The opening instrumental, “La Musique Japonaise” sets the agenda, with noticeable influences from YMO and Sakamoto oozing sweetly from every pore, complete with bass accents, subliminal pad sequences and caressing melodies.
The real secret behind Naoki? Allowing artificial sounds to reach out into bright natural light. Whether in the hypnotically far Eastern ambiency of “Haru”, or in “Oshistuki” - a soft jazzy dreamcatcher that gently echoes away -, or as a fresh Balearic breeze like the one that rustles past us in “Rain On”.
And yet: apart from his multifaceted lounge structures, Kenji can also - and likes to - put on a different style cap, just as long as it fits the overall music concept. Thus “Ashita No Taiyo” floats towards us as a richly harmonious trefoil with a meaty drum line. And “Tsunami” shows even more muscle as it plugs into the electro-groove: dark low-freeq futurism feeding on elemental power.
A special earmark is destined for the album highlights “Let It Flow” and “Bedtime”, both penned with the finest of pop instincts. The first is a homage to Naoki’s vocalist of many years standing, Dany Beck, who died after the release of Ecoustic, while the latter allows us to sink into a soft cushion of seductive song by Pat Appleton (singer of De:Phazz, among other groups). A delicate piano cascade here, soulfully interlaced guitar sounds there, surrounded by scented etheric scapesounds and a strong whiff of jazz – once again Kenji has drawn on every inch of the talent he has honed to perfection over the last 10 years. And both for the artist as well as the listener his track “Versatile” is clearly one thing if nothing else: an affair of the heart. Free and unfettered, constantly transforming, for every kind of moment – I think we’ve got it...

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released May 30, 2006

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