Casino Versus Japan - Hitori + Kaiso 1998 - 2001

Casino versus japan is becoming one of my favourite artist's of the last two years, and is album is one of the best, packed full of nice tunes and heart felt tracks.
This is a must of all fan's of so called idm music and fans of lush electronica.
If your going to get one of his albums go for this one 1st.

On HITORI + KAISO, a collection of Casino Versus Japan's various tracks, his penchant for beautiful IDM comes through loud and clear, from the ghostly opener, "Buried," which sets a wobbly tones and a deconstructed vocal sample to a staticky beat. "Dropsickle" emphasizes the long tones again--one of Casino Versus Japan's hallmarks (although sharp, shrill notes also pop in, such as on "Search for the Sun"). It lends a feeling of suspension on many of the tracks, such as the languorous "Glossy Triad." The vocals on "Marilyn Set Me Free" add a new texture to the album, as do the spacey blips on "Wasted Snow Home." On the second disc, "Pinwheel" spins by on some simple arpeggios, but, as a whole, the tracks here seem like fragments--albeit beautifully arranged fragments (like the dreamy "Stolen")--more suited to background music than active listening. Many tracks lean on shoegazing influences ("Theme from Lazy Day"; the fuzz-heavy "Map Happy"). But the funky "Said Virgo" bursts through the miasma with a bouncy bassline that gives the track some attitude. Overall, a strong, if not consistent, listen.

"I was young and arrogant and my ideas were unformed,I spoke boldly before I knew all the facts".Darwin never said this on his death bed in reference to his theory of evolution(much to the chagrin of many latterday monotheists);But I am saying it now,about the review of Hitori + Kaiso that I wrote here last year.The fact is,that Hitori + Kaiso may be some of the most subtley stunning and visonary material Eric Kowalski has ever unveiled.It isn't the first time an album I utterly detested at first turned out to be a diamond in the rough,and,so long as I am sentient and subject to the laws of nature of humanity,I don't mind making mistakes now and again;So long as I can admit they are mistakes ,learn from them,and move forth.Its just a reminder that while the reviews we read and write here may bear some influence on us as an audience,the opions voiced are always subjective and as vulnerable to change as the universe itself.I'm just glad that it was my myopic perspective,and not Eric Kowalski's aesthetic vehicle that was faulty.

xylin66....I have to completely disagree with your review. I think this release is an essential addition to Casino's catalogue. Sure, maybe not all the tracks are mind blowing like his newer releases, but, listen to something like Aphex Twin "Classics" and compare it to the "Richard D James" album. They're not even in the same catagory. The songs on this double cd are like freshly painted pictures, they're beautifully captured moments that don't require hours of intricate editing work to become masterpieces in and of themselves .

Had this been released on a major label,I would've figured Eric Kowalski was merely dumping the fodder he knew wasn't worth releasing earlier (hence the subtitle '1998-2001'),onto the label merely to end some sort of contractual obligation.I am really saddened to see Kowalski agree to release these banal and for the most part bland songs as some sort of 'Collection' representing what until now has been a superb musicial talent.This is heartbreaking.Avoid at all costs.If You really want to hear 'Casino Versus Japan' at thier best,stick with 'Whole Numbers Play The Basics','Go Hawaii',or the self titled fisrt album.-Xylin66