DJ Krush's unique brand of mellow instrumental hip-hop has always been a point of pleasure, and _Kakusei_ is no different. From the deep tones of the "Intro" to the simple piano chords in "Deltaforest," he manages to bring things to a nice even keel. Although I wouldn't term his work abstract, I would say it's definitely spare. Krush doesn't waste time with extraneous sounds or overly distracting noises -- he's got the beat, the bass, and the melody. "The Dawn" brings in some strings and saxophone, but the mood remains defiantly chill. Unfortunately, he reprises that mood a little too much in "Rust," but the light touch of "1200" quickly smooths over the rough spot. The ghost of Ennio Morricone haunts the instrumental version of "Final Home," but when Esthero adds her vocals to the mix, she adds an earthiness that gives the track some real pop.