Ken Ishii was one of the first Japanese artists to make a splash in the techno scene, and with his debut album, _Garden on the Palm_, it's not hard to see why. His skewed sense of melody, combined with a rhythmic punch, gives the title track a delicious propulsion, while "Loop" takes a lighter approach that's no less appealing. The devil is in the details: whether the bubbly blips of "Prodrome" or the background synth twists and momentary vocal samples on "Popgun." "Nil" pounds the floor with both fists, and "QF" brings on the breaks. Some excellent listening techno here, still every bit worthwhile, even if the album as a whole clocks in under 40 minutes.
Ken Ishii was one of the first Japanese artists to make a splash in the techno scene, and with his debut album, _Garden on the Palm_, it's not hard to see why. His skewed sense of melody, combined with a rhythmic punch, gives the title track a delicious propulsion, while "Loop" takes a lighter approach that's no less appealing. The devil is in the details: whether the bubbly blips of "Prodrome" or the background synth twists and momentary vocal samples on "Popgun." "Nil" pounds the floor with both fists, and "QF" brings on the breaks. Some excellent listening techno here, still every bit worthwhile, even if the album as a whole clocks in under 40 minutes.