Yokota* ‎– Cat, Mouse And Me

Masterpiece! Excellent example of how rich the naughties where musicwise. Hints of Drum & Bass, Orbitlian Bubbles, Ninja Tunings, Trance, Triphop or House. It is all in there! Enjoy this musical voyage from the land of the rising sun.

oha,
i am very well surprised about this record. I owned it now for 15 years and since yesterday i understand this record due to my new speaker setup. Yokota did a very fine job in recording quality and to me the b-side and c-side are excellent. The best title is perhaps FROM in the original mix. This record is very relaxing and does a beautiful listening atmosphere.

Susumu Yokota has always created readily accessible work; chipper melodies and predictable rhthyms weave their way along to natural conclusions with little unexpected happening inbetween: perfect techno pop music. On Cat, Mouse And Me he does this but to a wonderfully stunning conclusion - instead of disposable music, this album is filled with a deep warmth and depth served via repetition. The looped melodies are here, but have a melancholy edge. The rhythms don't excite, but lull you into a head-nodding trance. None of the tracks are particularly "difficult" listening, rather all are almost as immediately engaging as they are durable. There isn't a whole lot new to experience with repeat listens, but what is done here is done shockingly well. I don't know if it is dance music, per se (you could mix it for a dancefloor but it really doesn't have much oomph to it!), more of a headphone or coffeehouse music. Play it in unfamiliar company, though, and someone will ask you what it is. It is difficult to get a better compliment than that, I find.

Particular highlights for me are "Middle Finger"'s echoing synth lines and bubbly percussion, "From"'s clubby groove, "In the Sky"'s uplifting melody and restrained bassline, and "Lemon and Ginger" for a bit more dextrous rhythm programming. All of it is good, though.