Kuromoji – Soba
11.23.16 by Ryan Durfee

Out of all the tapes scattered about, this is the one I have been returning to the most. I’m not going to be ‘that guy’ and say that things have been difficult – because, ya know, 2k16 or whatever – but I put this on every afternoon to unwind from the day. It’s a really great release from Haju Tapes, who I’d never really checked out before, but will definitely be keeping an eye on!

By way of Kyoto, Kuromoji (or ｸﾛﾓｼﾞ) has put out one of my favorite tapes of the year. The artwork is a collage with a kind of cubist or fluxus feel, at least with the typeface. The cassette shell is green, I think because it’s supposed to signal the listener to go smoke before putting on the tape? I’ve never heard of Kuromoji before, it’s kinda tough keeping up with all of the people using MPCs out there, but he brings something really special to the table. “Soba” is full of dusty snares that snap and lush samples that bring to mind ’08 Adult Swim bumps. The intro, Damselfly, is really nice and gives way to Rise with it’s “Reset” era Flying Lotus sound. The track lengths are longer than most beat tapes, ranging from around two to nearly four minutes, which allows for the songs to take a life of their own on. There has been a school of folks for a while now making fifty second long jams; A short break and maybe a soul vocal, which is fine. It’s nice to see someone draw things out, allowing them to organically grow. My favorite track on “Soba” is Kamigami, featuring beautiful piano runs mixed with soft horns that recall Teebs at the height of his powers. Perfect for lazy afternoons doing the dishes with your head in the clouds. If you’re a fan of mono/poly, Fulgeance, seeing bearded guys buy limited edition beat tapes on Discogs for high amounts of money, and smoking weed, then this is for you.

The tape is sold out, but you can still support Kuromoji here, or wait for a copy to pop up on Discogs. For a reasonable price, of course.