Susumu Yokota (横田進) is a Japanese electronic artist with 30+ releases behind him yet; his first full-length album Acid Mt. Fuji was released in 1994, and most recently Mother in 2009. Enjoyed by the likes of Brian Eno, Thom Yorke, Bjork, and Philip Glass, Yokota’s music has gone from shifting with the times (early albums being ambient-techno akin to the work of Aphex Twin, shifting towards house music) to becoming utterly transcendental, reaching new heights with Sakura in 1999 and the equally epic Grinning Cat in 2001. What follows here are overviews of his most recent LPs, all of which are available for full-stream at Lo Recordings (click on the album titles to be redirected):
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Mother (2009)
From the lounge vibes of “Love Tendrilises”, the edgy “A Flower White” (see also A Flower White EP), to the quirky “Tree Surgeon” (free download), playing with the minimalism that the cover suggests, the sparse beauty and variety of styles represented here is stunning. Already set to rank high in my Best of 2009 list.


Love or Die (2008)
Music for the mind: the track titles alone are thought-provoking (“A Song Produced While Floating Alone on Christmas Day”, “The Destiny of a Little Bird Trapped Inside a Small Cage for Life”). This was Yokota’s return to, or rather, further perfection of the ambient sound, each song is in a world of it’s own. “A Slowly Fainting Memory of Love and Respect, and Hatred” is my personal favourite, almost danceable, distinctly unsettling around the edges.

Wonder Waltz (2006)
Sounding like the soundtrack to some lost movie, or perhaps one that hasn’t been made yet, Wonder Waltz is a kaleidoscope of sound, with trip-hop and experimental styles meshing together beautifully. ‘Beautiful’ really is the key word with Yokota’s work, overall- it’s as if he has this magic ability to capture something hidden to most other artists. “Capital of Daisy” ought to have you hooked in.


Symbol (2005)
This album and Wonder Waltz make quite the pair. While sharing similar musical themes as Wonder Waltz, the especially curious bit about Symbol is it’s timelessness, blending in classical elements with the altogether esoteric. “Fairy Dance of Twinkle and Shadows” and “I Close the Door Upon Myself” are particularly worthy of note, though hearing the album as a whole is a truly special experience.
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FURTHER LISTENING:
Skintone Collection (Compilation) (2007)
Distant Sounds of Summer (with Rothko) (2005)
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Susumu Yokota - Official Site | on MySpace Music