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viewing 1 To 24 of 24 items
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IF 1093CD
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Hiroshi Watanabe, a musician, photographer, and DJ from the Japanese electronic scene, based in Saitama near Tokyo, has been a prolific figure for twenty-five years. He has explored most major genres of electronic music through more than twenty albums. He proudly becomes the very first Japanese artist of InFiné. After Ryuichi Sakamoto, he is one of the very few Japanese artists who have gained the favor of Western audiences, alongside notable names such as Cornelius, Towa Tei, DJ Krush, Ken Ishii, Susumu Yokota, and more recently Hiroshi Yoshimura. In Europe, he is best known for his project Kaito, which began in 2001 under the prestigious Kompakt label. The name Kaito, in addition to being the name of his son born the same year, carries a double meaning in Japanese, signifying both "universe" and "secret." These references hint at a spirituality visible in his photographic work and contribute to the elements that make Japanese artists masters of the ambient genre. The collaboration between Kaito and the InFiné label began with his participation in the compilation Music Activists 2020 (From Home), which supported artists affected by the Covid crisis, followed by a remix for the single "Motion" by Rone and Vanessa Wagner in 2023. These initial contributions led to a new album featuring nine tracks of ambient music. Kaito's new album Collection comprises nine ambient and melodic tracks composed during the Covid-19 pandemic. These compositions present a majestic minimal and harmonious therapy in response to the world's adversities, showcasing the producer's return to the peak of his art. Collection was remastered by another genre legend, the German Rashad Becker.
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LP
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IF 1093LP
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$35.50
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 11/15/2024
LP version. Hiroshi Watanabe, a musician, photographer, and DJ from the Japanese electronic scene, based in Saitama near Tokyo, has been a prolific figure for twenty-five years. He has explored most major genres of electronic music through more than twenty albums. He proudly becomes the very first Japanese artist of InFiné. After Ryuichi Sakamoto, he is one of the very few Japanese artists who have gained the favor of Western audiences, alongside notable names such as Cornelius, Towa Tei, DJ Krush, Ken Ishii, Susumu Yokota, and more recently Hiroshi Yoshimura. In Europe, he is best known for his project Kaito, which began in 2001 under the prestigious Kompakt label. The name Kaito, in addition to being the name of his son born the same year, carries a double meaning in Japanese, signifying both "universe" and "secret." These references hint at a spirituality visible in his photographic work and contribute to the elements that make Japanese artists masters of the ambient genre. The collaboration between Kaito and the InFiné label began with his participation in the compilation Music Activists 2020 (From Home), which supported artists affected by the Covid crisis, followed by a remix for the single "Motion" by Rone and Vanessa Wagner in 2023. These initial contributions led to a new album featuring nine tracks of ambient music. Kaito's new album Collection comprises nine ambient and melodic tracks composed during the Covid-19 pandemic. These compositions present a majestic minimal and harmonious therapy in response to the world's adversities, showcasing the producer's return to the peak of his art. Collection was remastered by another genre legend, the German Rashad Becker.
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LP+CD
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KOM 292LP
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In 2013, Kompakt presented Until the End of Time (KOMP 111CD/KOM 288LP), a new full-length from Hiroshi Watanabe aka Kaito, putting an end to a long and meager period of time for fans of the veteran producer who saw his last proper release And That Was the Way (KOM 208EP) in 2010. As with Hiroshi's earlier full-length offerings, Kompakt is truly excited to bring you a special beatless version of the new album called Less Time Until the End that shines a different light on the original opus. While the album's narrative remains a deeply personal one, the omission of the drum tracks has always had the most peculiar effect on Kaito's music: this simple act seems to reinforce the intensity and focus of the original compositions, changing them in a more radical way than any remix could. In no way "let loose" in a slacking ambient environment, these tracks actually gain in vigor when left to their own devices without any beats to guide them. Kaito's work certainly possesses a dreamy quality that sits well with his terraforming rhythms, but the timeless qualities of his trademark sound hit even harder when being presented in a beatless version. You'll find every track from the original album on Less Time Until the End, but no trace of its thrust-heavy musings -- it's all finely-honed soundsculpting with no unnerving bounce. While cuts like "Smile" or "Dear Friends" were already pretty ethereal from the get-go (or "chill," if you like), others endure more profound changes simply by erasing their drums. "Run Through the Road in the Fog" comes to mind, as does "Behind My Life" and many others: in their beatless state of matter they all reveal a new kind of sonic purity that doesn't necessarily translate to being "more abstract" -- if anything, these versions grow more emotional with every listening session, bearing witness to the massive scope of Kaito's vision and talent. The doors of perception certainly won't close on this one.
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2LP+CD
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KOM 288LP
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Double LP version. Comes with a CD of the album. Kompakt proudly presents a new full-length from Hiroshi Watanabe aka Kaito called Until the End of Time that sees the artist crafting a deeply personal narrative in line with his earlier works while carving out the timeless qualities of his trademark sound to interlock with today's floor gusto. Kaito's work always had a dreamy quality to it that set the producer apart from his contemporaries, but it certainly would be wrong to assume the new material to be a living room experience only. Since his very first Kompakt release Beautiful Day from 2001, Hiroshi Watanabe's tectonic trance antics featured a strong beat foundation that keeps those swirling soundscapes firmly floor-bound. The tracks from Until the End of Time are no different, starting with "Sky Is the Limit," an enticingly grooving trip to heady heights revealing an ethereal landscape. The doors of perception are further opened with "I'm Leaving Home," "Will to Live," and "Run Through the Road in the Fog," which establish a heartfelt coming-of-age story already by their titles. Private everyday life has always been a major source of inspiration for Hiroshi, who used to showcase pictures of his son on his record covers, thus creating a deeply personal timeline of human growth. This has changed, however, with the cover of the new album, delving into the abstract imagery of meshing clouds, therefore reinforcing the universal, soul-dilating qualities of tracks like "Behind My Life," "Inner Space," and "Star of Snow." The album's closing chapter, an alluringly intimate triplet of pieces featuring "Dear Friends," title-track "Until the End of Time," and "Smile," goes for a more introspective mood by curbing the overall tempo to a meditative jog, wrapping the listener in cozy pads and twinkling fragments of an acoustic guitar. It is a perfectly befitting victory lap for a uniquely wholesome and profoundly life-affirming body of work that leaves you in a state of merry meditation. There's always asking for more, sure, but rarely has an album delivered on so many levels, providing an experience that is highly satisfying both spiritually and physically. Kaito might just have outdone himself this time around.
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CD
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KOMP 111CD
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Kompakt proudly presents a new full-length from Hiroshi Watanabe aka Kaito called Until the End of Time that sees the artist crafting a deeply personal narrative in line with his earlier works while carving out the timeless qualities of his trademark sound to interlock with today's floor gusto. Kaito's work always had a dreamy quality to it that set the producer apart from his contemporaries, but it certainly would be wrong to assume the new material to be a living room experience only. Since his very first Kompakt release Beautiful Day from 2001, Hiroshi Watanabe's tectonic trance antics featured a strong beat foundation that keeps those swirling soundscapes firmly floor-bound. The tracks from Until the End of Time are no different, starting with "Sky Is the Limit," an enticingly grooving trip to heady heights revealing an ethereal landscape. The doors of perception are further opened with "I'm Leaving Home," "Will to Live," and "Run Through the Road in the Fog," which establish a heartfelt coming-of-age story already by their titles. Private everyday life has always been a major source of inspiration for Hiroshi, who used to showcase pictures of his son on his record covers, thus creating a deeply personal timeline of human growth. This has changed, however, with the cover of the new album, delving into the abstract imagery of meshing clouds, therefore reinforcing the universal, soul-dilating qualities of tracks like "Behind My Life," "Inner Space," and "Star of Snow." The album's closing chapter, an alluringly intimate triplet of pieces featuring "Dear Friends," title-track "Until the End of Time," and "Smile," goes for a more introspective mood by curbing the overall tempo to a meditative jog, wrapping the listener in cozy pads and twinkling fragments of an acoustic guitar. It is a perfectly befitting victory lap for a uniquely wholesome and profoundly life-affirming body of work that leaves you in a state of merry meditation. There's always asking for more, sure, but rarely has an album delivered on so many levels, providing an experience that is highly satisfying both spiritually and physically. Kaito might just have outdone himself this time around.
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12"
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KOM 284EP
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Hiroshi Watanabe aka Kaito's Behind My Life sees the veteran dance artist subtly updating his sound to a rapidly changing club landscape while carefully carving out the timeless qualities of his earlier work. "Run Through the Road in the Fog" gets things off the ground swiftly with a stoic bass drum, but it's not long before we find ourselves wrapped in those dreamy pads again that Hiroshi has become known and loved for. "Behind My Life" is a 112 BPM dungeon-crawler fitted with stonewalling guitars and moaning synths.
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12"
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KOM 208EP
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Presenting a 12" version of leading tracks off of Hiroshi Watanabe's (aka Kaito) full-length Trust (KOMP 074CD), including beatless versions. The piano chords of the title track play tenderly to a reverberating room, there's the sublime ease of "Nothing Could Be More Peaceful," and "Rainbow Circles" releases you from the pains of winter with the breath of spring. The remix by Echospace is a 14-minute opus that takes the finest elements of the original and rebuilds it into a deep groove.
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12"
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KOM 201EP
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Kaito is one of Japan's biggest dance producers and a top 3 best-selling artist in Japan, USA and Greece for Kompakt. Here are two tracks from his Trust full-length (KOMP 074CD), both signifying a more meditative and mature pace for the artist. Fear not, the euphoria remains -- Kaito continues to flow through his melodies with a remarkable ease, grace and introspectiveness that is rarely heard.
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CD
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KOMP 074CD
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This is the third full-length release by Japan's veteran dance producer Hiroshi Watanabe aka Kaito for the Kompakt label. Kaito is a familiar whisper at the center of Kompakt's kaleidoscopic strobe light for the many loyalists that know the label well. Eight years have passed since he dropped the unsuspecting masterpiece "Beautiful Day" and he has steadily grown in beauty and stature, much like his son who has graced the cover of nearly all of his 13 releases for the label. Kaito remains one of Japan's biggest dance producers and undeniably one of the most respected artists from Asia, remaining a top 3 best-selling artist in Japan, USA and Greece for Kompakt. Trust signifies a change of pace for Kaito, who has created one of his most mature and meditative releases to date. Fear not, the euphoria remains -- Kaito continues to flow through his melodies with a remarkable ease and grace that is rarely heard by producers today. Throughout Trust, Kaito seems to want to draw the listener into an aura of introspectiveness -- carrying an elated earnestness that is sure to be welcomed by many considering these serious times, and certain to draw new fans to his already full table. Another classic moment for Kompakt from one of their most endearing and tranquil producers.
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12"
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KOM 173EP
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Japan's undisputed master of soulful opulence is back with a smash. Purists might be glad to hear that Kaito stripped down his sound quite a bit. "Alive" and "Everlasting Dub" definitely show Hiroshi Watanabe's skills, with a daring mixture of classic dub techno, soulful deep house, jazzy improvisations and a big thumping beat. This release emanates dignity, gentleness and humbleness -- three attributes you rarely find on a techno floor.
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CD
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KOMP 053CD
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This is Tokyo-based Hiroshi Watanabe's fourth full-length release on Kompakt. Kaito presents the perfect antidote to bring us out of this year's intense mid-summer heat into the tranquil cooling of the autumn season. As already accomplished with his previous full lengths Special Life and Special Love, Watanabe now presents Hundred Million Love Years -- the beat-less accompaniment to go alongside his acclaimed full-length Hundred Million Light Years. This record is a landmark addition to Kompakt's cherished Pop Ambient utopia. Another dimension to his music is unveiled with the removal of percussion -- his songs expand and bring the cerebral euphoria that he celebrates in his music to a dramatically different context from his renowned beat-laden output, however equally as satisfying. From the oceanic wash that gently mingles with your tangerine dreams on "Nobody Could Be Alone," the strobe-lit vibrations of "The Universe" that impregnates your soul with joy, and the out-of-orbit rhythmic arpeggiations of the exclusive album climax "Soul Of Heart," Kaito is here to take you on a mystical journey of orchestral waves -- a constellation of flawlessly crafted minimalism in its truest form.
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LP
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KOM 143LP
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LP version; 6 of the 8 tracks off of the CD.
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CD
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KOMP 049CD
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This is Tokyo-based Hiroshi Watanabe's third full-length CD on Kompakt. Ever since his debut 12" Beautiful Day, Kaito remains one of Kompakt's fan favorites. The maestro of nu-trance brilliance and cosmic kitsch returns with an album of beautiful, euphoric cadence. Hundred Million Light Years is the story of a man who left the earth to return to a universe of expressive, unrestrained music that fully embraces classic '90s trance euphoria and Kompakt's trademark minimal style. As we celebrate his eighth release for Kompakt, it seamlessly connects to the history of his predecessors. This is the dream-filled sound of one thousand and one flying sound carpets. Flickering flutes and jubilating bells. Pulsing melodicism that lifts to the stratosphere. It's music-become-feeling and MDMA to the ears.
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12"
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KOM 135EP
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Two-track 12" from the forthcoming CD-only album. The maestro of nu-trance brilliance and cosmic kitsch returns. Hundred Million Light Years is the story of a man who left the earth to return to a universe of expressive, unrestrained music that fully embraces classic '90s trance euphoria and Kompakt's trademark minimal style. This is the dream-filled sound of one thousand and one flying sound carpets. Flickering flutes and jubilating bells. Pulsing melodicism that lifts to the stratospheres. It's music-become-feeling and MDMA to the ears.
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12"
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KOM 119EP
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"For already the seventh time, Hiroshi Watanabe (aka Kaito) sends us his friendly smile over the Pacific. 'Color of Feel' is a wide-wall epic, less trancy and functional than the previous releases, but more emotional, much more intensive. You could almost say more musical, if this only wouldn't sound so stupid. Comparisons with Manuel Gottschings E2 E4 -- respectively Sueno Latino's 'Sueno Latino' -- are out of place. It's this agravic moment, this Balearic lightness that pervades into Kaito's music, that makes it seem unbelievable that his music has its origin in the huge metropolis Tokyo. Well, if you don't have a beach in front of the house then you have to imagine it. The artwork comes from Hiroshi Watanabe himself. The young man on the picture is the real Kaito, the son of Hiroshi. For the first time he was seen on 'Everlasting' (KOM 045). At that time he was still a baby. You can almost watch him growing. Kids, the time is passing so fast..."
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12"
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KOM 099EP
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"After a long absence, our Japanese soulbrother is finally back for spring-cleaning the technoworld with a hearty loading of warm water. And again it´s not easy to say what exactly Kaito is doing. A little try of explanation: 'Sometimes a single person has to do something forbidden to exceed a border, to change something.' Kaito changed a lot with his records. He exceeded a border. Astonished the popes of taste. Got discussions going. He broke embankments and found new friends. He recharged the perception of 'Trance' positively, familiarized it with Minimal and Deephouse. With prominent support of integer people like Larry Heard, Francois Kevorkian or Joe Clausell he reestablished Trance in a fair and gentle way. Again it got totally self-evident. Recently in the club: 'Hey Trance, you also here? -- Great!', 'Yes you´re right. By the way, I name myself NeoTrance now.', 'Really? Sounds chic!', 'Exactly. Also a Sake on the rocks for you?', 'Of course, with lemon. Thanks, cheers!', 'Cheers!', 'Hey Neotrance, ...?', 'Yes?', 'What´s so bad about taking warm showers?'"
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CD
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BFFP 189CD
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"Boy girl vocals, snarling art-punk guitar fuzz, catchy sugar-pop choruses and the kind of riffs that suggest Sonic Youth jamming with the Pixies. One of the most winningly freaked bands to ever detune and beautifully abuse their guitars. Songs drenched with sex and madness, cool like Elastica but completely off the hook, unpoised blasting apart the concept of pop as we know it. Kaito compose chaos and capture the thrilling beauty of the exact moment of fragmentation."
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CD
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KOMP 023CD
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"Kaito's album Special Life was a one of 2002's most talked about records. Throughout all music scenes and stylistic preferences. And it is one of the rare records that found its way into the cases of Larry Heard, Gilles Pettersson, Sven Vath and Miss Kitten at the same time. It is a powerful dedication to House music in a most euphoric and sophisticated way. A sweet reminder of the emotional depth and strength of House. It is about love to this music. About this 'special love'. Kompakt now releases a beatless version of Special Life for everybody who shares this love. Special Love pushes the emotional essence to the forefront. Unlike the 'Pop Ambient' series this is not about modern concepts. Special Love is about Ambient tradition. A good tradition. The vinyl version comes as a limited edition of 1000 copies. It works both as an ultimate DJ tool or just as what it is: Pure bliss. The person behind Kaito is the Tokyo-based DJ and producer Hiroshi Watanabe. This project is dedicated to and named after his 3 years old son. In translation the Japanese word 'KAITO' means: 'The one that is able to explain the universe'."
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LP
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KOM 074LP
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2LP
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KOM 065LP
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CD
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KOMP 019CD
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"Kaito is Hiroshi Watanabe. And what he's doing is magic. He is a moving interface, Techno poet and soul man. He mixed classical New York Deep House with Pop Ambient and Neo-Trance to a thrilling something which can be considered as the future of Soul. Seriously. Euphoric audiences at Kaito's DJ sets are swept off their feet by the cosiness this charming and discrete man from the Far East is able to create. This guy definitely knows what he1s doing and can look back at a vivid music past. He1d spent a couple of years in the US where he gained a lot of credibility in New York's Deep House scene: he was resident dj at Save The Robots, guest DJ at Twilo, Tunnel and Speed, and not to mention his numerous productions for legendary labels as King Street, Nitegrooves and Oxygen Music Works. And now, Hiroshi is bundling his exceptional sense of emotional music in his New project called Kaito. Unscrupulously romantic, he mixes trance music elements (Cosmic Baby, Energy 52) with spiritual House ingredients (see Joe Claussel) and spices them up with Cologne minimal sounds. A really drop-dead gorgeous mixture. Kaito, this wonderful delicate lichtgestalt, has already conquered the hearts and dj cases from all over the world with his three maxi singles 'Beautiful Day', 'Everlasting' and 'Awakening' (all on Kompakt) and with his debut, he will definitely keep on shining there."
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12"
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KOM 056EP
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"The sun is shining again and so are the records. Summer is not far. But what would summer be like without any hymns? Kaito, Kompakt's man in the far east, nips this question in the bud and comes up with his new record 'Awakening'. With only 2 releases, Kaito has managed to conquer the hearts of Techno-Germany. 'Beautiful Day' and 'Everlasting', both records have styled a new sound, a style, DJs as well as any kind of record collectors could agree upon. The buzzword: neo-trance. It's trance without any bad breath or fluorescent tubes, it's pure and fresh. It's gentle euphoria. For a better Ibiza. For a splendid summer of love 2002."
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12"
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KOM 045EP
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"Soul-petting almost spiritual neotrance by our Japanese superhero. Perfect mixture of typical Kompakt-style, early nineties trance & soul (?!?). Outstanding release with lovely 4-color-sleeve. Let yourself be loved."
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12"
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KOM 039EP
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"No long time ago the Kompakt people were sitting in their sun-heated office thinking about the good old days when tracks like Humate´s 'Love Stimulation' or Energy 52´s 'Cafe Del Mar' were played everywhere and loooove was in the air ...That was then but this is now. No nostalgia but a wish rose up: We want nu trance! All at a sudden the postman dropped a little package containing some tracks by the Tokyo-based artist Kaito aka Hiroshi Watanabe who also releases under his Aqua guise on the well known Japanese Frogman imprint. Still captured by the 1993´s trance euphoria his music made everybody at Kompakt Feel like: 'yeah, this is it!' The perfect mixture between Kompakt´s minimal style and good ingredients of classic trance. The title track 'Beautiful Day' is a slamming masterpiece with a little kitsch inside while 'air rider' on the flip will surely be the royal flash in every DJ set. Brilliantly arranged catchy goose pimple techno at its best. Love is back in town. Please file this record under: Hymn!"
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