Behind My Life

With his last proper release as KAITO dating back to 2010 ("And That Was The Way"), we're truly happy to announce the return of Hiroshi Watanabe, one of the most endearing producers in our folder. 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 surprisingly 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. It's a classic KAITO experience for sure, albeit a refined one: flowing percussion and breezy arpeggios broadcast an alluringly intimate mood that never quite settles for either introspection or jollity. In fact, it's a merry meditation unlike anything you'll hear this summer. The flipside is owned by title track BEHIND MY LIFE, a 112 bpm dungeon crawler fitted with stonewalling guitars and moanful synths. Notwithstanding, this should be considered a relatively upbeat, very japanese dungeon when compared to his nightmarish siblings from, well, every fantasy racket ever. Also, it's not really a dungeon, if you think about it... as the track opens up, the vista becomes grander and grander, leaving the listener standing on a cliff with feelings of infinitesimal magnitude. And there it was again, that typical KAITO moment, where things seem faraway, but oh so close.