Are Euphoria (Ltd Edition)

The sounds of Dustin Wong & Takako Minekawa are a coalescence of the complexities of life, with the sheer joy of imaginative creation. Are Euphoria continues to dive deeper into the dreamlike technicolor tapestries their songs have always explored, blossoming forward with each cycle of loops. Completely characteristic of their style, Wong and Minekawa achieve a density of textures, timbres, beats, and harmonies while remaining totally weightless, suspended in the air. Based in Tokyo Japan, Wong and Minekawa are part of a growing DIY community, frequently performing in smaller spaces such as Nanahari, Fuchikuchi, and Ochiai Soup. Their artistic focus is to create the unexpected. It is a scene that encourages this adventurousness. Wong and Minekawa use their considerable technical skill to create the psychedelic, surreal, and conceptual, and with dexterity and inventiveness. While Minekawa still contributes to J-Pop releases and Wong is still connected to his Baltimore roots, their joyous collaboration is as delightful and challenging as it is innovative. Are Euphoria is deeply in?uenced by a branch of “fusion” that is more about creating a world rather than focusing on performance or technical dexterity. Musicians like Yasuaki Shimizu, Motohiko Hamase, Mono Fontana, Joe Zawinul, Steve Shehan, and many others that were able to create musical environments helped to inspire the worlds created on Are euphoria. Takako Minekawa and Dustin Wong, sought out Co La (Matthew Papich) to co-produce the album, due to his unique ability to place sounds and build compositions, which is leading a new type of expression in music. His surreal and conceptual approach made for a perfect combination with worlds created by the songs on Are Euphoria.