First copies of Tsukubai come with a bonus disc, Funayūrei on which the elements underpinning the field work are more homogeneous, and post-processing seems to have been brought to bear more on process to contribute to a better tempered product. Eno-esque treatments serve to mollify the sounds, lending a nice inhale/exhale aspect to its cadence. Less for lovers of true grit, perhaps, but a bonus of buried harmonic elements unearthed for those who like their field reality more diluted. If Tsukubai leans towards the field recording side of things, then “Funayūrei” tends more towards a lulling, dark ambient series of swells and hums, with hints of early-mid period Eno, or those Dark Satanic Mills drone crones like Mirror, Jonathan Coleclough and Ora. Overall “Funayūrei” has a greater euphony, seemingly from purposive intervention of a more musical sensibility between source and outcome
Alan Lockett
Furthernoise
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Funayūrei is formed by one half hour long piece, which as I say, might be formed using the same source material. Here though it is very heavily treated into a lulling, dark ambient styled series of swells and hums that do indeed remind you of mid Eighties Eno… All of the edges are filed off, everything is slowed right down and the music feels like the soundtrack to a deep sea diving documentary, as if the hydrophones were taken deep down into the water to its murkier depths. Here and there throughout Funayūrei there are a few escaping bubbles from the untreated hydrophones, just left to pop up from the surface now and again.
Overall the music here also becomes somewhat predictable once it is clear that it isn’t going to change a great deal over its length, but somehow, perhaps as there is much more that has happened here to make this music I prefer Funayūrei to the main release… Exceptionally well recorded and stitched together, the remix just feels like more of a statement has been made… It does take more effort to listen to properly and dig down into the music to get anything out of it, and that is a good thing for me. I like to be challenged, to be made to try and find a way into music…[edited version]
Richard Pinnell
The Watchful Ear
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…’Funayūrei’ sounds a bit different. I am not sure if it is derived from the same sound material (I guess so, as there is more water here), but throughout, and this is perhaps the most curious thing about the release, this is a bit more melodic. If ‘Tsukubai’ hoovers towards the field recording artists, then ‘Funayūrei ‘ is more linked towards the drone scene, think Ora or Monos. I must admit that if it was up to me I think I would I have chosen this one to be the real CD and ‘Tsukubai’ to be the bonus. Daring move, but two great pieces of music.[edited version]
Frans de Waard
Vital Weekly
