Wednesday 31 July 2013

HIROTO KUDO MAGIC RAINCOAT

Tour de force is quite strong, but actually I would say that it can apply to more than you'd imagine. I picture a tour de force as a kind of whirlwind. Is that fair to say? Well I've just said it so I'll stick to my guns. In any case, it's the word or phrase rather that I'd apply to Hiroto Kudo's lovely song 'Magic Raincoat'.

Who is Hiroto Kudo? Well he is a producer Sendai, Japan, and he makes really nice music sometimes under his own name, sometimes as Cajits (more of a techno side-project). It's very pretty stuff. As such it has been picked up by unique Japanese net label Tanukineiri, firstly in the form of one of HK's older song's 'Hear The Wind Sing' - the title of Haruki Murakami's first novel - and now in the form of 'Magic Raincoat'. What's more: this song actually does sound like what it may feel to wear a magic raincoat.

It's a glistening cascade of sounds, built up beautifully from nothing but the sound of rain falling outside to a genuinely lovely, almost comforting, sound. It's that delightful feeling you get from being completely prepared for rain - a magic raincoat, you could say - walking along in a heavy shower but not actually getting wet at all.

Fast kicks push the song along with glitch percussion fizzing and popping along the way - a cute beat. A piano plays soft, gentle chords, that perfect soundtrack to a rainy day, plinking and plonking gracefully to the drip-drops outside. I think there's even a bass in there that fades in and out almost like car tyres zooming on puddled roads. Synth beeps play frantic arpeggios as the beat receives additions from clipping hi-hats to urge it ever faster onward, and the piano chords are played ever quicker.

It's basically the feeling of being caught in the rain and wanting to get home quickly. But in a very cutesy way. There's a fun urgency in the atmosphere that all of these sounds create, whirling around, glitching together before the very abrupt finish. The door slams and you're home. Soaking. But you take off that magic raincoat and... all dry. Time to chill out and get warm (literal contradiction).

What a lovely song! I think it's the best rain-themed song I've ever heard.

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Listen to Hiroto Kudo on Soundcloud
Listen to Cajits on Soundcloud
Follow Hiroto Kudo on Twitter
Check Hiroto Kudo on Tumblr

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