Review Summary: Lo-fi-house-jazz-funk-psychedelic-whatthefuck-ambient for the masochist in all of us.
When listening to ambient music, a certain level of patience is often required to feel immersed. It isn't always obvious what
mood the artist is trying to set, and this can lead to a feeling of illumination when the quantum tunnelling finally occurs and you see yourself surpassing a barrier you originally thought impenetrable. However, ambient music can often be so disjointed that you'd have to rely heavily on your own imagination to make any connection, yet you still feel like you're on the outside looking in. Perhaps there is something to be said about music that manages to seclude the listener while instilling a sense of fascination.
14 Days; Volume 1 is a strange concoction. The album is truly all over the place, and it's difficult to become immersed when the current is puling you this way and that, never settling with a steady flow. The first few tracks are drenched with acid, and the bass lines are reminiscent of psychedelic rock. While Yo KOJIMA certainly makes creative use of samples, with staccato organs and tidal noises and other such nonsense, it's difficult to view
14 Days as anything more than an accumulative experiment. Granted, the album title suggests this from the get-go, but it's the end result that matters. The variety of sounds manages to be a detriment, as Yo KOJIMA simply can't decide where his strengths lie. The track "melancholic" redeems, and is a standout despite being comparatively simple. Layers of organ drones overlap each other harmoniously, and the effect is actually remarkable in its own right. What makes this particular track noteworthy is the fact that there is a sense of emotional intent. However, before you can wrap your head around it, "children" disrupts your thought with some sort of free jazz hodgepodge. All of the tracks on
14 Days are brief, averaging 2 minutes in length, so you rarely have time to get acquainted with any of them. The transitions are abrupt, like being cycled through a speed dating session. "garden", a chilled out acoustic track, is followed immediately by a lo-fi house jam "konichiwa" rife with thumping bass, synths, percussion samples and piano trills. Just as you feel satiated by what resembles a complete song you are rudely interrupted by "bored", which is essentially the harmonious use of a f
ucking dog whistle filtered through a lower frequency - I'll give Yo KOJIMA points for creativity.
While it's a little too easy to sh
it on
14 Days for lacking any viable cohesion, Yo KOJIMA is still somewhat commendable.
14 Days is indicative of what home recording is capable of, and cabin fever certainly hasn't stifled Yo KOJIMA's creative spark. Though failing to capture any discernible mood, the lacklustre disposition certainly has the ability to fascinate.
14 Days; Volume 1 is described by Yo KOJIMA as a 'diary of music'. Indeed, while you may be tempted to peruse the pages for something compelling, the content is often underwhelming. As you flip through haphazardly, you realize you should have left it alone in the first place. Some things are better left private.
