In days of olde, when someone told you they did a ‘Laptop set’, their statement was often accompanied with much rolling of eyes and disappointed sighs. This was mostly due to the fact that before this portable PC phenomenon exploded like it has of late, the only software available that would run confidently on such computers was either bad DJ software, or even worse ‘cut-n’-paste’ style editing software. Nowadays, we have much more processing power available in such computers, and the clever people have learned to harness this in order to create more powerful programs, learn what they can do, and then not use them.  Yes that’s right, with power comes more power, and more capability and those who are truly talented will learn how to use this power and then go against the whole host of other artists who are determined to show off their ‘skill’ in pushing a piece of technology to the limit. This technoholic approach tends to push the listener to the limit then out the door (that is, the hypothetical ‘I like this band’ door).  While no9 is technically Japanese artist Takayuki Joe with his laptop, and a host of guest musicians, it is almost the exact polar opposite to this disturbingly true stereotype.

What is so genius about no9’s fourth album Good Morning is that it is almost perfectly balanced (I say almost, not because I find any outstanding flaws with this collection, but rather I firmly believe I will know when the quintessential ‘perfect‘ album comes along). What the album consists of is basically a jazzed up form of folk-tronica which makes fantastic walking music... or washing-up, or driving music, or any other type of activity that involves breathing, in fact. The sounds on display here are simply beautiful, and it is presented with such a shimmer to it that the whole thing could easily come off as pretentious drivel, but it doesn’t.  Each track is wholly different from the last, but they all are coherent and structured, even when juxtaposed with the following piece.

‘Uran To Amenohi’ is a perfect example of the variety that is present throughout a single piece of music. It begins with a very distant reverb-soaked piano accompanied by a similar sounding plucked guitar, then gradually works up to a beautiful, much more folk-influenced riff which continues for a time until it almost outstays its welcome, only to change to a similar but entirely new style of glitchy ambience.  As applies to the rest of Good Morning, there is never enough time to get bored of any of the phrases before they change, and I was never left wishing for more of the same before it did.

The only problem I find in some of the pieces, and it happens rarely, is that things tend to get slightly muddled. Because of the nature of the music, and the emotions involved with listening to such music, there is always going to have to be a crescendo of sorts. Instruments layer upon other instruments, and this is what helps the whole thing to feel so engrossing, at certain points however, this detracts ever so slightly from some of the sounds on display.  This does little to dull my enjoyment of the fantastic experience gained from listening to this album start to finish however, then re-listening ad infinitum.  This is a competent, graceful, and stunning collection, and for me easily a top contender for album of the year.

-Barry Smethurst