- I hadn't heard of Aquarium (AKA 外神田deepspace) before listening to this 12-inch. But the second that opener "首都光速" came on, his music felt familiar. It comes down to his recipe, which is classic yet contemporary. The Japanese producer starts with bold Detroit textures, adds long, flowing melodies and then slathers the track in vaseline—imagine a Mood Hut artist trying to make an old Transmat record. As far as debut EPs go, it's one of the more head-turning in late 2015.
The two aliases credited on Midnight At The Tokyo Central represent a split personality. The more authoritative 外神田deepspace takes up the A-side, putting an emphasis on driving dance floor rhythms. Those are relative terms, though, as all three tunes retain a laid-back calm. The acid lines on "深夜2時04分 代々 木" are too thick and congealed to whip up a frenzy, while "首都光速" is vintage Detroit with a lazy gait. Even the Tetris-like bleeps on "ヘッドライツ"—one of the few digital-sounding samples on the record—feel sluggish, floated in from an era when computers didn't run instantaneously.
On the B-side, Aquarium goes deeper and more emotional. "西新宿" is swallowed by gauzy ambience, with a pre-dawn stillness to the prettiest moments; the build happens eventually, but it's gradual. To round off the EP, 外神田deepspace remixes "Rainy Night In Shibuya," an Aquarium track from Shimmering Moods' Meditations 1 compilation. It's the most singular example of the Japanese producer's talent yet. Arpeggios slowly unwind underneath a sheet of ambient noise. By the record's end, you'll be snug in Aquarium's world of aqueous, atmospheric house.
TracklistA1 外神田deepspace - 首都光速
A2 外神田deepspace - 深夜2時04分 代々 木
A3 外神田deepspace - ヘッドライツ
B1 Aquarium - 西新宿
B2 Aquarium - Rainy Night in Shibuya (外神田deepspace Slow Down Mix)