Premiere // Ryo Murakami remixes Tetsumasa

Switching from cassette releases to vinyl is seen as a graduation point for many labels. Berlin-based Arboretum Records seem to have done things the other way round however.

Following a string of 12"s from the likes of Honzo, Drøp and label founder Marco Berardi aka Mogano, the label are set to release their debut tape on June 27. To date Arboretum have maintained a very distinct aesthetic, both sonically and visually, and this latest release from Tetsumasa Okumura is no different.

Entitled the 'Obake' EP, the release is a fluid and subtle exploration into leftfield percussive music, from the faltering half-step of 'Mabolo' to the haunting dub reductions of 'Balot'. Tetsumasa and Berardi have also collaborated sonically on 'Ishiki', a vaporous and expansive contribution calling to mind the productions of an artist like T++.

The release closes with a claustrophobic remix of the opener, 'Steeroll', from fellow Japanese-producer Ryo Murakami, best known for his darkly meditative releases on UAE-label, Bedouin. His remix recasts the faded percussive musings and lurching bassweight of the original into an unsettling marriage of subatomic ambience and cloying atmospherics.

Order the physical release here and stream the full track below:

• Published
• Jun 20, 2017

• Credits
• Words by Theo Darton-Moore