Kashiwa Daisuke Breeds Chaos In "Re:RED"

Japan never takes things lightly, especially when it comes to art. Composer Kashiwa Daisuke breeds chaos in Re:RED, his eighth album that is full of extreme sounds.

There's many different things going on in Re:RED. It kicks off on an epic, tribal note with 'Roar,' the pounding percussion roaring with power as more elements are slowly added, awesome orchestration kicking in about a third of the way into the song in a dramatic manner. The samples are chaotic but brought together masterfully, as if they were different colored threads being weaved into one pattern. The epic intro has ties to 'Hail Storm,' which doesn't have a tribal atmosphere but certainly has an epic build to it. This song is more electronically focussed and has you feeling like you're walking through the streets of Tokyo on a rainy night. The synths, harmonies, and symphonies all combine beautifully here, creating a truly masterful track.

There is something truly chaotic about the album that, ironically, really ties it together. The chaos comes in two forms: peaceful and massive. Peaceful chaos can be heard in 'Fly High In The Sky,' the beautiful ambience of a town and dramatic piano introducing the track as it spirals with sound in one massive wall of noise. The World's End Girlfriend remix of 'Requiem' also has a peaceful yet chaotic sound to it. Massive chaos can be found in 'Algo-Rhythm,' which is glitchy, destructive, and just generally intense - it sounds like a Blanck Mass track on drugs. 'Sacred Play Secret Place' is like the perfect combination between the two, the beautiful melody fitting so perfectly over the intense instrumental.

Re:RED is a weird album, because no one song sounds similar to the other, but it somehow all fits under one cohesive record. The groovy yet weird textures of 'EVA' have little in common with the beautiful strings and jazz sounds of 'Red Skirts,' but yet neither of them feels out of place. Kashiwa Daisuke did something few artists are able to do: create a breeding grounds for chaos where unity doesn't mean similarity. These tracks all have a specific emotion attached to them that really paint a bigger picture. There's fun, drama, darkness, paranoia... there's everything you need for a good show. It's almost like you're watching a show unfold as you listen to the record.

Kashiwa Daisuke breeds chaos in Re:RED in all the right ways. It is an album with plenty of extremes on nearly every end of the spectrum that come together to form a beautiful experience. It's an album unlike any you've heard before, but at the same time it all feels familiar. Japan never disappoints, and Kashiwa Daisuke only supports that notion.

Favorite Tracks: Sacred Play Secret Place, Roar, Hail Storms

Least Favorite Track: AND U

Rating: 82 / 100