Shugo Tokumaru - Port Entropy
MMM1/2
Shugo Tokumaru is a Japanese multi-instrumentalist, but more than that, he’s an introspective conductor. On his fourth full-length, Port Entropy, this is made abundantly clear. His playful, animated arrangements provide a window into a mind that is brimming with a hive of musical notes just waiting to be formulated and expressed through the adept hands of Tokumaru. On this latest album, he once again assumes total control of every instrument to craft something that is both personal and universal in its accessibility.
With standouts like “Tracking Elevator" and “Straw,” Tokumaru easily impresses with his technical prowess. More than that, even with an obvious knack for playing multiple instruments with great skill, he is able to write songs that have distinct melody and significant depth. Without being overly sentimental or dramatic, Tokumaru uses an undertow of nostalgia – the real hook here. Whether or not you speak Japanese is irrelevant for how strongly Port Entropy gently alludes to the past. It’s an album that instills a sense of excited fascination, a return to a time where your world outlook was filled with an immortal optimism for what was possible – when you were infinitely youthful.
