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Dutch composer Pepijn Courant, aka Akikaze, has been around in the electronic music scene for a very long time, 25 years if I’m not mistaken. Some might even have his early cassettes or cherish contributions to samplers such as his fine track “The Master and the Apprentice” to the legendary Cue Records album “Land, Sea and Sky”. The second track “Twist of Fate”, of which the seed was planted in 1994, recalls this same (classic) vibe and energy. The 9-minute exercise simply meant a nostalgic trip down memory lane for me. Furthermore, Pepijn’s positively tuned melodic and multilayered sequencer style again comes to bloom on his tenth album “Blue Sky Events”, where tight Berlin School inspired sequencers lead the way, followed by catchy melodic lines and bits of e-guitar make a pleasant introduction on the 16-minute title piece. The non-sequencer song “Heart to Heart” is the only hold-back piece, a moody remembrance (and dedication?) to someone closeby. “Rebound” is a lengthy 34-minute track aptly merging vintage and contemporary electronic sounds. Mellow, euphoric and more up-tempo passages pass by and interact with each other nicely, ticking the right boxes to make it an interesting ride. The non-rhythmic “Leap of Faith” takes off with emotive strings, shifting to sweeping symphonic airs until the 7-minute mark. Surprisingly, the music loses it grip from there and sinks to an amateurish level almost immediately. Simply forget this mishap and focus on the fine other stuff on this 78-minute release. |
| Website: www.akikaze.nl
You can see what reviews I have done of this artist on the Akikaze artist page
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