Black Audio (BLOG)

Tokyo’s two-piece Illuha, return with their 3rd album, following 2011’s ‘Shizuku’ and 2013’s ‘Interstices’. With a naturist slant to their ambient, subtle background summer garden noises are mixed with flowing pads and background drones, whilst plucking instruments intersect with resonating hums.

Illuha play with gentle noise along the way, breathing out subtle field recordings as a foundation. Reverberated piano is infused into the mix along the way, providing the higher end of the range, whilst lower end frequencies twist and whirl on the lower end of the spectrum.

‘Akari’ requires patience and space to sit and take it all in; ‘The Relationship of Gravity to the Persistence of Sound’, being a highlight of the album as a whole, taking their commitment to a new level and keep a consistency throughout the song. Occasionally, Illuha stumble on a few tracks where things can tend to get a tad tedious; and luckily this song focuses the listener at a key point in the album, where it’s starting to get a trifle dull.

As a full release, Illuha’s latest work is a mixed bag; when it shines, it is truly magnificent. There are however just a few moments where things tend to stagnate; which is a pity as this has all the ingredients to be truly great, although it is worth picking up just for those momentary flashes of brilliance alone.