Whisperin And Hollerin (.COM)

Ryuichi Sakamoto has probably released more album than I’ve had hot dinners, and certainly seems to knock them out faster than I can review them all. He is undeniably a master of measured atmospheric ambience, with an intuitive knack for balancing compositional delicacy with subtle tonality.

‘Disappearance’, recorded in collaboration with Taylor Deupree, is no exception, containing 44 minutes and 57 seconds (as the front cover states), of gentle sonic explorations, led by a haunting piano that drifts and flickers in the half-light. It creates an air of suspense and builds tension that’s never quite resolved, and for that achievement alone, it’s well worth exploring.