Dissonance by LLLL
In the mid-2000's, Kazuto Okawa's talent as a songwriter in the J-Pop industry was unparalleled, with some of Asia's most prominent artists such as Akiko Yano, YUKI, Kaela Kimura, and Mika Nakajima attached to their name. However, there was one significant event that changed everything - the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. This life-changing moment forever altered the course of Okawa's life, leading them on a path of using their talent for a greater purpose. In 2012, LLLL was born.
In 2014, LA-based label ZOOM LENS released their groundbreaking debut album, Paradice, and Okawa continued to produce and write for many of its breakthrough artists, including yeule. The West took notice - with playlist spots by Grimes, releases on Ryan Hemsworth's Secret Songs, and remixes for ANAMANAGUCHI. Their presence in Japan also continued to grow, with their 3rd full-length album Impure reaching #4 on the Japanese electronic charts.
On their 4th album, Dissonance, LLLL returns to philosophical reasons similar to that fateful day of the Tohoku earthquake.
“[Dissonance is] about self-actualization... It is self-actualization in a way that sound and technology allowed me to break barriers of who I was told I should be.”
On Dissonance self-actualization takes many forms. Breakcore-rock anthem “See U” bridges online generations by featuring up-and-coming LA/Tokyo-native Emma Aibara, while the IDM-pop of "Dunno What It Is" showcases Okawa’s masterful use of vocal manipulation, transforming their own voice into a sound indistinguishable from the sensual singers with whom they have collaborated over the years.
But these aren’t just superficial choices. Instead, they explore philosophical concepts related to Okawa's own gender and body, creating an artistic approach they note was "not possible without the technology of the last 1-2 years.”
On Dissonance this exploration of contradictions not only appears in its fusion of different genres, but in a synthesis of human biology and technology, culminating in a new sense of artistic therapy and freedom.
“Because of [the music] I feel so free and very much happy to be who I am,” says Okawa passionately. “This music is a statement of that.”
Tracklist
| 1. | Ku | 5:33 |
| 2. | See U (ft. Emma Aibara) | 3:59 |
| 3. | Dunno What It Is | 4:06 |
| 4. | HD | 3:34 |
| 5. | Everything Works Out in the End | 3:53 |
| 6. | Five AM | 4:31 |
| 7. | Can't Explain | 3:19 |
| 8. | Not So | 3:03 |
