Shinichi Atobe

(This article’s English version was produced with AI-assisted translation)

It opens with punchy kicks and magnetic tape hiss, the new work by Shinichi Atobe, a key figure in the evolution of dub techno. "Silent Way" is his eighth album, the first on Plastic & Sounds, the label he built himself and that had already previewed the record with two 12" releases in the months prior. The rule remains the same: exploring the millimetric balance between deep house and dub techno, tracking the subtle shifts between the two genres. Compared to the previous "Discipline", the main change is a more uniform and open sound, especially in the stereo field, with an enveloping acoustic presence.

"Phase 2" carries the usual melancholy over a stretched groove; "Blurred" opts for a more radiant, almost blissful tone, while "Rain 1" extends for nearly twelve minutes in a meditative flow that never seeks resolution. The result is music designed for nocturnal pilgrimages, where sonic synthesis floats through filters and echoes that, under Rashad Becker’s meticulous mastering, find a more precise placement than in some of his earlier works. The record, however, is emotionally uneven: alongside "Fractal", with its gentle psychedelic shimmer, and the peak of the closing track "Defect", there are selections that feel dispensable, as if their absence would change little. An undeniable mastery, here not always fully focused.

01/05/2026