Information relating to the Yama Music label has proven to be rather elusive. Backed by French distribution platform Yoyaku, the focus has until recently been fine tuned around the label artists themselves. There are no frills, no gimmicks, just a modest back catalogue in a number series and a weekly radio show on Bloop London. Time is dedicated to the exploration of minimal grooves and the most recent journey into the sound comes in the form of an artist invited VA.
The ‘Tomodachi’ EP marks the second collaboration in the series after the previous VA hosted Birdsmakingmachine, TIJN, Dan Formless and Locïc late last year. This time, London artists Frazer Campbell and OddMann (Odd Soul & Greg Brockmann) join Vlad Arapasu alongside the Yama Music duo.
We’ve taken the label owners’ own for the premiere, a welcome return after they first featured on our pages back in 2018 with their second release.
A skipping rhythm sets the beat over a background of mellow breeze. Melody fuels the bassline which pulsates groove while delicate synths flicker around robotic bleeps. ‘Ends Meat’ is light and airy. Bars drift from one to the next around a fluttering vocal as the sounds of the electronic are manipulated. This might be a nice one to hear in the warm up.
Its counterpart on A1 is a pleasant record opener. ‘Osc2’ brings with it stripped back Romanian flavour while over on the B side, vibes form a little deeper. Campbell’s ‘How Hard Can It Be’ drives a determined roller and Oddmann’s ‘Spazielle’ injects a darker chug. The essence of the VA is well captured here, as each of the artists bring their own flavour.
Buy the record from yoyaku. Expected release date 30th April.
More info on Yama Music
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