Fade
[review-body]
DJ Okawari’s work usually goes under the radar, especially when in the realm of chill-hop titans such as Nujabes, Shing02 and m-flo. even i’m guilty of this forgetful attitude, Fade can remind me that DJ Okawari, especially this time around, is worth an active listen. Fade never attempts to rock the boat or cut a new edge in the genre space, but manages to at least create its own atmosphere.
even if you don’t think you’ve heard this artist before, i’ll still bet you have. DJ Okawari is especially prevalent and loved by (at least mine) Spotify algorithm. time and again used as a link between in the chain of algorithmically served music, between the song you want and the song you know. so it’s easy to understand why you both might have heard of DJ Okawari and also might not recall just exactly why. that said, this time around, Fade certainly takes a stronger and more authoritative step forward in music production. Fade feels a bit more purposeful and legible outside simple background chill-hop, i’m sure by design. it is here i was pleasantly surprised by both a good handful of the present songs and how consistent they are. Fade feels determined to make a mark on my time.
it’s with songs like “Elsewhere” and “Akane - Pinao Reimagined” and “Never Leave” that the album pushes for a more conscious space in your mind, or least in your periphery. the music begins to pull away from simple “study lofi chillhop” into something more authored and intentional. it’s not that i find DJ Okawari’s music worth dismissing, however this particular area of music is deliberately made to sit in the edges of our attentions, never the center stage. my read is that DJ Okawari wants to find a meaningful balance between the two. to sit comfortably in the sidelines but feel important enough to find active listening. these few songs definitely drive that experience, but frankly never quite enough.
i think DJ Okawari’s history and style lend too much in to a passive experience. and even most of the music in this album never challenge me, or DJ Okawari’s style too much or at all. my favorite song is “Never Leave”, which feels like a new offering altogether. it feels like something in the early 2000’s pop era, in a good way. it was definitely the track that stopped my mind from auto completing my review on the work before it was finished. i can appreciate this space that Okawari is pushing towards. it feels both fresh and relaxed and easy to exist within all at the same time. but it also makes me question songs like “Loving the Edge", which so stately exist in this secondary range of ambient chill music. it’s not the song is poor by any means, but that it never challenges the listener or pushes any true concept of boundary.
it may be that Fade strikes DJ Okawari’s intended balance of music that interweaves passivity with life, a meaningful background beat to one’s every day. for me, i can still hope for more. Fade does succeed at affirming Okawari a bit more firmly into, at least my, consciousness. even songs like “Akane - Piano Reimagined” feel like a push in to actively authored content. my only real detriment is wanting to be excited for DJ Okawari’s next releases. in a way, in the future, i will be, a bit more. for now, i think Fade and DJ Okawari will continue to remain in that space to help build a playlist, rather than execute one.
[review-footer]
Highlights
Never Leave You (feat. Stephanie)
Elsewhere (feat. Ai Ninomiya)
Akane – Piano Reimagined by Ryota Kikuchi
Tracklist
Loving the Edge
Another Me (feat. Kaori Sawada)
Akane
Never Leave You (feat. Stephanie)
Rainy Sunday
Elsewhere (feat. Ai Ninomiya)
Silent Prayers
Akane – Piano Reimagined by Ryota Kikuchi
