Hitoshires – Stella
Ambient, Drone
Label – Taalem
Sasagu Ota’s picture of ‘Stella’ is not only of a transcendental, free flowing world, but it is also a brittle view on a balance so delicate I imagine it to be microscopic in size. On this tiny audio world it is Hitoshires who sends long, drifting pulses that paint the landscape like brilliant sheets of magnificent snow. Brittle, as I wrote, because throughout the twenty minutes it seems like these sounds are being captured on tape while attempting to keep a certain balance that is on the verge of being unachievable. The sound of Hitoshires, clear like the cold air on top of the highest mountains, moves like a magnificent aurora and shines with beautiful colors of awe and clarity. The balance it keeps lets Ota add more and more sounds and surprises, as if climbing higher with this mini album every minute. In the end, Hitoshires leaves us with serenity and a crystal clear broken dream, realized by the last second of ‘Stella’, which is, in itself, a wonderful, heartwarming experience.