Rei Harakami - Blind / Swap EP download free

This work confirmed Harakami's brilliance for me as a fully realized stylist and accomplished 'electronica' producer. I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to acquire this ep when new as it is very hard to find anything by Harakami in North America. With only four songs, this recording satisfies where many long players fall flat. 'Cream' is a stop-and-go stunner (Rei often breaks up the flow in his tracks to add a healthy element of surprise) that gets down at last into a deep soulful groove. 'Schw' is a wildly antic high tempo blast of trippy ascending piano lines and sputtering drum machines. It is one of the most audacious tracks I have ever heard in techno. 'Cape' concludes the set with an achingly beautiful melody that reveals itself after going through a few digressions.I really hope more people learn about Rei Harakami and his unorthodox approach to structure and audio engineering. His attention to dynamics and sonic detail is unparalleled, and his musical sensibility highly sophisticated. So sad that he is no more among us.