8

6.0

UK release date 12.07.2007

Instrumental hip-hop albums can often be hit-and-miss affairs. On the one hand, if done properly, such projects can allow the listener to fully experience the musical visions of a gifted producer without the risk of being distracted by the meanderings of sub-par MCs. When done badly, however, the same listener would probably welcome the introduction of said half-baked lyricists into the sonic equation. Thankfully, this debut album from music man Samon Kawamura falls into the former category.

Born in Germany but raised in Japan, it’s obvious that Kawamura sees places and spaces in his mind’s eye when creating his epic soundscapes. Containing traces of Dizzy Gillespie, Diamond D and Dilla, yet retaining its own personality, ‘Translations’ offers a colourful collage of jazz, hip-hop and broken beat. The swirling instrumentation and echoing sound effects heard on ‘All About You’ conjure up images of Tokyo’s majestic city skyline at dusk, while the short ‘Somiya’ contains a gargantuan bassline that sounds like the aural equivalent of a lumbering prehistoric beast. Elsewhere, the electro shimmer of ‘Reflections’ soothes the soul, and the dislocated elegance of ‘People’ proves Samon to be a true master of understated mood music.

Refusing to allow himself to fall into the trap of self-indulgence by keeping many of the tracks contained on ‘Translations’ relatively short, Kawamura has crafted an inspirational album that finds beauty amongst the urban sprawl.
Words Ryan Proctor