Aoki Yutaka
Lost in Forest

A strange dream as it is
go mad with false words
code far off in the forest
fully armed
full picture of the inhuman
de-illusion
desire of dream
law of being
GO UNDER

eternal adventure
the cause of all
brutal-body of love
princess hung in the air
dream shaking out
covered with life

flowing moon light
loved, an experimental subject
again united
something mad
monkey vision
a little more scattered, feel

only the dead
dreaming a bloody battle
mother is the wife
in full bloom

come on, more awake
deep into dream
more intoxicated
so death in heavenly sky...

...now I can already imagine what you're going to say.

"What? After who knows how long you publish another useless strange review and you don't start it with the usual narrative ramble of crap?"

Yes. After the usual period of nothingness that intersperses my reviews, I decided to write one that does not start with the usual stupid little story, but rather I put a text.

What is it? Well, I'll explain it to you right away:

It's an introduction to a trip in a magical Japanese forest; an infinite forest, populated by gloomy beings, ghosts, spirits, animalistic witches, and many other things. Benevolent creatures, though unsettling, that will take you by the hand into the darkest meanders of the dense canopy of trees; elusive figures that will steal your soul at a glance, making you their puppet; will-o'-the-wisps dancing among the trees; immense illusions that will imprison you in the perverse games of the crudest and most perverse yokai.

And yet, all of this, in its gloominess, contains something else... something that goes beyond the simple concept of "magic" or "enchantment".

All of this is "Lost in Forest", Yutaka Aoki's solo debut (or Aoki Yutaka, as you prefer), one of those capable of taking music and doing whatever he wants with it, in every sense.

Aoki is like a Bakemono, a shapeshifter who makes music his bamboo branch, with which to transform into whatever he wants and create immense magical scenarios.

In the 14 tracks of Lost in Forest, Aoki's power will flare up before your eyes and ears, creating magical Ambient music scenarios swept by glitchy beds and unsettling synths, spanning from sweet acoustic ballads electrified by cacophonous and very fast electric guitar solos, and continuing with atmospheres with a cinematic and fairy-tale flavor, where the synths become a smoke so dense that it invades your lungs. 14 tracks of which I cannot physically say that "it would have been better with fewer", because they are all magnificent.

The intro "I am Lost", narrated by the singer MORRIE (Japanese but with perfect English diction); the neoclassical "851" and "Im Wald"; the unsettling "Fury", tormented by distorted electric guitar; the fairy-tale and dramatic "Gryphon/Burn the Tree", and many others, including the pieces that truly stayed with me:

"Open the Gate", the second song starring MORRIE, singing over a rhythmic and disorienting Ambient base, with a mastery and class that would make Mike Patton, James Labrie, and other Western singers pale;

"Waltz of the Bugs", a distorted waltz fantasy with a thousand effects and strange percussive hits, that at a certain point will truly make you see the "bugs" mentioned in the title and will make you want to strip and dance with them;

"Missing", a long song that elevates the sense of trip and mystery of "Lost in Forest", making you wander aimlessly amidst reverberated sounds, keyboards with a mystical touch, and open and airy harmonic bursts;

"Shape of Death", the last act of the album, which closes with whistles, smoky synths, and the violin notes of Sugizo, guitarist and violinist of X Japan.

I haven't named the other songs only because I don't want to spoil them for you. "Lost in Forest" is a true imaginative experience, and not just an album, so I don't want to go further with simple and banal descriptions. I invite you to enter it and get lost within it, definitely.

With this solo debut, Aoki will make you travel through the world he has scored and composed, until you reach the point of no return, where you will no longer be able to get out.

Aoki will be the Kitsune whistling in the middle of his imaginary forest. He will launch will-o'-the-wisps on the horizon to confuse you and make you lose your way.

Aoki will be the Tanuki that transforms the mighty beating of his belly into low and distorted noises, to make you tremble and fall into his lair.

Aoki will be the specter whispering disconnected phrases to you, but so fluid that you are forced to follow them blindly.

Aoki will be the river from which luminescent glows will emerge, pointing you toward the path to madness.

Aoki will be the entire forest.

Aoki will be all of this... and much more.

...what are you still waiting for? GO!