Hiroki Okano has a knack for effectively placing exotic, worldly elements into contemporary settings while keeping a pulse on the roots of Japanese music which permeate his work.
1987 1990 was filled with austere yet alluring beauty, and was well grounded in rhythmic excursions of unusual structure.
ENN expands on this, adding vocal portions and wind instruments to the synthesizers, guitar, piano & sound effects. The music was inspired by a series of spectacular wind bell installations
Okano performed at Japanese landmarks (forest, beaches, mountain country) where he and his friends hung 1000 Japanese wind bells and recorded their sounds, mingling with the winds of Japan. From here
Okano added tribal rhythms, as on "Ama," or ancient instrumentation as provided by
Kosei Yamamoto with the Yan-chin on "Kasumi." Also heard are "Hototogisu," with its
Vollenweider similarities or "Sakura," which includes a traditional melody. Longer tracks prevail, allowing
Okano to develop his compelling melodies and atmospheric vibrations