http://forum.renoise.com/index.php?/topic/34546-cml015-makunouchi-bento-rinbo-ep/

Listening to the first song on mid-quality speakers as I type. By the 4 minute mark, is clear that you’ve got a very thick, very hypnotizing soundscape going. The samples of wind, foley, and warped sines really do give the tune something ethereal to it, as do the plucked samples of… what instrument is that? Along with the the other melodic elements, a cool harmonic sense of mysticism pops out and draws you in, the gorgeous panning and stereoscopic field assisting in that.

Yuki-onna ending, second one a-go:

Well, this is different. A highly pitch-shift modulated instrument seeps itself through beautiful ambient lines and continues the journey into pseudo melodic dissonance coming into the foreground at 1:33. Those stutters and garbled lines are almost creeping me out by 2:20, and the sweeping sound of wind, air, or whatever it is builds a cool sense of suspense into the soft crackling and intriguing FX. An ambient lead out, along with those pops and lush clicks, only seems fitting.

Third one coming up:

Okay, CREEPY. I can almost see an airy MpReverb stuck on those chimes from hell, the wind instrument at 0:54 tricking me into thinking the tune’s about to explode in my face violently. But no, is soothes to a crisp, fractal baritone, laced with acid sharp sections of feedback and dulled, low-pitched thumps. Again, the soundscape is fascinating. Clear, intriguing, but never overdone to the point of fear. The lines of melody towards the end, combined with a lingering uncertainty of frightening pads and… alright, that horn seems to have been a sample, not a VST. Either way, the whole room seems darker by the time it fades out.

Finally:

Well, this feels like it’ll be more uptempo than the previous one based on first impressions alone. The snippet of nighttime chitter surrounding the area and cascading snippets of sound compliment the string noises very well. The whole buildup and climax at 2:45 feels right, it’s hard to describe, and the glitched semi-arpeggios leading to the thump of a bassoon and Arabic string scale towards 3:23 sounds perfect! Highlight of the album if you ask me, and something I could easily picture shining through in Lawrence of Arabia or some older silver-screen tale. The harmonic doubling up at 4:55 makes me tap my foot and bob my head, getting into it, blinking in surprise as the melody disintegrates to screwed up synth bangs and bass. Buildup around the 6-minute mark towards 6:29 is accentuated f*ing brilliantly with pops, glitzy sparks of noise, and cut down like a tree with a final sample. Now THAT warrants a relistening on good headphones to catch all the nuances!

Overall, I liked the first two songs about equally, third one less so, and finale most of all. Clever EP, and I’ll see if it grows enough on me to download and listen to on cold, lonesome Summer nights. Good job!