Bleep

Japanese producer NHK returns to Powell’s Diagonal label after a long absence for a new LP entitled What You Know. Adventurous as ever, NHK turns in a lot of different modes, moods, and styles here, but his bright and uplifting melodies and hooks provide a natural thematic motif to tie together those loose ends. The mini song suite of ‘Inner Elementary Particles’ and ‘Outer Elementary Particles’ bounce around the room with palpable glee while leaving plenty of space in the midrange for pencil-thin, morse-code synth lines. The heavier ‘Formulated Rhythm / C'est Un éclair’ approaches something akin to rave, bottling up energy with a slightly off-kilter kick pattern that sends you into fits.