​Soichi Terada’s ‘Asakusa Light’ brilliantly revised via two essential remixes

Rush Hour Records have released an exquisite pair of remixes mined from Soichi Terada’s acclaimed ‘Asakusa Light’ LP.

Drafted in to provide essential interpretations of a duo of highlights from the album are Alabama’s finest ho-ho proponent, Byron The Aquarius, and long-serving deep house maverick, Alex Attias.

Released in early 2022, ‘Asakusa Light’ was Terada’s meditation on the long-lost allure of the ‘90s Tokyo club scene, the era in which he was enjoying the halcyon days of his production journey as his feel-good house aesthetic won him admirers like the late, great disco pioneer, Larry Levan. The collection was his first set of newly recorded productions in over 30 years, and came about, at least in part, due to the popularity of the ‘Sounds Of The Far East’ retrospective he released in 2015.

In keeping with the album as a whole, each of the revised versions is rather special. First up, hip-hop-head-turned-house-maestro Byron The Aquarius delivers a trademark take on ‘Bamboo Fighter’. Here, vintage synth bass is caressed by woozy chords and nimble overdubs, the hallucinatory harmonics gorgeously intertwined over shuffling house rhythms. Next, Swiss producer Alex Attias turns in a sensational rework of ‘Takusambient’. A touch more urgent, his version unfolds over a lively tempo, with energetic synth motifs combined with propulsive chords over throbbing synth bass as grainy drums power the groove.

Both mixes brilliantly complement Terada’s masterful originals, with each artist respectfully embellishing the sonic intention with their imaginatively-spun interpretations.

You can listen to ‘Askausa Light Remixes’ here:

Soichi Terada 'Asakusa Light Remixes' is out now on Rush Hour, you can buy it here

Patrizio Cavaliere is Mixmag Asia's Music Editor, follow him on Instagram