Kodomo

So, some people work really quickly and I struggle to keep up with their output. Others take their time. Kodomo (Christopher Child) is one of the latter. But worth the wait. This is his first release since 2011′s Frozen in Motion album. And this is my first post on him since October 2011. Includes free download.

The Red Giant / Impromptu virtual 12″ (due out 17 December) is the first release ahead of his third album Patterns & Light. Last time, his music had some of the IDM structures of Plaid, the offbeat charm of Boards of Canada and the synth sensibility of early Orbital. This time, Red Giant has rippling synths and a near drum and bass approach to drum patterns. It’s all quite un-American. There’s an awareness of the world that permeates the music, in ways more profound than simply using a Japanese word for your output. Impromptu bubbles along, punctuated by a big bass drum. Finally, there’s a lumia remix of Red Giant which goes for a more soothing ambient approach and more traditional 4/4 beats. - ACID TED

Chris Child is a prodigious Brooklyn-based producer and composer whose latest album Patterns & Light channels the multifaceted parts to his persona. Under his Kodomo moniker, – which translates to “child” in Japanese –Patterns & Light is a record that explores both ends of electronica, everything from creek-water ambience to swiftly-moving breakbeat. This is a sound that reaches from enchanted wandering in tall grass fields like Bonobo, to the deeply troubled post-rock muffled guitar of Lymbyc Systym.

But what makes Patterns & Light distinct from every other genre-bending release is that Kodomo’s musical tastes and talents extend beyond the world of electronic music and into the diverse realm of his career and passions. This is on display throughout the effort, as Patterns & Light samples classical records Child found at NY flea markets. His tumblr “about” reads, “sounds. photography. food. art. synthesizers. film. philosophy. architecture. weather,” a collection of art forms revealing the essential influences to his creative process and reason for living. And fittingly, Kodomo makes music for our daily existence: he composes for daytime soap operas, video games, and NPR programming, having been nominated for Three Daytime Emmys in the process. For better than worse, these experiences have made Patterns & Light much more than a DIY bedroom-pop record.

From the onset, Patterns & Light becomes the glowing place in a bleak, concrete post-apocalyptic world – one narrated with this classical thread. Leveled opener “Overture” attests to these orchestral roots, welcoming us into the Crystal Castles approved echo-chasm to follow. Subtle dark, distorted piano loops convey the drain-dripping soundtrack to the deranged sewer wanderings of a drug daze, only to crescendo into the peace of waking up on a plane to the red dawn of a foreign city. Heavy IDM beats in single “Red Giant” create a more interactive genre of ambient music, one glitch-y, but also dramatic as the sampled classical vinyl from the golden age of Bach. Interlude “Time Lapse 1,” — which Kodomo says was inspired by Chopin’s Nocturne in G minor No. 3 — evokes the feeling of gazing up at precious carvings inside Baroque churches of Eastern Europe (Poland).

When Child is able to balance this push-pull of old and new he’s at his best. Like on the ephemeral opening of “Impromptu”, where the convergence of the classically whimsical shifts into the ’80s video game fluid consciousness of its trance-y, dubbed out center. Icy drumming synths in “Mind Like a Diamond” become a smooth and solemn presentation of self, revealing a dark truth in the endless cycle of life and rebirth, or maybe, mind you, of classical to contemporary.

Kodomo’s work is never heavy, but a graceful coming together of ancient sounds re-contextualized, uncompromised in quality for a modern attention deficit- generation. Patterns & Light is an infusion of colorful white light, like projecting a sacred geometric image onto a blank wall in New York at night. It’s an album kaleidoscopic even in its careful arrangement of analog-generated found sounds, into unpredictable and aurally beautiful fragmented shapes. And the shapes, if I do say so myself, fit together quite nicely. - Speak Volumes Media

Set for a June release date, the sneaky peak I was given is definitely an exciting promise for the success of the 12-track album Child has been working on for the past two years.

The track and also debut single, 'Decoder', was first to grace my ears.

An almost Oriental synth opens, slowly being whipped into a more coated and melodious beat.
The avant-garde song sees Child provide counterpoints and accents at the right parts, building to what is like a heated conversation between each mid-tempo part.

The cross rhythms really make this track stand out. Not unlike a missed gem from early Groove Armada cutting room floor, Child has taken the conventional rules of electric and trip hop music and sprinkled his own artistic flurry to make it his own.

'Disappearing Light' is only 1:50 but definitely one to have on loop when you're looking to drift off. The breezy and relaxing track makes me think of crashing waves on a moon-lit beach. It's less busy than others previewed from the album but I find this futher proves the wide scope of musical concepts Child has managed to explore for the record.

Title track 'Frozen in Motion' is definitely my favourite thus far. A much more upbeat track, the distorted beat sets the tone for the entire song. With Child's trademark layers at times sounding more like a haunting choir singing alongside, it managed to use sound versus imagination to create a more relaxing atmosphere and mood.

The June release of 'Frozen in Motion' will come with a 12-page PDF booklet featuring artwork by Bran Graf.

Kodomo's debut video for 'Drift' is also available to view on youtube (or below) while single 'Decoder' is available to buy on iTunes.

Chris Child is definitely a talented guy on both the music front and his ability to single-handedly chase, create and promote this album. In an industry where mainstream tends to stray from unconventional music, he has brazen disregard for this, instead fore-fronting his own project and clearly spending a lot of spare time spreading word about something he is so passionate about. It's this belief that can be heard through his tracks and I, for one, can't wait for the album release. - ABBA TO ZAPPA

Comparisons are invidious things. They help as reference points but can then bury under the weight of expectations. Kodomo (Christopher Child) offers Boards of Canada, Plaid and Orbital in relation to his work. For me, that’s a huge weight to put upon your work. But the comparisons aren’t inaccurate. His music has some of the IDM structures of Plaid, the offbeat charm of Boards of Canada and the synth sensibility of early Orbital.

Here are two tracks from his new album Frozen In Motion. The title track is the more upbeat number, with some wonky bass offset by melodic synths and acending tones. Hajime has more of the Boards of Canada crossed with Orbital feel. It is held together by a slow piano melody, which uses the sad effects of Moby on Play. A superior track. - ACID TED

His projections of nature and intricate compositions really allowed me to let loose and free the spirit within. To be lost dancing in my own little world, I can think of few finer ways to end an evening. - Neatbeet

Kodomo = Bach + Apparat
True to his name, Kodomo (meaning “child” in Japanese) has birthed something new and pure with his latest release, Patterns & Light. Heavily influenced by classical pianists, this album is simultaneously eerie and alluring. Chris Child has accomplished a tremendous feat, honing in on some of the most unique chords and melodies of classic concertos, fragmenting them in a whole new way. Dark and brooding, this entire album flows seamlessly together, creating an audio masterpiece all of its own. Kodomo’s “Mind Like A Diamond” has an impressive bassline that complements the syncopated melody beautifully, and “Blue Shifter” features some truly stellar xylophone work. This is a fantastic album that’s worth exploring. –Kamryn Feigel - Slug Magamize