Despite being on nearly opposite ends of the Earth, New-York-based Sam Obey and Osaka’s Seiho Hayakawa share a lot of similarities. Both record sample-heavy, hyperactive electronic music under projects named after parts of their name (Obey City and Seiho, respectively). Obey helped organize the Astro Nautico collective label, which has released music from up-and-coming producers including the Range. Hayakawa, meanwhile, played a pivotal role in starting his hometown’s influential INNIT party and launched Day Tripper Records, which has housed some of the best young electronic artists in Japan. Now, their individual projects are growing in prominence, as Obey City entered the LuckyMe fold and Seiho has attracted more attention domestically and even started working with more major-label acts. Seiho’s imprint and Astro Nautico teamed up for a release, and this February Obey City did a brief Japanese tour, with Hayakawa co-headlining. Shochu Sounds is a split EP created for this recent sojourn, featuring a pair of tracks from each.
Of the two, Obey City comes off as more laid-back here. He opens Shochu Sounds – which continues Obey’s boozy album streak, starting with last year’s Champagne Sounds and a promised Merlot Sounds—with “Wait,” a luxurious bouncer built around a modified vocal sample and what sound like hiccups deeper in the mix. Although he’s not afraid to play around with tempo and let the synths twist around, “Wait” is at its best when it’s marinating in those pitched voices and an especially enjoying-itself moan punctuating how great this all feels. “Proceed” adds more oomph to Obey City’s sound, primarily via tuba-assisted squanks running underneath everything else. Whereas “Wait” makes every second sound decadent, “Proceed” goes on a little longer than it should.
Seiho’s contributions, meanwhile, can barely stay put. His earliest recordings tended to be spacey, slow-burning works, but he’s shined since he’s embraced a herky-jerky approach where he locks synth zig-zags and bursts of samples into a coherent track. “Double Bed” is a perfect example. Sounds zip in for brief stops before whirling out, never to be heard again. At one point, a horn plays before everything slows down for some bird chirping, a brief catch-your-breath moment before “Double Bed” swirls back into cartoon-tornado form, a jumble of start-stop vocals and electronics. It’s hyperactive, but also playful, one of Seiho’s best characteristics. His other number, “Koi", aims for more dramatic levels, blurring classical Japanese instrumentation with digital noise.
Shochu Sounds works as a solid introduction to each artist, and can hopefully serve as a diving board into their 2014 outputs. Obey City’s Champagne Sounds shows off his range as a producer while also being built for booming sound systems, while Seiho’s Abstraktsex demonstrates that his hurly-burly approach can result in a great full-length album. Still, even if the four songs are better entryways into other works, Shochu Sounds is still a good offering from two producers to keep tabs on.
