2013年9月9日月曜日

[764] Orange Cake Mix - Ocean Rainbow


Label: Tokuma Japan Communications

Catalog#: TKCB-71383
Format: CD, Album
Country: Japan
Released: 1998
DISCOGS  AMAZON  BANDCAMP

1 Valentine Love Affair 2:27

2 Introversion 2:07
3 Small World We're Living In 2:08
4 Water Medley: (9:26)
-a Holy Stream (Of Conciousness) 4:39
-b A Summer Waterfall 2:37
-c Spirit Of The River 2:08
5 A Million Dreams 4:14
6 Rothko 2:16
7 Music For Dining 2:16
8 It Won't Be Long Until I See You Again 2:38
9 Into The Rising Sun 1:44
10 Glorified Abyss 5:06
11 Your Sweet Smile 3:04
12 I Am Still Waiting For You To Come Home 2:08
13 Little Baby Star 2:16
14 Another Frozen Flower 2:27
15 Could It Be I'm Still Falling In Love With You 2:23
16 Santa Monica Boulevard 1:57
17 Sleepytime Song 3:38
18 Broken Valentine 2:28

UKネオアコースティック・サウンドに強く影響を受けたUSインディー・ポップ詩人Jim Raoによるソロ・プロジェクトOrange Cake Mix。本作「Ocean Rainbow」はElefantやDarla等のインディペンデント・レーベルから精力的にリリースを重ねた時期の一枚で、日本盤のみでリリースされた98年作。Maurice DeebankやVini Reilly直系の蒼さを滲ませたギター、Spacemen 3/Spectrum (Sonic Boom)に感化されたファジーなサイケデリア、ブリスフルなベッドルーム・ビーツが編み込まれたハンドメイドのポップ・アンビエントクラフト。「意識の聖なる流れ」「夏の滝」「川の精霊」3部から成る#4 "Water Medley"はさまざまな水辺をイメージした、アルバム中ひと際美しい水の組曲。昨年よりbandcampアカウントを開設し、リリースの少なかった2000年代に録りためた作品をかつてのペースで公開されています。


bio.

Orange Cake Mix is the project of Jim Rao, a Connecticut home-made cassettes inspired by the synthetic pop of auteurs such as Todd Rundgren and Brian Eno. As it was often the case with independent artists of the 1990s, Rao was way too prolific for what he had to say, and therefore spread his best material over a huge discography. More Mellow Hits (Elefant) and Grapefruit (1996) are formative works. The instrumental album Silver Lining Underwater (Darla, 1997) offers an intriguing hybrid of synth-pop, kraut-rock and ambient music, but does not fully succeed in fusing those genres. Fluffy Pillow (Darla, 1997) is similar to what Richard Bone has been doing on the other coast but with melancholy vocals (Feel Your Love, Broken Machine). Lovecloud And Secret Tape (Darla, 1997) is a compilation of leftovers from the early years. Blue Island Sound (Darla, 1997) and Another Orange World (Darla, 1998) cannot offer more than tiresome repetitions of the same, simple concept. The mini-album Microcosmic Wonderland (Audio Information Phenomena, 1999), Observations of Tomorrow and Today, and many other CDs and cassettes recycle third-rate synth-pop. Rao makes CDs the way others brush their teeth: unfortunately, the artistic quality is also very similar.
from The History of Rock Music. Orange Cake Mix, 1999

Interview by Jeff Penczak (May 2002)


[related]

"Streetlights and Stars" from Silver Lining Underwater: Bliss Out series Vol. 3 (Darla Records, 1997)

"Dreaming of You" from Dream Window (Clover Records, 1999)