New Daisuke Tanabe: Cat Steps

Long-running Japanese beatmaker Daisuke Tanabe has teamed up with Mumbai independent label Knowmad Records to release Cat Steps, a set of sparse tracks that see him splattering sound about and seeing what sticks. He elevates beyond lo-fi hip-hop by keeping these numbers in constant motion, adding in surprise elements that send ripples through the music. Opener “For The Twin” integrates something kinda close to a juke beat set against naive electronic notes out of the Boards Of Canada playbook, but as everything moves forward Tanabe shifts it up, speeding the song up or removing elements. “Cat Step” and “Your Tube” go even more minimalist, a move that puts Tanabe’s small changes into a clearer light. Here is beat music that mutates at a molecular level. Get it here, or listen below.