Satomimagae Presents HANAZONO Album Review — Mother Nature Grabs the Microphone

Posted on by Abby Utley

Where do you go when your mind enters a dream state? 

Listening to Satomimagae’s Hanazono, this writer was swept in an instant to a zen jungle dreamscape, where the gems of nature are putting on their best performance. Angelic vocals coat the atmosphere and softly brush our ears. We hear birds calling, and imagine we are looking up to find a couple of them buddying up, chirping up a conversation, and flapping away. 

This is music where you hear all the organic sounds of nature — such as the whooshing and trickling — that complement the vocals and light guitar strumming. 

 

With an ambient twist on folk and lofi music, Satomimagae layers guitar, vocals, and environmental noise to make us feel like we are wanderers within the most peaceful chasms of nature. In her new album Hanazono, she infuses organic and mechanical sounds to execute what the album’s promoters describe as her “minute vision of childlike enchantment.” With only a few types of instruments and sounds, the album is a simplistic, self-contained auditory atmosphere.

Satomimage Implements Organic and Acoustic Sounds To Form A Unique Tonal Atmosphere

Those who, like this reviewer, enjoy exercising their imaginations may, similarly appreciate Hanazono (which translates as flower garden) for its esoteric sound that can act as a launching pad into another world, free of judgment or bias. The mystical feel of the album allows us to engage in the day dream of our choosing. Hanazono’s unhurried, neutral, and unemotional tone can provide refuge to music junkies who need peaceful tunes and appreciate originality. 

You don’t necessarily need to be fluent in Japanese to enjoy the album. At least that was the case for this writer, who also imagines that an understanding of the lyrics would likely add an extra boost to the already positive listening experience. Speaking in restaurant terms, if you prefer your music raw — not well-done — you too may find Hanazono to be the liaison that helps connect yourself to the ground you walk on every day. 

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MUSICIANS

Satomimagae
Hideki Urawa

For more information on the album and how to pre-order it before its April 23rd release date, visit Satomimagae Bandcamp

Photos courtesy of Riot Act Media

Abby Utley

About the Author: Abby Utley

Abby Utley writes as a method of truth-seeking. Getting to the bottom of things is her prerogative, and so is keeping her music playlists fresh. Although she puts originality at the forefront of her written pieces, she finds the most inspiration after immersing herself in other art forms. When she's not writing, you may find her at the rock climbing gym, where she may take a break thirty minutes into her workout to write a satirical article. Finding humor where one may not expect is another one of Abby's prerogatives that allows her to think out of that stingy ole box that so many adults find themselves trapped in. She thinks tapping back into a childlike imagination is something all writers should work towards.

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