Ken Ishii - Jelly Tones, 2x Vinyl LP

Ken Ishii - Jelly Tones, 2x Vinyl LP

2025, R&S Records RS95065LP

Marking its 30th anniversary with a reissue, this R&S album is a dazzling fusion of techno precision, ambient depth and futurist imagination that propelled Ishii onto the global stage. Bridging Detroit's mechanical groove with a distinctly Japanese sense of melodic abstraction, it also paved the way for many of the producers in the 90s from the land of the rising sun. From the iconic opener 'Extra'. with its tight breaks and cascading synths, to the aquatic glide of 'Cocoa Mousse' and the motorised thrust of 'Stretch', Ishii produces a sleek balance between direction and poise. 'Ethos 9' flirts with ambient jungle atmospherics, while 'Moved By Air' and 'Pause In Herbs' explore haunted spaces where rhythm and texture blur. The album ends with 'Endless Season'. a stunning ten-minute finale where melody and Detroit dystopia become pure magic. A prime example of 90s Japanese techno futurism - sweet sounds indeed.