"An in-demand headliner in dark rooms worldwide and one of techno's most distinctive producers, Wata Igarashi has achieved a perfect harmony between his work as a musician and a selector. Born in Tokyo in the late '80s, with significant parts of his youth spent in England and Spain, he spent time in skate punk and avant-garde jazz circles before taking to DJing and production."
"His earliest explorations of Detroit textures and Villalobos-esque minimalism were released on buzzy labels like DJ Nobu's Bitta, Midgar in Berlin, and long-standing New York label/party booking company the Bunker NY. His debut record, 2023's Agartha, veered into Krautrock-tinged explorations of hazy ambient, Space Age easy listening, and the Moogsploitation of Wendy Carlos and Mort Garson. Earlier this year, his Kaleidoscopic EP re-centered Igarashi's sound on classic techno, even if it still felt informed by the experimentation that fueled Agartha."
""Meltzone" and "Skin" rip straight from the sound of early Underground Resistance releases, with industrial acid riffs and 909 kicks that barrel forward as reverberation expands and contracts like a series of deep, conscious breaths. In the record's most ferocious moments, Igarashi liberally draws from the heaviest strains of dub and minimal techno. "Unleashed" centers a pummeling and unrelenting saw bass that aims for the same crush as classic cuts like Basic Channel's "Enforcement," blurring the line between a skipping record and the perfect loop."
Wata Igarashi emerged from Tokyo with formative years in England and Spain and roots in skate punk and avant-garde jazz before moving into DJing and production. Early releases channeled Detroit textures and Villalobos-style minimalism on labels including Bitta, Midgar, and the Bunker NY. Agartha (2023) explored Krautrock-tinged hazy ambient, Space Age easy listening, and Moogsploitation. The Kaleidoscopic EP refocused his sound toward classic techno while retaining experimental elements. My Supernova combines dancefloor impact and home-listening depth, drawing on industrial acid, 909-driven rhythms, dub and minimal techno influences, and retro synth and 8-bit-inspired textures.
Read at Pitchfork
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