The first album by architect, painter, and sculptor Takashi Suzuki is a fine work of art in itself, exhibiting all the traits of Suzuki’s other professions/trades.

Suzuki lays down a foundation of soothing synthesizer textures on the ten namesake tracks (“Resonance in Blue 1-10”), a canvas upon which he adds a dash of piano here and an accent of jarring sound effect there. The ten tracks, while exhibiting their own subtle nuances, are of one accord. They are similar in tempo and feel and have the effect of a sonic painting that slowly stimulates your senses and gradually works its way into your psyche.

This CD is New Age in the classic sense, with peaceful, tranquil tones that set the mind at ease and at the same time transform the listening experience into something more profound.

The music will definitely appeal to those who enjoy soft synthesized sounds but should prove just as useful to those seeking sonic escape and refuge. It is applicable in a variety of settings but is perhaps most effective during a nighttime sojourn under the stars.
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"Resonance" is the debut recording by Takashi Suzuki, an artist working in a variety of art forms. Suzuki began his career as an architect when a chance meeting turned him in the direction of fine arts. He studied sculpture in London and continued on at the Chelsea School of Art and Design as a teacher. He continued working in the visual arts, with exhibitions of his work shown throughout Europe and in his native Japan where he now resides. 

A few years ago, Suzuki revisited some of the music he had composed in his youth and decided to re-record it in order to preserve it. The process re-ignited his interest in making music, but this time he wanted to use the latest technologies in electronic music. Late last year, Suzuki sent a demo track to Eric Harry at Calm Radio, who received it enthusiastically and put it into rotation on his radio programs. This gave Suzuki the encouragement he needed to create a full album. The results are the ten-track "Resonance," with Suzuki’s painting, “Resonance in Blue,” serving as the album’s artwork. “Resonance in Blue” is also the title of each track plus a number (1-10) to keep the music in chronological order. While the music was being composed, each new track was started only after the previous one was completed, creating the continuity of a single major work. The music itself is dreamy, ambient, and incredibly relaxing. Some of it is reminiscent of early space music, but with updated musical tools and sensibilities. The depth and quality of the sound are amazing for a debut, and the music is perfect for massage and healing arts as well as for unwinding and letting go of the cares of the day. 

Since the overall effect of the album is of one long piece, describing each track is rather pointless. The music was created with sampled orchestrations and synth washes to create the feeling of vast open space and of floating. Ethereal voices enhance the peaceful mood as do occasional subtle rhythms and bits of melody. Suzuki’s music is often compared to Chuck Wild’s Liquid Mind series, and I would also favorably compare it to Frederic Delarue’s angelic reveries. I would warn you to not try to wake up to "Resonance," however - I tried it and slept through the whole CD without even stirring! Check it out!
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"Resonance" is extremely, and I do mean extremely serene. Some might refer to it minimalistic, while others call it meditative. But with it’s washes of synthesizer and sampled orchestral sounds, it reminded me of some of the music that was beginning to be labeled “new age” when I first became a music reviewer back in the 1980’s - in particular some of the seminal early recordings of Steve Roach, Robert Rich, Deuter, and others. It has also been likened to the “Liquid Mind” albums by Chuck Wild and I can see the basis for comparison. The music on “Resonance” is very dreamy and slow moving which works well as a background for meditation, massage, yoga, etc. A picturesque description in the album’s promo gives a sense of the music within: “Some tracks evoke the sweeping vastness of outer space while others bring to mind the sensation of witnessing the deepening twilight of a day’s conclusion right here on planet Earth.”  

For a full length review of this CD, as well as others, please visit: www.michaeldiamondmusic.com
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