Amazon.co.uk allows you to pay for your items in your local currency. Restrictions apply. Learn More. |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
Product Description
Review
Keigo Oyamada is one of Japan's leading musical mavericks. Now known as Cornelius (from Planet Of The Apes, of course!) he started out as one half of duo, Flipper's Guitar who combined a love of Beck with The Beatles and The Beach Boys. He went on to produce the Pizzicato Five and subsequently became something of a teen idol in Japan during the late 90's, leading to international releases for his solo albums - his last being the highly acclaimed Point in 2001 - and a healthy career as a remixer.
With Sensuous, he creates a more contemplative space with an ambience that is definitely directly descended from Point, but not a slavish follow-up. Opening with the title track, the tone is thoughtful, yet playful; guitar figures flirt with smooth, bland ambience but never succumb to torpor. He's so adept at structure and tempo that just when you think you are being led down a blind alley you find a treated guitar part fizzing off into the distance, ending with a wonderful piece of playing where the tune collapses into itself.
"Fit Song" and "Breezin'" introduce a metronomic rhythm that combines 80s synth stabs with percussion and guitars. This gives you a sense of familiarity offset by an impending sense of mayhem. Mayhem, of course, never fully descends, but the whole album carries a great sense of restrained fun; this being far more sexy than the full monty!
The Kings Of Convenience make a subtle appearance on both ''Omstart'' and ''Music'' and the album ends with the most surreally appealing version of Dean Martin's lightweight lullaby ''Sleep Warm'' that you will ever hear. Surreal, innocent, playful, structural, loopy and well...refreshing. --Guy Hayden
Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
It must be overwhelming for an artist like Cornelius to make a mega-masterpiece like "Point," and be expected to follow it up with something just as good, if not better.
And Cornelius manages to do pretty well with "Sensuous," his third full-length album, and his first in five long years. While it doesn't measure up to his last album, "Sensuous" does manage to be a charming, atmospheric little collection of quirky pop music.
It opens with the title track, an ambient little guitar melody that never goes anywhere much -- but it's redeemed by the staccato guitar and colourful sampling patchwork of "Fit Song." I suppose it's called that because Cornelius "fits" dozens of odd little sounds into the song, over the sputtery guitar and manic drums. It's wonderfully eccentric.
From there, Cornelius mingles electronic experimentation with sparkling sound effects and charming, almost childlike melodies. Hiccuping piano melodies and folky guitar, interrupted by digital blips and a CD spinning. Funky electronica that sparkles like a gem. Revving guitars that tumble into a heart-racing melody. Unstoppable "tick... tock" electropop. And a shimmering, soaring "Like A Rolling Stone," which sounds like wind chimes being diddled.
It takes a little while to listen to "Sensuous" objectively. The ghost of "Point" keeps looming over this album, and at first listen it's easy to think, "Oh, this isn't nearly as good as 'Point' was."
But as the album winds through soundscapes of the bizarre and beautiful, the real intent of "Sensuous" starts to come out. There are almost too many musical ideas crammed in here, with brief sparks of typical pop. Then Cornelius's offbeat jams move on and continue taking themselves apart.
The backbone of the music itself is plucked guitar, like a two-fingered street musician, but wrapped in heavy cocoons of shimmering synth, avant-garde stylings, and odd samples here and there. Cornelius's soft vocals bob in occasionally, usually singing some particular phrase ("Muuuuuu-siiiiiic...").
But let it be established that this isn't a GREAT album; the songs have little structure, and there's some songs that are definitely filler. It rides through on atmosphere and avant-garde beauty, and the complexities that begin to emerge after more than one listen -- feelings of drowsiness, sadness, complacency, and exuberance.
But even lesser Cornelius is better than most music, and while "Sensuous" may be his weakest work, it's still a beautiful piece of work. Definitely worth listening to -- just don't compare it to "Point."
And Cornelius manages to do pretty well with "Sensuous," his third full-length album, and his first in five long years. While it doesn't measure up to his last album, "Sensuous" does manage to be a charming, atmospheric little collection of quirky pop music.
It opens with the title track, an ambient little guitar melody that never goes anywhere much -- but it's redeemed by the staccato guitar and colourful sampling patchwork of "Fit Song." I suppose it's called that because Cornelius "fits" dozens of odd little sounds into the song, over the sputtery guitar and manic drums. It's wonderfully eccentric.
From there, Cornelius mingles electronic experimentation with sparkling sound effects and charming, almost childlike melodies. Hiccuping piano melodies and folky guitar, interrupted by digital blips and a CD spinning. Funky electronica that sparkles like a gem. Revving guitars that tumble into a heart-racing melody. Unstoppable "tick... tock" electropop. And a shimmering, soaring "Like A Rolling Stone," which sounds like wind chimes being diddled.
It takes a little while to listen to "Sensuous" objectively. The ghost of "Point" keeps looming over this album, and at first listen it's easy to think, "Oh, this isn't nearly as good as 'Point' was."
But as the album winds through soundscapes of the bizarre and beautiful, the real intent of "Sensuous" starts to come out. There are almost too many musical ideas crammed in here, with brief sparks of typical pop. Then Cornelius's offbeat jams move on and continue taking themselves apart.
The backbone of the music itself is plucked guitar, like a two-fingered street musician, but wrapped in heavy cocoons of shimmering synth, avant-garde stylings, and odd samples here and there. Cornelius's soft vocals bob in occasionally, usually singing some particular phrase ("Muuuuuu-siiiiiic...").
But let it be established that this isn't a GREAT album; the songs have little structure, and there's some songs that are definitely filler. It rides through on atmosphere and avant-garde beauty, and the complexities that begin to emerge after more than one listen -- feelings of drowsiness, sadness, complacency, and exuberance.
But even lesser Cornelius is better than most music, and while "Sensuous" may be his weakest work, it's still a beautiful piece of work. Definitely worth listening to -- just don't compare it to "Point."
Format:Audio CD
I like the fact that the previous reviewer entered an identical review 3 times. This reflects the album well - a sublime demonstration of the art of repetition. I disagree that this album is weaker than 'Point' however. It is almost as if Cornelius is distilling his work down to its purest essence from the ridiculously widescreen Fantasma through the laser point of, well, 'Point' on to the vaporous feeling of 'Sensuous'. I think this album is amazing in its own right.
Cornelius seems to have total mastery of the studio and the production on this album is staggeringly precise and beautiful. It begs to be played loud to appreciate the total craft that has obviously gone into it.
It is hard to believe this was made in 2007 it sounds so far ahead of its time. Bands like Battles have clearly been taking notes. Yet this album goes much further than pure electropop and is almost impossible to pigeon hole. Beach Boys c1969 would be one reference point... Despite this 'Sensuous' does absolutely its own thing. Cornelius only seems to produce one album every 5 years and by my maths we are due another in 2012 which is something to be celebrated!
Cornelius seems to have total mastery of the studio and the production on this album is staggeringly precise and beautiful. It begs to be played loud to appreciate the total craft that has obviously gone into it.
It is hard to believe this was made in 2007 it sounds so far ahead of its time. Bands like Battles have clearly been taking notes. Yet this album goes much further than pure electropop and is almost impossible to pigeon hole. Beach Boys c1969 would be one reference point... Despite this 'Sensuous' does absolutely its own thing. Cornelius only seems to produce one album every 5 years and by my maths we are due another in 2012 which is something to be celebrated!
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
It must be overwhelming for an artist like Cornelius to make a mega-masterpiece like "Point," and be expected to follow it up with something just as good, if not better.
And Cornelius manages to do pretty well with "Sensuous," his third full-length album, and his first in five long years. While it doesn't measure up to his last album, "Sensuous" does manage to be a charming, atmospheric little collection of quirky pop music.
It opens with the title track, an ambient little guitar melody that never goes anywhere much -- but it's redeemed by the staccato guitar and colourful sampling patchwork of "Fit Song." I suppose it's called that because Cornelius "fits" dozens of odd little sounds into the song, over the sputtery guitar and manic drums. It's wonderfully eccentric.
From there, Cornelius mingles electronic experimentation with sparkling sound effects and charming, almost childlike melodies. Hiccuping piano melodies and folky guitar, interrupted by digital blips and a CD spinning. Funky electronica that sparkles like a gem. Revving guitars that tumble into a heart-racing melody. Unstoppable "tick... tock" electropop. And a shimmering, soaring "Like A Rolling Stone," which sounds like wind chimes being diddled.
It takes a little while to listen to "Sensuous" objectively. The ghost of "Point" keeps looming over this album, and at first listen it's easy to think, "Oh, this isn't nearly as good as 'Point' was."
But as the album winds through soundscapes of the bizarre and beautiful, the real intent of "Sensuous" starts to come out. There are almost too many musical ideas crammed in here, with brief sparks of typical pop. Then Cornelius's offbeat jams move on and continue taking themselves apart.
The backbone of the music itself is plucked guitar, like a two-fingered street musician, but wrapped in heavy cocoons of shimmering synth, avant-garde stylings, and odd samples here and there. Cornelius's soft vocals bob in occasionally, usually singing some particular phrase ("Muuuuuu-siiiiiic...").
But let it be established that this isn't a GREAT album; the songs have little structure, and there's some songs that are definitely filler. It rides through on atmosphere and avant-garde beauty, and the complexities that begin to emerge after more than one listen -- feelings of drowsiness, sadness, complacency, and exuberance.
But even lesser Cornelius is better than most music, and while "Sensuous" may be his weakest work, it's still a beautiful piece of work. Definitely worth listening to -- just don't compare it to "Point."
And Cornelius manages to do pretty well with "Sensuous," his third full-length album, and his first in five long years. While it doesn't measure up to his last album, "Sensuous" does manage to be a charming, atmospheric little collection of quirky pop music.
It opens with the title track, an ambient little guitar melody that never goes anywhere much -- but it's redeemed by the staccato guitar and colourful sampling patchwork of "Fit Song." I suppose it's called that because Cornelius "fits" dozens of odd little sounds into the song, over the sputtery guitar and manic drums. It's wonderfully eccentric.
From there, Cornelius mingles electronic experimentation with sparkling sound effects and charming, almost childlike melodies. Hiccuping piano melodies and folky guitar, interrupted by digital blips and a CD spinning. Funky electronica that sparkles like a gem. Revving guitars that tumble into a heart-racing melody. Unstoppable "tick... tock" electropop. And a shimmering, soaring "Like A Rolling Stone," which sounds like wind chimes being diddled.
It takes a little while to listen to "Sensuous" objectively. The ghost of "Point" keeps looming over this album, and at first listen it's easy to think, "Oh, this isn't nearly as good as 'Point' was."
But as the album winds through soundscapes of the bizarre and beautiful, the real intent of "Sensuous" starts to come out. There are almost too many musical ideas crammed in here, with brief sparks of typical pop. Then Cornelius's offbeat jams move on and continue taking themselves apart.
The backbone of the music itself is plucked guitar, like a two-fingered street musician, but wrapped in heavy cocoons of shimmering synth, avant-garde stylings, and odd samples here and there. Cornelius's soft vocals bob in occasionally, usually singing some particular phrase ("Muuuuuu-siiiiiic...").
But let it be established that this isn't a GREAT album; the songs have little structure, and there's some songs that are definitely filler. It rides through on atmosphere and avant-garde beauty, and the complexities that begin to emerge after more than one listen -- feelings of drowsiness, sadness, complacency, and exuberance.
But even lesser Cornelius is better than most music, and while "Sensuous" may be his weakest work, it's still a beautiful piece of work. Definitely worth listening to -- just don't compare it to "Point."
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
