Nik Weston Presents Sakura Aural Bliss

DJ Magazine, No 54, Vol 3 Nov/Dec 2003
"this is pure pleasure - a real tantric shag from start to finish. 5/5"

Product Description
Nik Weston has been collecting and spinning music for over twenty years now and has DJ'd with a laundry list of luminaries including Peanut Butter Wolf, Tricky, Richard Dorfmeister, Phil Asher, Marlena Shaw, Fertile Ground, US 3, DJ Krush and even Courtney Pine. He's been a monthly DJ resident at Russ Dewbury's legendary Brighton Jazz Rooms (which has been running every Friday and Saturday for the last fifteen years) for the last four years and regularly spins all over the globe . The last few years have seen him spinning extensively across Europe but he's also played in Russia, Canada, Australia and completed four DJ tours of Japan.Sakura Aural Bliss is an excursion into the sound of Japan’s electronic underground. Nik has gathered a selection of well established producers like Yukihiro Fukutomi, United Future Organization, Chari Chari and Calm to rub shoulders with lesser-known producers with no compromise on quality. A varied musical journey that takes no prisoners, this album takes its influences from jazz, ambient, deep house, brazilian, afro and beyond as we immerse ourselves in this melodious blend of music from the "Land of the Rising Sun".

Nik Weston Presents Sakura Aural Bliss

Tracks:

Amniotic - Electric Sheep
Voyage The Sky (DJ Kou-G Remix) Grooveman Spot
Summerhaze - Speedometer
Mr. Blank - Takayuki Shiraishi
Por Do Sol - United Future Organization
Aquasphere - Cosmic Village
Dubbing For the Nature #2 Waltz for the Virgin Forest - Calm
Summerjam - Takuya
Times 24h by Starlight (Mark de Clive-Lowe Remix) - Sunaga T Experience
Above The Cloud - Calm
Across The Universe (Frankie Valentine's Late Nite Rendez-vous) - Chari Chari
Sketch on Banana Paper - Calm
Drifting (Raw Deal Mix) - Yukihiro Fukutomi
El Sol - Shiba
Aphrodisiac - Watusi (Coldfeet)

Album Description

Nik Weston has been collecting and spinning music for over twenty years now and has DJ'd with a laundry list of luminaries including Peanut Butter Wolf, Tricky, Richard Dorfmeister, Phil Asher, Marlena Shaw, Fertile Ground, US 3, DJ Krush and even Courtney Pine. He's been a monthly DJ resident at Russ Dewbury's legendary Brighton Jazz Rooms (which has been running every Friday and Saturday for the last fifteen years) for the last four years and regularly spins all over the globe . The last few years have seen him spinning extensively across Europe but he's also played in Russia, Canada, Australia and completed four DJ tours of Japan.Sakura Aural Bliss is an excursion into the sound of Japan's electronic underground. Nik has gathered a selection of well established producers like Yukihiro Fukutomi, United Future Organization, Chari Chari and Calm to rub shoulders with lesser-known producers with no compromise on quality. A varied musical journey that takes no prisoners, this album takes its influences from jazz, ambient, deep house, brazilian, afro and beyond as we immerse ourselves in this melodious blend of music from the "Land of the Rising Sun".

Customer Reviews:

Sakura Aural Bliss Delivers Just That.......2004-08-01

Kriztal delivers a blend of exotic electronica from Japan's creative underground--jazz, ambient, deep house, Brazilian, Afro and more. Selected and mixed by Nik Weston, the listener is treated to some dazzling beats that cover a wide spectrum of sounds, influences, and moods. "Summer Haze" by SPEEDOMETER [cut 3] just about took my socks off. The beat is augmented with exotic tones, sounds, and effects. Somehow all of it flows together into a superb song. Not to be outdone, TAKAYUKI SHIRAISHI dazzles with his "Mr. Blank." It is ultra-chic, exotic, and highly listenable though some of the sounds may wear on some listeners. I just dug it. "Por Do Sol" by UFO or United Future Organization took us into a Latin/Brazil mood with this exotic effort. The vocal and acoustic guitar work stand out here. Then comes the interesting Aquasphere" by COSMIC VILLAGE. CALM offers a modern jazz work [with a strange title] that has so many dimensions to it that I choose it as one of my favorite tracks. Check out the scatty and rangy vocal and the great bass action! Actually it's ALL good.

"Summerjam" is more funky/jazzy electronica. It is like eating a potato chip--can't have (eat) just one listen. The 'reverse' or 'clipping/cut-off' effect was extremely annoying though--I thought my CD player was losing it. SUNAGA T EXPERIENCE presents a hip tune with hot DJ work and plenty of scratching but that doesn't overpower the music. The groove is real and the song is fun. I was impressed with the way everything came together. It is a really catchy tune with a groove that is irresistible. The song then melts into cut 10 "Above the Cloud" by CALM. Here the focus is on a strong beat for underpinning and electronica riding above it. I'd love to see a live band play this. The 'percussion' aspect is superb.

A lush, pretty piano highlights a more nuanced work on track #12 by CHARI CHARI. We next get more of CALM with "Sketch on Banana Paper" a song that gives us a feel of island life. The bright rhythmic beats are hypnotic and the forward-looking sense of this number make it possibly the best thing on the CD. Musically and as far as aural pleasure this cut is simply awesome! It's so lively I think this cut could make a skeleton dance.

YUKIHIRO FUKUTOMI gives us "Drifting", another track in the sense of the previous one but with more texture and less groove. A solid winner. "El Sol" [the Sun] by SHIBA exudes the musical equivalent of light beams. A work that brings together many layers and instruments to create this prism/cut music of light. It may be jazz fusion with electronica and other genres but it works. WATUSI closes out the project with "Aphrodisiac." The horn sounds here are bright and the other sounds and instruments make for an interesting effect.

This album is a solid vehicle for introducing music lovers to a whole new kind of highly creative and listenable music. It gets my highest recommendation.

Beautiful music.......2003-12-07

it's hard for me to classify this, I don't know what genre this is, perhaps acid-jazz? I don't know, but I love the way the whole CD sounds, very relaxing, very happy-sounding, soothing. Rather jazzy, 100-120bpm, mellow electronika.

recommend: Vintage Chill Vol 3: Autumn

Album Review: