Rave culture started late in Japan, gaining traction in the early 90s as club music changed overseas. Having reached a point of critical mass, dance genres were trying to reinvent themselves. Some artists were bringing back the momentum and turning their attention to ravers looking for an escape from the energy of the floor. British duo KLF started out in booming stadium house and helped pioneer and dream of the wooliest ambient house. Soon after, Warp released their first Artificial intelligence series, planting the seeds of what would eventually become known as IDM. These records resonated with Japanese producers as they prepared to build their own scene from scratch.
Virtual Dreams II: Ambient Explorations in the House & Techno Age, Japan 1993-1999put together by record label owner Eiji Taniguchi and the late Music From Memory co-founder Jamie Tiller, tells the story of how Japanese DJs and dancers found their own way to the dance floor. These early forays into techno were quieter affairs than their western counterparts. Ambient sound provided an interesting detour to European and American dance music, but it was on the minds of many Japanese artists from the beginning. Katsuya Hironaka's “Pause,” for example, incorporates an impressive four-on-the-floor rhythm, but only briefly, instead drawing your ear to shimmering tones below and a low-pitched roar of a field that registers as it falls. It's the start of something new, but also an extension of Japan's atmospheric boom from the previous decade.
One artist who played a key role in these early years is Ken Ishii, who set the tone with his slower, more cerebral approach. In 1992, while still a college student, he sent a demo tape to Belgian techno titans R&S — and to his surprise, the label signed him. His records began to be played around the world and propelled him to the position of ambassador for his country's dance scene. Ishii's decision to release his second album, Reference to Differenceas the flagship release on Japanese imprint Sublime was significant. it gave the label a boost, giving them the funds and name recognition to seek out more talent. One of those early signings was Akio and Okihide, who themselves had some international success on the UK label Rising High. On “Phoenix at Desert” they eschew propulsive beats almost entirely, taking Ishii's toolbox of tremulous tones and stretching them to infinity. Already, a common musical language was developing.
