A term coined in the ’80s in Japan to define a physiological and psychological exercise, shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, doesn’t involve any actual water or shedding of clothes. Instead, all that forest bathing entails is simply just taking in nature and immersing yourself in all its glory. Here, 13 artists contribute one tune each that celebrates this Japanese art.<\/p>\n
World Standard starts the listen with \u201cShin Rin Yoku,\u201d where soft ambience moves with a meditative quality that approaches New Age ideas with birds chirping, heavenly wordless singing and much dreaminess.<\/p>\n
This soothing theme then continues to the mesmerizing and pretty \u201cAsian Forest Rockers\u201d by Thrushez, as well as the gentle keys and hypnotic appeal of the blurry \u201cTwo Lights,\u201d where Lo Mismo textures the setting precisely. The highlight from the first half, Accou’s \u201c0002 1-Audio-8,\u201d then manipulates a spacey sort of delivery with both synthetic and organic exploration. <\/p>\n
The back half of the listen offers the shimmering and stirring \u201cNapping In The Sky,\u201d where Hudson Glover’s use of analog synth and pop ideas are quite inventive. Meanwhile, CHAM’s \u201cREI\u201d twinkles with meticulous use of percussive sounds amid a very unpredictable landscape. <\/p>\n
The standout track on this portion, Matthew J Van Howe’s \u201cWe Walked Among The Voices Of Trees,\u201d then uses repetition strategically as field recordings are timed out well in the clever and original composition. <\/p>\n