Augen – Kawaii
Augen is the artist name of Portuguese DJ Gabi Van Dub. Active in the emerging Portuguese electronic scene since the late nineties, he has been spinning records here and there in partnership with event promoters Quest4Goa and the independent Womblabel. His debut as Augen is titled “Kawaii” and is published by MiMi Records, a Portuguese netlabel dedicated to promoting Japanese and Portuguese music alone.
The release is described as “5 songs that lead us to a look [sic] almost dreamlike embryonic world, nature will always operate independently of human cycles. A look from the moss from the morning dew, a calm look on the rush of the world and their archetypes through ambient techno sounds sometimes dark but will view with clarity of thought.”
It starts off with some peaceful drones on the first track and builds up into a rhythm during the second. The laidback ambient electronics remain the focal point of the music throughout the entire release. The sounds are contemplative, passing you by, revolving around subdued sounds loops and soft pads. It’s not the best thing since the invention of sliced bread, but it does radiate a sense of deep calm and immersive atmosphere, which is nice if you’re looking for music to let yourself go.
Also worth mentioning is the excellent cute cover which fits nicely with the serene sounds. I fail to acknowledge the same connection between the tracks and the album title though. But it might also be me just being picky.
When the moss sleeps (Green Zobo’s Subductive drone mix)
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Augen - Kawaii,
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The album title (可愛い = Kawaii) means “cute”. So at least the cover and the title fit, but that’s indeed not the word I would use to describe the music.
Hmm, interesting music…but! Think I’m with Simon as the music and the cover/title don’t seem to match much. Not sure I was expecting much anyway from a label that dedicates itself to specific countries?