What is instantly engaging about Ritual Union is the songs are almost naked; every track delicately introducing each individual sound to create bright, colourful melodies, rather than a bombardment of sound. The album is created with a series of synthesized building blocks, but still radiates warmth, encouraged out of each song by Yukimi Nagano’s sensual vocals.
Title track Ritual Union travels along to a slight drum beat while eccentric keyboard sounds work their way around. You can almost see the colours all intertwining as Nagano sings in a smooth almost-whisper. It maintains a reserved charm while still exhuming all the elements of a dance-able pop song. Shuffle A Dream is an ’80s-esque dark pop number; a heavy bass line bouncing along as an arpeggiated melody pierces its way through a crowded dance floor. Summertearz creates images of a damp jungle; vocal harmonies floating around in the background creating a tribal chant, while Seconds sounds like the 8-bit soundtrack to a computer game, each pixel of sound put in its place to finish the album off.
Best Track: Shuffle A Dream
If You Like These, You’ll Like: Upstairs at Eric’s YAZOO
In A Word: Unadorned
