Album Review: Marc Romboy & Ken Ishii - Taiyo

German techno and lush Japanese soundtrack electronica don't immediately strike one as the most comfortable of bedfellows, but it is those sounds that Marc Romboy and Ken Ishii bring to the table in their first collaborative release, Taiyo.

Both artists have been influential and active in the independent electro scenes since the early 1990s, and that experience is obvious from the opening notes of Gosa. Muted, pulsing bass tones throb in a classic four-on-the-floor rhythm, with fluttering hi-hat samples dancing over the top. This minimal approach to backing structure soon becomes a touchstone for the record. Gosa, and the seamlessly blended second track Seiun, use sparse beats as framing for the groovier and more dance-ready electronic jams the two play over the top. The result becomes less of a journey, a la Ishii's soundtrack work, and more of an insular 'dance on your own in the dark' affair.

The album holds together well, perhaps due to its fairly consistent moods and tones. This is dark electro with a sexier, more danceable streak than it might like to admit. Album highlight, the eight-minute Dopplereffekt hits experimental noise highs and brings the back down to the dancefloor with grace.

Never quite outright dance music yet always too groovy for introspective analytic listening, Taiyo is not quite perfect. The album succeeds to a certain point – this is a more than enjoyable 45 minutes – but the seven tracks here all hint at a more successful climax than any of them reach. Should these two collaborate again, the results could be masterful.