Takeo

𝘾𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙡𝙚-𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙮-𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙘𝙝𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙯, 𝙧𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙛𝙧𝙪𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙠𝙚𝙮𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙙-𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙫𝙞𝙗𝙚𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙘 𝙩𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙏𝙖𝙠𝙖𝙤’𝙨 "𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙀𝙣𝙙 𝙊𝙛 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙧𝙞𝙢" 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙟𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙣’𝙨 𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙣𝙫𝙞𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙘 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙤𝙛𝙩-𝙛𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙨 𝙠𝙚𝙮𝙗𝙤𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚.

Following the success of his 2018 album "Stealth," Takao expands his range here, trading some of the abstract, ambient tendencies for supple rhythms and sharper melodic development. Drawing inspiration from composers like Ken Muramatsu and Toshifumi Hinata—figures associated with Japan’s production music and easy listening traditions—Takao crafts an album that feels timeless yet forward-moving.

Guided by his private study with Ichiko Hashimoto (Colored Music) and mixed in part by veteran engineer Hiroshi Haraguchi (known for his work with Haruomi Hosono), the album benefits from seasoned craftsmanship and an ear for detail. The ten tracks include three vocal contributions by Yumea Horiike, Cristel Bere, and Atsuo Fujimoto (also of Colored Music), seamlessly woven into the flow rather than functioning as standalone songs.

With a blend of lush old-school synths, understated grooves, and gentle harmonic sophistication, "The End Of The Brim" evokes a warmth that sits somewhere between nostalgia and renewal. It is a record that inhabits its own universe—soft-focus, intimate, and quietly radiant.