- Lots of grime producers pay homage to video game music, but few do it quite like Yamaneko. His long, flowy compositions evoke golden-era Japanese RPGs, and he incorporates actual video game music into his transportive mixes. Mr. Mitch, on the other hand, has a real-world perspective, overloading his grime with heartsick feelings. The two come together for the first time as Yaroze Dream Suite, and their self-titled debut EP is as floaty and delicate as you'd expect.
Yamaneko and Mr. Mitch complement each other as often as they clash. Opener "Pixel Dreams" is as sweet as they come, built on meringue-light synths and an earnest synth lead that could pass for The Postal Service. On "Awakening," however, Mr. Mitch's pitched-down vocal feels like an intrusion, poking holes in the gossamer instrumental. The reverb-soaked "Spirit Temple" is based on a percussive skeleton so faint that it's more of a shadow of grime.
The pair's collaboration with Hannah Mack is the EP's jewel. As fluffy and light as "Pixel Dreams," "In The Moonlight" feels like it's barely there. In a stroke of genius, the producers bring in a saxophone sample that sounds weary, as if it was recorded from an iffy AM radio signal. Hannah Mack's vocal feels hurt, translating video game music's otherworldly drama into real-world emotions. "In The Moonlight" is where Yaroze Dream Suite transcend their influences and produce something new and inspired.
TracklistA1 Pixel Dreams
A2 In The Moonlight feat. Hannah Mack
B1 Awakening
B2 Spirit Temple