Speedometer. – Private

Another underrated Japanese gem picked up in recent years by the YouTube algorithm, Private is the third album by Osaka-based producer Jun Takayama aka Speedometer. Highly recommended for fans of Rei Harakami, Nobukazu Takemura, Yoshinori Sunahara, and the Major Force crew, Private draws bits from all the downtempo and trip-hop greats (think Kruder & Dorfmeister, Mixmaster Morris, DJ Shadow) while retaining a certain stylish, modern, and urban aesthetic that’s uniquely Japanese. A variety of samples are deftly employed across the album’s ten tracks ranging from blistering saxophone solo, psychedelic guitars, spoken Japanese, and dial tones while scratching and digital production techniques place the sounds firmly within the CD-era. With the current state of affairs, 2000 feels like a distant dream — a world where technology held such promise and beauty…