Cohesion

The third full-length offering from London-based producer Masaaki Yoshida sees him turn his hand to material inspired by Bollywood soundtracks and Indian percussion. With his mind still geared towards the dance floor, it's a rousing listen at points. The album's standout moment is ‘Testimony’, a joyous track that employs Yoshida's trademark use of densely syncopated drums, distant yet urgent vocals and panoramic soundscapes. Fittingly, it's the first single from the release. While the percussion is a mainstay of the release, influences fly in from every angle. ‘Resistance’ is heavy on steel pan and country guitar bends – also a feature of the oddly named ‘Rasgueado’, which is largely devoid of any of the flamenco touches the title suggests – and there are even New Jack Swing elements on the funky ‘Serendipity’.

Cohesion is paradoxically far less cohesive than its predecessor Ceremonial; a wonderful record that continually excited with an identifiable sonic palate. There are more string arrangements here, which are welcomed, but there seems to be a calculated effort to appeal to the market occupied by chilled beat aficionados Bonobo, Emancipator and Gold Panda. While this is far from a disparaging comment, I can't help but feel that some of the magic of his initial records has been lost in translation.