日本を代表するテクノ・アーティスト、ワタナベヒロシによるkaito名義ではLess Time Until The End以来、10年ぶりとなるレコード盤『Collection』をリリース。

近年kaito名義の作品はBandcampによるデジタルリリースが続き、ストラーダレコードに集まるレコードファンとしては作品はチェックするもレコード盤で手に入らない辛く厳しい期間が続きました。

本作品『Collection』は、Bandcampにてリリースされた作品を、このアルバムの為に新たに編集された作品集となっており、Bandcampの作品とは別バージョンとなる為、全てのタイトルの最後に(iF edit) と表記されています。

text by 工藤裕治 (gloaming studio)

01. Silent Cloud (Beat Version - iF edit)
02. Call From the Ground (iF edit)
03. Summer Mood (iF edit)
04. Summer Ocean (iF edit)
05. Silent Sky (iF edit)
06. A Life That Can Only Be Dream Now (iF edit)
07. Birds of Passage (iF edit)
08. Summer Sketch (Floating Through Space In A Dream - iF edit)
09. Nexus 2 (Beatless Version - iF edit)

Hiroshi Watanabe, a musician, photographer, and DJ from the Japanese electronic scene, based in Saitama near Tokyo, has been a prolific figure for twenty-five years. He has explored most major genres of electronic music through more than twenty albums. He proudly becomes the very first Japanese artist of InFiné. After Ryuichi Sakamoto, he is one of the very few Japanese artists who have gained the favor of Western audiences, alongside notable names such as Cornelius, Towa Tei, DJ Krush, Ken Ishii, Susumu Yokota, and more recently Hiroshi Yoshimura. In Europe, he is best known for his project Kaito, which began in 2001 under the prestigious Kompakt label. The name Kaito, in addition to being the name of his son born the same year, carries a double meaning in Japanese, signifying both "universe" and "secret." These references hint at a spirituality visible in his photographic work and contribute to the elements that make Japanese artists masters of the ambient genre. The collaboration between Kaito and the InFiné label began with his participation in the compilation "Music Activists 2020 (From Home)," which supported artists affected by the Covid crisis, followed by a remix for the single "Motion" by Rone and Vanessa Wagner in 2023. These initial contributions led to a new album featuring nine tracks of ambient music. Kaito's new album ‘Collection’ comprises nine ambient and melodic tracks composed during the Covid-19 pandemic. These compositions present a majestic minimal and harmonious therapy in response to the world’s adversities, showcasing the producer’s return to the peak of his art. ‘Collection’ was remastered by another genre legend, the German Rashad Becker, and released on vinyl and CD by InFiné in 2024.