Kohei Matsunaga has produced an impossibly large amount of music since the early '90s, ranging from minimalist experiments to noise to severely damaged hip-hop and techno. He often works in various combinations or variations of the names NHK (which originally formed as a duo in 2006) and Koyxen. Following three well-received LPs for Pan (after which label head Bill Kouligas apparently felt overwhelmed by Matsunaga's productivity and told him to stop sending tracks), the Japanese producer began releasing some of his most accessible material as
NHK yx Koyxen, with releases on well-regarded lo-fi techno labels like Diagonal and L.I.E.S. Following the 2016 full-length Doom Steppy Reverb, which was fine but a little too conventional,
Exit Entrance appears on DFA, and is immediately one of Matsunaga's most appealing releases. "Meeting" sets the tone with bubbly IDM melodies and crunchy, galloping beats that would fit on any number of Skam releases (the label issued Koyxen's collaboration with experimental hip-hop artist
Sensational back in 2010). "Intention" has pretty little
Kraftwerk-ian melodies sprinkled with echo, with a brisk electro beat stepping through. The brief "Dignity" is a sampling of his diseased hip-hop side, with a sinister beat framing an ugly bass growl that ends up bleeding into corroded feedback. "Mutually" is maybe the most club-friendly techno track here, particularly due to its lightly shuffling house beat, but its concentric melodies are likely to play tricks on unsuspecting brains. Matsunaga dedicated "Outset" to his friend and collaborator
Mika Vainio (of
Pan Sonic), who passed away earlier in 2017, and it's a touching (but not touchy-feely) piece combining upfront 4/4 thumping and piano-like notes with distant droning. "Dented" ends the album with a 12-minute acid techno meltdown that never gets too heavy or psychedelic, but its sheer repetition makes it suitably mind-altering. Similar to
Ekoplekz's Planet Mu releases, this seems like the best way to get acquainted with this staggeringly prolific artist, as it strikes an equal balance of rhythm, melody, and the artist's distinct personality. ~ Paul Simpson