Pinkunoizu // Free Time!

Pinkunoizu – Free Time! (Full Time Hobby)

Because I like to make snap judgements based on nothing in particular, I’ve got high hopes for this album. Based in Copenhagen and Berlin and named after the Japanese word for pink noise, this has to be a winner, right? As it turns out, yes, and so once again I can sit safe in the knowledge that I’m able to jump to conclusions on nothing more than a whim. This album is quite unpredictable, veering from beautiful to menacing via surf-style guitars and samples of one of those keyrings from the 1980s that made futuristic laser and explosion sounds. But everything works perfectly together. The vocals are always understated, with moments of folk-like harmony drenched in reverb somewhat reminiscent of Low, and the production is truly inspired, making the whole thing stand out further as a record that deserves to be listened to. This album is lo-fi, experimental, multi-layered, sparse and rich all at the same time and gets away with it in a way that not many could. There’s also elements of ‘60s Asian Pop thrown in for good measure which could stick out like a sore thumb but which actually feel like they’ve found a perfect place to call home in 2012 Denmark and Germany. Buy it and enjoy. 8/10 BBV