Impulse by Yosi Horikawa

Originally trained in architecture and architectural acoustics, Japanese sound artist Yosi Horikawa has long explored the boundaries of music and space. His fascination with natural sound continues to shape his distinctive approach—crafting lush, textured electronic compositions from his field recordings and found sounds, from birdsong and city noise to the clatter of kitchen utensils After early acclaim for his EP 'Touch' (released via Eklektik Records), Horikawa joined the Red Bull Music Academy in 2011, collaborating with artists like Dorian Concept and Jesse Boykins III and earning support from tastemakers including BBC Radio 1's Benji B. His 2013 debut album 'Vapor' (released via First Word Records) was hailed by Japan Times, FACT Magazine, and Bandcamp as one of the year's best.

A nominee for sound design at the Gwangju Design Biennale (by renowned architect Kengo Kuma), Yosi has since performed at major festivals including Glastonbury, Sonar, Mutek, and Worldwide Festival. His 2019 album 'Spaces' was released via his own label Borrowed Scenery, co-founded with Daisuke Tanabe.

Beyond music, Horikawa is active in a range of sound-focused projects—from installations at Kew Gardens to sound design for Tokyo's HOWL bar. His recent soundtrack for the documentary 'A Trout in the Milk' earned multiple awards in 2023, further cementing his place as a singular voice in contemporary electronic music. Yosi now prepares to lift the lid on his latest offering, the immersive, shifting new album 'Impulse'.

Full of potent life energy, 'Impulse' weaves organic foley together with glistening futuristic production into a cohesive quilt of sound. Surging synth lines collide against propulsive rhythm sections, as sparkling melodies slowly illuminate overhead. The album is presented in Dolby Atmos Immersive Audio (as well as Stereo Sound), with the field recordings captured by a 360 Degree microphone, and arranged using a system of 10 speakers in Yosi's studio, using three dimensional skill and expertise. The resulting listening experience is one brimming with subtle movements and living, breathing tactility as waves crash, leaves crunch under foot and thunder growls in the misty distance.

On where he found his creative force during the creation of this album, Yosi explains: 'Looking back, one big influence on the album was the loss of my good friend. I now feel that the enormous difference between life and death is what creates the various contrasts in my album. I think I was unconsciously searching for a strong, lively sound, and at the same time I was trying to find a sound coming from afar.'


Brisk, bright and sprightly, 'Impulse' is an undulating record of immeasurable depth and endless expanse, this album pays tribute to the majesty of nature, and encapsulates what it is to be a part of the circle of life and death turning amidst the spinning blue marble we all inhabit.