Crucial early work from the Japanese master of digital minimalism – like Thomas Köner or Lustmord, but with more bass.

Ryoji Ikeda needs no introduction here – the Japanese composer and A/V originator has been impressing the world with his game-changing hi-frequency rhythmic loops and stark monochromatic visuals since the mid 1990s, and has never gone astray. This special Sähkö vinyl EP combines two of Ikeda’s most important early pieces, ‘Luxus 1-3’ from his 1995-released solo debut “1000 Fragments” and ‘Space (Altered Version)’, from 1998’s “Time and Space”. Both pieces highlight why Ikeda is an enduring presence in minimal electronic music, but reveal vastly different sounds than you might expect if you’ve only peeped later material like “dataplex” and “Supercodex”.

‘Luxus 1-3’ is beautifully deep, almost orchestral as it melts from pulsing, harmonic ambience into gloomy resonance, sounding as if you’re trapped at the bottom of a gigantic steel drum. ‘Space (Altered Version)’ begins to sound more like the Ikeda we recognize, with trunk-rattling sub-bass stabs and ultrasonic glitches dancing around a doomy, dissonant drone that creeps ever closer. It’s startling, essential work from Ikeda that bridges the gap between gloomy dark ambient and the glossy, iced-over hi-design minimalism of Raster Noton.