Satomimagae breathes new vitality into Awa, her beguiling debut album, revisited and expanded for its tenth anniversary. Originally recorded, mixed and mastered by Satomi between 2011 and 2012, Awa conveys the keen-eared, wide-eyed DIY approach to the songcraft that underpins Satomi’s signature combination of lyrical haze, acoustic guitar and environmental artifacts. More of a deep reverberation than a big bang, Awa is one of several origin stories within Satomi’s universe.

Ten years ago, Awa was self-released to a humble reception, sold as a CD by a few record shops. It was after finishing Hanazono, Satomi’s flowering sonic diorama from 2021, that she sought inspiration in her first album’s strange music. As is often the case with the earliest incarnations of an artist’s work, Satomi had once perceived her first album as lacking, flawed. But after a pause, its revisitation supplied freshness. More than simply a blueprint, Awa is matchless in its tactility and heart. It is a gift for devotees of her more recent work, rejuvenated by Satomi and remastered by Yuya Shito, in a new package designed by Will Work for Good.