A silly name with which only a true otaku could get away, even raise an indulgent smile. Goth-Trad is hands down the most recognised name to emerge from the Japanese dubstep scene, although his involvement in electronica and digital dub is older than the genre itself. Upon arrival to the scene, Steve Goodman, aka Kode9, immediately anointed him magus of the East and UK dubstep royalty yelled “huzzah”.
Takeaki Maruyama has been making music since the late nineties and says dubstep attracted him because it seemed so open to suggestion. Like others who made a significant mark on the genre, he follows his own hydra-headed, Shiva-armed muse, thinking many thoughts and pointing in many directions at once. New Epoch is his fourth album but first to be released on an international label.
Goth-Trad is deep in bass and splattered with skittish beats that could be ascribed to the “trad” part of his moniker as far as dubstep is concerned, but rich and gothic in sonic detail. A self-styled “sound originator”, his abstract tendencies are corralled by the rhythmic demands of the genre. Tracks like ‘Strangers’ jump the fence, however, or rather levitate over it, while others run around in circles. Pleasant, symmetrical circles indeed, but this pony would probably prefer to prance wild.
In late 2011, he released a single with forgotten, classic roots singer Max Romeo that was absolutely irresistible. Happily, ‘Babylon Fall’ is included on New Epoch. Priest pleads passionately, his voice quaking to the quivering bass. The track serves as the album’s solid and serious fulcrum.
Like similarly gifted artists, I expect Maruyama to leave dubstep in his wake. Perhaps New Epoch is a sarcastic, but fond, farewell.
Stephen Fruitman
