Hanegi Koen

The Nature of Nature

Tokidoki
Mikan
Hanfubuki
Tsuyu
Barley Wine
Kaminari

About The Nature of Nature

SBTMP024

‘The Nature of Nature’ is the debut LP by Hanegi Koen, the Japan-based creative duo composed of British filmmaker Sam King and Canadian label head Sean Mallion (ADSR Collective). Picking up where they left off with their 2021 EP ‘Well Worth A Visit’, this album continues the legacy of spaced-out ambient guitars and driving analog beats the band nicely cued up for us. It has continuity from their previous work, going even deeper this time, further defining the contours of their sound.

As the title suggests, Nature was a big influence on the record. Many of the track titles are from the season they were recorded in – for example, ‘Hanafubuki’, when the cherry blossoms fall, ‘Tsuyu’, the rainy season, or ‘Kaminari’ which was written during a crazy thunderstorm. The sights and sounds of those times are reflected in the tracks, with field recordings helping to supplement the atmosphere.

Hanegi’s founding ethos of only using analog instruments and drum machines to compose and perform, minimizing the need for the computer as an interface, is alive and well in this album. The tracks got tested in front of an audience and improved on, based on feedback from playing them live, leading to a psychedelic, synth-rich, analog journey.

“We like all things analog. We both use computers and digital screens a fair amount in our day job, so it’s nice to give our eyes a rest from that and allow the music to be created from everything we have on the table. Similarly vinyl records, film photography, and simply walking around outside in the forest – all these things are a way of slowing down and escaping the digital world.”

Greatly influenced by the wild contrasting outdoors of their home in Japan, the mountains, forests, and ocean, ‘The Nature of Nature’ is an open invitation to unplug to reconnect, a feeling that Hanegi Koen want to share with you.

Cover Artwork by Laine Butler.

Release Date: August 18, 2023.

Limited edition vinyl is available via our Bandcamp Store.

Credits

Written and composed by Sean Mallion and Sam King.
Mixed by Aoki Takamasa.
Mastering by Manmade Mastering.
Album art by Laine Butler.
Design by Rocco Tyndale.