Soundtrack: Akamatsu - Seminky (2024)

76 / 100

Seminky is an ambitious, experimental, and surprisingly colorful release for Ricco Label, showcasing Rémi Quéron’s versatility as Akamatsu.

After spending time with several releases from various artists, I began to feel lost about where to head next since my playlist was filled with different genres. So, I decided to divide them into groups of related genres to make reviewing and comparison easier, though that means others might not fully understand since some of these artists are relatively obscure. Lol :v

After accidentally diving into melodic death metal, I moved on to Akamatsu with the album Seminky, which connects back to Велосипед до Токио and reminds me quite a bit of 3epkano. Both in terms of musical character and geographical closeness, Akamatsu feels nearer to 3epkano. This is an electronica/neoclassical/post-rock project based in Nantes, France, led by a single composer, Rémi Quéron.

Seminky was released on September 26, 2024 via Ricco Label, which usually signs Japanese projects such as Anoice, Tokyo Ambient Collective, and Yuki Murata so making it somewhat surprising that they took on a European artist. Rémi didn’t work alone, though. The album, recorded in both France and the Czech Republic, features contributions from nine musicians, including Czech double-bassist Petr Tichý, cellist Suzanne Fischer, and others. Their specific roles are listed per track on Bandcamp or elsewhere.

I noticed two distinct moods across the ten soundtrack-like songs; first, emotional-melancholic, typical of modern classical/post-rock, heard in “Rusalki,” “Nantes,” “Novembre,” “Longeville,” and “Là.” Second is playful/comedic, leaning into electronica/psychedelic pop, with “Volyně” sitting somewhere between the two. This creates a stark contrast with 3epkano’s At Land, which is much darker and more barren.

Although pop-leaning, the drums used are manual rather than programmed, emphasizing cymbals, hi-hats, rim clicks, and snare strikes without significant bass effects, particularly in “Saint Loup,” “Cuisine-Chimie,” “Cordata,” and “Schneider Swing.” Synthesizers also play a key role, such as the bubbling synthetic pops in “Saint Loup” and being the most unique element here. Synth also appears in “Volyně,” but in “Là” it feels disruptive, even though it gradually fades, leaving only about four good minutes in that six minutes track.

Annaïck Domergue provides spoken words in French over emotional piano on “Nantes,” music box chimes on “Longeville,” and post-rock arrangements on “Là.” Unfortunately, no lyrics are available, and I would have preferred the spoken word omitted, except perhaps in “Là,” though even there it’s hindered by the synth usage. Other ballad-style tracks include acoustic sections with Jono Heyes, which I prefer over the three spoken word-driven pieces, even though Suzanne Fischer’s cello adds undeniable beauty wherever it appears.

Thus, Seminky stands as a fairly experimental and energetic release compared to Anoice’s usual catalog on Ricco Label. Will the label continue to branch out this way? Hard to say. Personally, I’d prefer they continue to focus on Japan’s local scene, which I believe better fits their atmospheric and emotional signature.

In the end, “Nantes,” “Longeville,” and “Là” require careful consideration before entering my favorites playlist. “Rusalki” is bright and jazzy but doesn’t fully stick with me, leaving “Novembre” as the most likely to make the cut.