Dario Boente & Huge in Japan, Huge in Japan

by michael sutton

Remember the multiracial soup that dwelled within the high-tech world of the 1982 science-fiction classic Blade Runner? The music of Dario Boente & Huge in Japan would’ve fit squarely into that world. This is not rock & roll, and nor is it the ordinary electronica that usually booms from club speakers. Boente is striving for something more revolutionary, using techno as a backdrop to slyly familiarize us with exotic sounds from all over the world. Some of it will be instantly recognizable, such as the Oriental effects in “Cara A Cara,” but the context is always spellbinding, like the clash of London techno and Latin drums on “Bahia.” In “Electric Heart,” Boente unveils his fine piano playing to a percolating backbeat. Mixing electronica with world music, spoken word, and jazz, Boente has actually produced an insanely varied record that somehow retains its focus and pop accessibility. It’s a unique beast ready to be studied and hustled to.

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