Switzerland’s WRWTFWW continue their excavation of Japanese label FORM@’s archive. In the process, pressing previously CD-only late 90s sets onto 4 sides of desirable vinyl. Last year they got the ball rolling with 2 LPs from Yasutaka Sato aka Virgo. The impressive imprint now follow that with the compilations ART FORM 1 and 2. Released in 1997 and 1998, respectively, the albums contain a total of 21 tracks. The sleeves list 15 artists, but these are actually the pseudonyms of a slightly smaller crew of 11. The aforementioned Sato, for example, appears as not only Virgo but Fossil and Minerva as well. His First Epilogue is a romantic, robotic serenade, whose hushed hardware harmonies hark after Art Of Noise’s Moments In Love. 

Yuji Takenouchi is responsible for 2 highlights. As Tek Of 606 he contributes the mesmerising Moment Of The Decay. A techno track designed for both the head and the dance floor. Busy with acidic squiggles, while soothing swells dictate its mood. His Poisson D’Avril, recorded under the alias Missing Project, is a heavily Detroit-influenced drama of emotive synthesised sighs and strings. Shiny, sleek, its drums complex and restless, this was included on Music From Memory’s Virtual Dreams II – a collection that without a doubt helped alert the Western world to the wonders of FORM@’s back catalogue. Another ARTFORM standout, Shuichiro Nakazawa aka Modern Living’s beautiful Snow Bird, is so good that it’s been comped twice, making the cut for Virtual Dreams II, and also a 12 on Nik Weston’s Mukatsuku.

Kentaro Magari crops up first as Tensor, and then Dendrobium. The latter’s Ethereal slowly evolving from wheezy drum patterns and melodies, recalling the emissions of Being and Two Lone Swordsmen. The loops possess a live vibe, and together with some powerful, ponderous dub bass, the piece also summons the post-rock of Seefeel’s Quique. Here’s hoping that Magari’s long-player Combination is next on WRTFWW’s list. 

Yuki Uehara is the producer behind Misty Fizz, and In The End Of The Trip, a breakbeat derived bit of future-jazzy, Sci-Fi syncopation. Carefully clipped, chopped and occasionally spinning back, it’s light and limber. Dancing, swinging, summery, its keys switching between harpsichord tones and bleeps. Uehara also teams up with Masaki Akiyama, as Mag Net Walker for Slope, whose electric counterpoint and symphonic synths hit like a collaboration between Steve Reich and Carl Craig. Up lifting, trance-y but with any hint of a kick removed. 

Of Toh Chisei’s 2 tracks, Film, is a 9-minute masterpiece. Issued under the moniker, Micro Wave Assessment Chisei, this marries muted, dub techno textures with a fuck-off half-speed break. Boom bap bombastic, but Lo-Fi, grungy, distorted, its rattling resulting in room-shaking reverberations and head nodding mediations. The remix package, Re-Form Ver-1.0, is also on the way, but copies have yet to hit Japan.

ART FORM 1 and 2 can be ordered directly from WRWTFWW.