Dark Model is Tatsuya Oe, a highly acclaimed crafter of heavy-beat electronic music who has collaborated with the likes of James Brown and Serge Gainsbourg, in addition to opening for David Bowie and Kraftwerk. Those are just a few of the 200 or so artists he’s collaborated with. Oe remains in high demand because he creates a completely idiosyncratic style of electronica, one that can be found pulsating at clubs just as likely as at the desk of a music critic impressed with Oe’s broad stylistic grasp. Oe has a cinematic element throughout his music, epitomized by numerous aspects of his new eponymous album under Dark Model, which you can purchase on iTunes here.
“Close to Infinity” features action-packed climactic percussion that rolls like a stampede; it would be great as chase scene music in a futuristic action movie. In similarly ambitious fashion, “Onibio (Demon Fire)” incorporates stirring strings and woodwinds within a furious percussive backdrop. His use of strings throughout evokes a powerful feel akin to Steve Jablonsky’s film scores. One of the most impressive tracks on the album is “Fate”, a glitchy electro-funk hybrid led by bursts of strings, ominous keys, and stuttering percussion. The track’s second half features strings in more prominent form, once again reminding listeners that Oe is capable of using any instrument in the orchestral arsenal to elevate his sound to excitingly dizzying heights.
