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“Kakashi has sweet moments of its own, and its own sensibility. "Suiren"'s jaunty jazz pop layers, bubbling up in intensity, spill over into the title track, which is filled with martial snares and percolating marimba lines. Shimizu touches on ska, dub and jazz but ultimately creates his own trajectory. "Semi Tori No Hi" surfaced on the crucial Better Days compilation last year, and it remains a standout here, alternating between placid new age vibes—shimmering chimes, strummed harps—and soulful horn bursts. The mellow part of Shimizu's sound carries on into "Kono Yoni Yomeri (Sono 2)," where his clarinet plays solemnly as crickets chirp.” – Resident Advisor

“Shimizu isn’t the only player here, but he wields his mates like they’re extensions of his one-man band of surprises. “Koni Yoni Yomeri (Sono 1)” starts with a sampled, distorted trumpet loop with somber synth washes adding background texture before a dramatic piano line subtly shifts the tone. “Semi Tori No Hi” builds around a soothing vocal loop and a minimal drum figure that sets up a central brass figure inspired by Albert Ayler, but this is more soothing than anything the alto sax iconoclast ever came up with. On any given track, Kakashi is likely to shift from ambient to jazz to Japanese folk to some hybrid impossible to label, and that is part of the joy of such music. You can hear the artist’s exuberance in his rhythmic, melodic search. Sometimes, he even pauses the eclectic button for a moment of reflection: “Koni Yoni Yomeri (Sono 2)” is a meditative bass clarinet solo, accompanied only by the soft sound of chirping crickets.” – Spectrum Culture

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