Night Driver EP

SAISEI founder Junki Inoue continues his vital archival work uncovering Japan’s distinctive electronic music scene. HERO U.D.A., known as Hiroyoshi Udaka, has roots dating to the late 80s. His sound evolved during his DJing journey from Japan to London and back, playing at institutions like London’s The End. The tracks on this EP, recorded between 2002 and 2005, sound strikingly modern today. They are characterized by deceptively simple grooves enriched with diverse textures. Tracks feature broken beat, acid jazz, and dub influences, epitomized in ‘On The Way’ with its dubby pads and sparse drums. ‘Sin City’ explores darker tones with off-key pianos, while ‘222AM’ reframes early 2000s aesthetics, providing new life to these treasures.