Reviews

Chain D.L.K.Some collaborations feel inevitable, like two celestial bodies drawn into each other’s orbit. Others feel like alchemy - two distinct elements fused into something unexpected. "Mitochondria Johatsu", the second album by OdNu (Michel Mazza) and Ümlaut (Jeff Düngfelder), is a shimmering example of the latter. An intricate weaving of microsonic textures, decayed tape loops, and fleeting instrumental whispers, it feels like a transmission from a parallel dimension where sound dissolves into light.

The album's title is already a mystery in itself. Mitochondria - the powerhouses of the cell, the unseen energy keepers of life. Johatsu - the Japanese term for those who choose to disappear, vanish without a trace, ghosts of their own volition. The interplay of these two ideas - something hidden but essential, something vanishing yet ever-present - defines the sonic landscape of this album.

There’s an undeniable tactility to these six tracks, as if the music is assembling itself before your ears, grain by grain. Mazza’s electric guitar doesn’t so much play as it evaporates, leaving behind streaks of melody like vapor trails. Düngfelder’s tape loops and atmospherics feel like lost fragments of memory - half-remembered radio transmissions from places that may or may not exist.

Take "Following a Number", a slow-motion unraveling of percussive rustlings and distant chords, shifting like leaves caught in an uncertain wind. Or "Storm Cooking", where textures bubble and crackle as if the very fabric of sound is being carefully simmered over a low flame. And then there’s "Pet Wasp", a piece that teeters on the edge of perception - part lullaby, part sonic mirage, a dream dissolving just as you realize you’re inside it.

OdNu and Ümlaut have a rare chemistry, a sense of deep listening between them that allows the music to breathe. Their sounds don't compete; they orbit, intersect, and dissipate like morning mist. It’s ambient music in its truest form - not passive, but immersive, a space to inhabit rather than simply observe.

Like the album’s imagined bird, skimming the water’s surface but never quite touching it, "Mitochondria Johatsu" exists in the space between - between sound and silence, presence and disappearance, material and memory. A beautifully elusive work, and a quiet triumph of sonic alchemy.

Original > HERE

DrontologyMitochondria Johatsu is the second collaborative album by OdNu (Michel Mazza) and Ümlaut (Jeff Düngfelder) for Audiobulb Records. The album unfolds gradually, with sound flowing gently and unobtrusively, drawing the listener into carefully sculpted sonic landscapes.

Delicately woven luminous guitar tones intertwine and connect through layers of sequences and a rich palette of effects, bringing a sense of airiness and lightness. These tiny melodies radiate gently, occasionally blending with rhythms that pulse softly and change form. Everything feels fluid—tones, rhythms, and atmospheres emerge and dissolve, seamlessly transitioning into new shapes.

The album’s dynamics follow a natural progression: it starts brighter and more vibrant, with pronounced guitar tones, gradually retreating into a more detailed, quieter, and introspective finale. Grainy textures, micro-rhythms, and elegant electronic layers create a sense of both intimacy and vastness—the album takes you through personal yet distant, uncharted landscapes, carefully exploring their contours.

With their extensive experience in experimental and electronic music, OdNu and Ümlaut successfully transcend elements of musical heritage—jazz, rock-psychedelia—shaping a new sonic expression that feels both contemporary and free from the shackles of the past. Mitochondria Johatsu is a thoughtful, immersive, and refreshing sonic journey—an album that doesn’t impose a narrative but invites you to discover it, layer by layer.

Original > HERE