Ambient music that resonates with the heart in today's exhausting world. Urban Planning" is a new album created by two Japanese artists.

After about a month and a half, the state of emergency has finally been lifted. Many people may have found listening to music a welcome respite from their self-restraint, but what kind of music is most appropriate in this unprecedented situation? Pop, rock, jazz, hip-hop, and, surprisingly, ambient music.

The pioneering soundscape and ambient series that began in 1978, while avant-garde in nature, has gained enthusiastic fans around the world and established a new genre of environmental music.

And May 2020. Two Japanese artists have released a new album titled Urban Planning.

Okada Takuro + duenn "Urban Planning

One is Takuro Okada. After the band "Mori wa Ikiteiru" broke up, he worked as a songwriter, produced Kenta Maeno's "Sakura" and SouthPenguin's "y," and as a guitarist is known for his participation in live performances and recordings by Roth Bart Baron, Satoko Shibata, Yuko Ando and others.

The other is duenn, an up-and-coming sound artist active in the art world who has performed live with artist Yuko Mori, graphic designer Shohei Tsuda, and sound designer Matsuo Ohno, known as the creator of the music for "Astro Boy," in his experimental unit "3RENSA," and recently provided music for art museums. He is an up-and-coming sound artist who is also active in the art world, and has recently provided music for art museums and held a solo exhibition with photographer Shiho Yoshida at NaDiff in Ebisu.

The keyword for the music that emerged from their collaboration was "urban music. The result is a piece of music that gives a sense of peace in a world full of noise, as they say they aimed to create ambient music suitable for the modern age. It is a breath of fresh air, as if everything stops the moment it starts playing. The fact that it is composed of minimal sounds with no ornamentation may also be a key point.

The melodies were written by duenn and edited and produced by Okada. It is no exaggeration to say that the 16 songs will resonate with you even in this exhausting age. If you are interested, please take a look at this 3-hour-long YouTube video.