ALBUM REVIEW – SACHI KOBAYASHI: LAMENTATIONS: Silent Radio

In my experience, Ambient is a genre of music that people tend to avoid. It often seems too pretentious or difficult to understand, or people simply don’t see the point. There is no lyrical content or obvious melody, why should I listen? Although voiceless, Sachi Kobayashi’s Lamentations expresses grievances regarding the current conflict and calls for a message of peace among all.

Sachi Kobayashi is an experimental ambient artist from Saitama Prefecture, Japan. Creating this record not on a laptop or DAW, but on a tape recorder, which gives the album a uniquely human feel, asking us to look within ourselves and allow ourselves to be vulnerable. Speaking about the record, Kobayashi said, “Lamentations was born out of my sadness and grief over the current wars. I hope everyone can live in peace and safety as soon as possible.

The mood of each track is clearly linked to its title, the most striking example being the fifth track, Memory. With its nostalgic yet haunting samples, the track exudes a sadness found when grieving memories. Kobayashi talks about being in choirs growing up and that influence shines through on this record, Lamentations was created with vulnerability and intention and the result is an ambient album full of heartbreak and distress and yet despite it all, it remains full of ‘hope.

Sachi Kobayashi: Lamentations – Exit 28th June 2024 (Phantom Limb Spirits)

PSALM016: Lamentations | Sachi Kobayashi (bandcamp.com)

Meg is a proud Mancunian and music journalist. She started out writing press releases for bands in her spare time, but now runs her own website, Dyrti, which she plans to expand in the near future. She loves Lester Bangs and Tony Wilson and has interviewed bands such as Cabbage, Oceans On Mars and Adult Cinema. You’ll most often find her somewhere in the Northern Quarter.