Akiko Yano – “ただいま.” review

Final verdict: 9/10 ★★★★⋆˙⟡

Sometime last year, I figured I’d give Akiko Yano a try, and this album specifically was recommended to me – it was touted her “weirdest” work, and I enjoy fucky music, and so you see, it was meant to be. And with my beloved YMO tackling the production, was there any chance “ただいま” would be anything short of great?

Turns out there was. This album makes for an incredibly disorienting first listen. It had already aroused my “what the fuck” sentiment by the time the manic “Vet” came storming in. And “いらないもん”? Incredibly sparse, with vocals that are more evocative of a mental patient’s unintelligible ramblings than actual singing. Is this even music? Is this who we are, Akiko? And don’t even get me started on the goddamn piano medley that drags on for what feels like eternity. What was even being smoked during this album’s session, because I’d like some.

Thankfully, though this album left a… confusing impression at first – I didn’t even know what to feel by the end of it – it left me intrigued enough to listen to more of Akiko’s work. After “ごはんができたよ” stuck on the very first listen, I figured it was only fair that I re-evaluated “ただいま”. I mean, music isn’t something disposable! You’re supposed to listen to it over and over again to truly get a feel for it! It sure helps that I have the necessary autism for it but it’s also unethical to not give albums a run for their money, especially when they’re as ambitious as this one is! That’s just the way of things!

Honestly? I get it now. I totally do. While this album is very much a product of its time (I mean, just listen to those synthesizers), it’s also cutting-edge in a lot of ways. I mean, who was even doing stuff like this in 1981? This is an incredibly ambitious project that constantly takes unexpected turns. Did you expect her to follow whatever the fuck side A was up with a 10 minute piano-and-vocal medley of children’s songs? Because I didn’t. It’s all incredibly poppy in all the right ways, while also doing anything but resemble traditional pop music.

Songwriting’s on point – which is something one should always expect of Akiko, she seriously never disappoints – and production is incredibly lush and maximalist when it needs to. This whole thing is drenched in blocky, fuzzy yet sparkly synths, heavily reverbed backing vocals that occupy the entire stereo field, unrelenting drum fills that just hit the spot (thank you, Yukihiro), sampled barking (?), warm piano, the works. Gated drum machine fever hadn’t set in quite yet, luckily, so we’re seeing none of that here. As such, there’s seriously nothing to dislike. This is a small but mighty slab of synthpop goodness, weirdness included, and that’s all there is to it. And yes, that also applies to the piano medley. It doesn’t ruin the flow of the album at all, unlike what some haters 🗣️ seem to believe. If anything, it adds to it. This album is near damn spotless. Unlike its stacked predecessor, this one clocks in at only 38 minutes – but I’d be concealing the truth if I failed to mention these 38 minutes are some of the greatest in music. This is heat. This is art. And most of all, this is fun – just what I’m looking for in my music.

Thank you Akiko for the music. This one might be in your top 5 albums, after all. It rules and I sincerely apologize for my initial perception of it. I am now a changed person. And, dear reader, if you’re on the same boat as I was in August 2023, please give it another try, I beg of you. You’ll get it eventually, and you’ll be a better person for it. 9/10.