Michael Muranaka is a DJ and Producer from Southern California. He developed a love for music at an early age, and a particular interest in Hip Hop led him to embark on a journey into music production which has continued until this very day. He has also been DJ’ing for over 10 years, which has helped to refine his ear and cater to many a different crowd. Michael’s eclectic taste allows him to create productions in varying genres of music, from light ambient melodies to trembling dance floor grooves. Michael has numerous releases and remixes on labels such as HBMG, Club Vibez, and Hocus Pocus, as well as upcoming releases on Fett Recordings, Deflected Digital, Empirical, and Future Funk.
A blend of eclectic House grooves, 28 Grams is the new full length electronic dance album from Michael Muranaka. The album was constructed in a vinyl format; each of the 4 tracks are comprised of 3 tracks mixed into each other, as if playing a side of a record album, 12 tracks all together plus a bonus.
Michael Muranaka style of dance music on this album has a heavy bassline, immediate beauty, gravity, and sparse traces of melody in an almost minimal dressing. The album starts on a low note and then slowly unfolds across the tracks without ever arriving at a euphoric level or state. Everything kept is solemn and unobtrusive.The only stem allowed to grow in power, groove and ambience is the bass line which is the real driving source on 28 Grams.
While the Muranaka sound remains beautiful and hypnotic -like the sound of a pounding heartbeat – he is less willing to explore the nooks and crannies of its soundscapes. Instead he Repeats many of the same elements throughout the tracks and keeps the tempo consistent
I think the key to understanding Michael Muranaka’s sound and rhythm pallet choices for this album obviously resides in the album title itself – 28 Grams.
In slang terms, we know that often 28 Grams (an ounce) to refer to a dose of drugs (usually marijuana), which would explain the dreamy, transfixed effect of the music. But this is only a theory, not backed- up by any substantial evidence except a figment of my imagination!
The rhythms on this album take you on a sweet, relaxing and positive journey. If you’re expecting to be taken on a rapid thrill ride or be blown out of their chair, be warned that Muranaka success on 28 Grams lies in the fact that there is no attempt to do any of these things.
The tracks are comprised of simple, minimalist, blissful, rhythmic tunes that are enjoyable and refreshing to listen to. 28 Grams is laudable effort. Subsequent listens reveal a more nuanced approach to each song’s composition and breeds longevity for one’s own interest. It is certainly exciting to see where Michael Muranaka will jump from here.
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