What does Hideyuki Hashimoto sound like?

Introspective piano, perfect for a cosy slice-of-life anime.

The review of ‘Sign’ by Hideyuki Hashimoto

‘Sign’ is a collection of six solo piano pieces pulled from Hideyuki Hashimoto’s daily winter diary in his home studio. The diary was a way to document the creative process, chronicling improvisations that become fully formed songs. This EP is a quiet, introspective, melodic, yet minimalist piano EP. Intimately recorded with warmth, it’s a short outbreath of calm in this crazy world.

The six tracks all have strong riffs and melodies, and are slower in tempo. The title track focuses the audio on the piano hammers to create a rhythm of sorts, but it remains a slow, reflective, and gentile piece. The piano mechanics and insides play a role across the EP, but aside from the title track, it’s a supporting character. ‘Ava’ has a constant broken chord roll that imbues delicate elegance. ‘Flowing’ is the longest piece at three minutes and captures a quiet village stream in piano form. ‘Spiral’ is a short, curious rotation that could score any slice-of-life anime where the animation cuts away to establishing scenery shots. It’s my favourite of the EP because the chords have a questioning nature about them. ‘Halo’ and ‘Rise’ go together as soulful pieces that take time to let the bassier notes ring out, no matter how softly.

In under 15 minutes, Hideyuki Hashimoto will lower your blood pressure and heart rate with these soothing piano balms. The cosy production and the focus on melody before minimalism are what make Hashimoto’s compositions stand out. They are deliberately understated, but collectively, they sell a mood much grander and homey than most other composers could imagine. With ‘Sign’ focusing on winter, and 2023’s ‘Under’ taking part in Spring… which season is next for Hideyuki?

Recommended track: Spiral

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