Marewrew consists of three members: Rekpo, Hisae, and Mayunkiki (until 2022, the group had four members, including Rim-Rim). The group is produced by Oki Kano. By performing traditional Ainu music a cappella, they shed new light on these captivating songs—which have been passed down through oral tradition, preserved solely through song. “Ukouk” means “round song,” and in many of their tracks, once one person begins singing, the song is performed in rounds—with the voices overlapping in slightly offset patterns. This combines the poetic, folk-inspired charm of traditional Ainu music with Marewrew’s unique modern, fresh, soft, and distinctive style— infused with Mareumau’s signature modern, fresh, soft, and unique atmosphere. This draws the listener into a more meditative and futuristic sense of comfort, drifting through a soft, psychedelic, natural landscape—a mysterious trance-like state brimming with universal charm that freely bridges tradition and modernity, making it a masterpiece of modern Ainu traditional music that even evokes the sensation of a human-powered dub echo.
A6 “Hawsa” (sample 1), where you can hear nature sounds and the call of a woodpecker; A8 “Wedding Song” (sample 2), a melancholic, trance-like track featuring the tonkori; and A9 “Takuro,” a whimsical miniature in which women mimic birdsong. B3 “Hunpe Yan Na,” a song evoking a beached whale; B5 “Pon Repun Kamuy,” which praises the orca as a “little sea god” and leaves you feeling as if you’ve been hypnotized; Oki’s previously unreleased track, B6 “Oruru Roahun”; and a new ambient-electronica-dance-music-style version of a track previously released only in Japan, B7 “Kanerenren” (sample 3)—for a total of 16 tracks. Curated and compiled by Andi Oto, with dubplate and mastering by Kassian Troyer. These tracks are being released on vinyl for the first time. I highly recommend this release. (Original Japanese text by COMPUMA)