He has rigorous classical training — he studied under a pupil of Franz Liszt — and rather than simply dissolving into ambience, his melodies radiate outward from long, carefully worked-out chord progressions.
"Weather Report II" (sample 1 makes it easy to hear) uses what he calls mirror delay — a technique inspired by Terry Riley that splits the delay hard left and right — paired with an arrangement as light as air; it steps softly closer, pulls back, and eventually begins to float. This is less composition by deliberation than a method of clearing a path for the sounds that "descend" on their own.
It's also very much plant music, the kind that quietly communes with vast nature.
He endured five years of isolated illness battling severe Lyme disease, and you can feel that depth of emotion here, along with the history of West Coast hippie culture where ecstasy and stillness intermingle. Ambient with a difference — recommended for techno heads too.
The more you listen, the deeper you're drawn in. Remarkable stuff. (Original Japanese text by Shhhhh)