Product description


Ai Aso's immaculately crafted form of minimalist pop music skirts the edges of tensity with the manner and with the skill of a tight rope walker, calmly balancing repeatedly at every step, with a combination of surety and the risk of a slip, a fall, and an unknown uncoiling of events. Aso's capacity to capture, or inspire, the tension and attention from within the listener and observer are quite pronounced. At Aso's concert the performance constantly teeters near the brink, a sharpened awareness in the hall emerges from all observing, with the will of that most delicate balance. On "The Faintest Hint" she brings a meta level to the proceedings, the dream of a singer in a bright sunlit room in the centre of the density of the society, simply and precisely searching for single ideas, single tones, a sense of sensuality and even a dream of a grandeur (rock dream) emerge. A stillness prevails, even a sharp set of instances of dreaming, melancholia, nostalgia… or even saudade. The album was recorded, mixed & mastered by Soichiro Nakamura at Peace Music between 2018-2020. Atsuo and I joined these sessions as producers, and moreso as catalysts, yet also became the skeleton of a band on the album (with the tender touch). The legendary Japanese rock band Boris accompany Aso on two pieces. A faintest hint of sharpness and la tendresse féroce quickly erodes into a fine brief cloud of the purest crystalline dust.

–Stephen O'Malley, Stockholm June 2020

Ai Aso : Vocals & Guitar & Synth
Stephen O'Malley : Guitar, Bass & Synth
Atsuo : Percussion
also Boris Play on "Scene" & "Sight"

Payments and Delivery


Payments are not charged until moment of dispatch, and pre-order payments not charged until week of release.

Icon image for https://images.prismic.io/roughtrade/ZpaY4h5LeNNTxNUc_RT_site_Icons_FreeShipping.png?auto=format,compress

Click & Collect from our New York store and pay $0 on shipping.

Icon image for https://images.prismic.io/roughtrade/ZpaMzB5LeNNTxNM4_RT_site_Icons_ClickandCollect.png?auto=format,compress

Tracked Global shipping is available on all products.

Global Icon

In-stock items dispatched in 24-48 hours.

Dispatch Icon

Carefully packaged in recycled packaging

Packaging Icon

For all information on Shipping and Orders click here.

Information Icon
Ai Aso

The Faintest Hint

Idealogic Organ
With Bonus Rehearsal Demo 7"
Black
Released04/19/2024Catalog NumberSOMA034LP/BONUS7"Customer Limit 1Learn more

OLLIE