Aru-2 is a producer from Tokyo who has been releasing beat tapes and EPs for about five years now, garnering some acclaim along the way. His last project, Episode II Leaving Love, came out last summer. Up until now, most have Aru-2’s gains have been made as a DIY artist. That changes with the release of Ayakashi Instruments, which comes via the Portland Label, Fresh Selects.

The title for this project comes from Japanese folklore, referring to the ghost lights that appear above the ocean water, said to be the vengeful spirits of those that died at sea. Now, hearing this description, you might expect this album to sound spooky or eerie. However, Aru-2 doesn’t necessarily think of ayakashi that way, instead choosing to think of the album as having the theme of encountering a mystery. What this means in practical terms is that the beats on the album have this warm sense of adventure to them. There might be a sense of familiarity when it comes to the bass and the drums, but melodically, each track could go off in a number of directions. That could mean both instrumentation and/or genre, with Aru-2 bringing in influences that range from classical to jazz to R&B to experimental electronic music. He’s able to bring this variety together in such a way that the project flows very well from start to finish, with a connection between each track that feels like you’re riding a very steady ship across the water, with Aru-2 as your trusty captain. He also finds the right balance between giving his tracks enough room to breath and develop, without riding any one groove too long to feel complacent. It’s not anything that will blow you away on first listen, but the subtleties will grow on you with each repeat listen.

Aru-2 didn’t deliver a huge project to make his debut with Fresh Selects, but that’s not what you come to him for. Over the last five years, he’s been doing all of the subtle work to make some really interesting and beautiful downtempo instrumental music, and that’s what you get with Ayakashi Instruments.