Masahiro Takahashi – ‘In Another’ album review: Ambient jazz on a warm summer’s evening
As blue skies return at long last, attention inevitably falls on the misaligned landscape of ‘summer albums’, but while it is easy to reduce that vast description to high-energy, sun-kissed optimism, the true masterpieces of summer albums lie in the laid-back, cocktail-sipping ambience of composers like the Toronto-based Masahiro Takahashi.
The Skinny: On his sixth LP, the Japanese-born composer explores the depths of chamber pop through his distinctive blend of jazz-fueled ambience, creating an expansive soundscape that flows beautifully across the tracklisting – while also lending itself unnaturally well to the realm of singles, particularly in the case of tracks like ‘Queen West Butterfly’.
Throughout the album, Takahashi is supported by a revolving cast of guest musicians and collaborators from the Toronto area, creating a beautiful sense of community and collaboration, which helps to elevate the album beyond its laidback ambient atmosphere, and if you really dig into the record, in fact, you will find an incredibly diverse range of influences, stretching from the archetypally summer-fueled pop recordings of The Beach Boys right the way through to obscure psychedelic library LPs from the KPM series.
Then again, In Another is a perfect record for you to stick on your turntable and completely switch off, letting the composer’s expansive realm of chamber pop-styled psychedelic ambient jazz wash over you like a cool summer breeze.
As opposed to many other albums which fit that billing, though, Takahashi’s offering is densely packed with innovative ideas that, while never overbearing, give the more attentive listener something to dig into.
Albums which are able to bridge the line between those two worlds are incredibly sparse, and it should give you some indication of just how skilled a writer Takahashi is that he is able to pull it off with such apparent ease.
The Verdict: Not only is Takahashi’s In Another a perfect soundtrack to the upcoming summer months, with its laidback chamber charm, it is also already one of the most technically skilled and innovative records of the year. A true everyman that spans the spectrum of ambient psychedelia to pop-fueled jazz; not something to be passed over in a hurry.
Standout Track: ‘No Kings’
Release Date: March 20th, 2026 | Producer: Masahiro Takahashi and Joseph Shabason | Label: Telephone Explosion Records
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