Hologram makes its North American debut via the n5MD imprint with their album "hologram +." "hologram +" melds together detailed post-rock instrumentation, subtle electronic textures, and thoughtful, yet meaningful, female vocals. While their carefully crafted songs may seem a bit out of place on a label founded on emotional electronics, upon further listens one finds that they are right at home amongst such kindred spirits as label-mates lights out asia and bitcrush. Hologram's direction reflects an original take on familiar genre themes, but pushes way beyond specific genre trappings by tossing aside the clichés and commonality to focus on the raw emotion involved in creating music. Hologram is exclusively licensed outside of Japan via Zankyo Records.

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Hologram's instrumental style may not touch the skyscraping heights of Japanese counterparts Mono, but there is something pleasing about this quartet's approach that incorporates Guthrie inspired guitar textures within its translucent melodic sheen.

The first fruits of collaboration between n5MD and Japan's Zankyo Records, sees "Hologram+" released into the western market while Zankyo are expected to eventually return the favour by distributing n5MD records in Japan.

Like Mono, Hologram's music seems to revolve around their female bassist. Saori Yokoyama is integral to the flow of the music throughout . Her vibrant bass lays down solid foundations, complimenting the ebbing percussion, for the dual guitarists to weave their intricate textures.

However, Yokoyama's vocals may be the most striking aspect of all, lifting tracks such as "XX" and "HARU" from pleasing instrumental compositions into echoic Cocteau Twins territories. On "Bird", for example, her ethereal vocals seem to add something to the breezy atmosphere by complimenting the rich, liquid guitar drips.

Of the instrumental arrangements, "Moon" is peppered with psychedelic swirls and an undercurrent of electronics, that soon move it into a soaring climax that deviates from the general pace of the album, as the band step up a few gears. "Asagiri's" sun-kissed vibe, meanwhile, lulls the listener into relaxation with a gorgeous glockenspiel and guitar arrangement, with a tempo that gradually increases in tandem with the percussion.

Although some may not appreciate the lack of variety in pace, Hologram's style still goes down like a big spoonful of Calpol. Sweet and pleasing, this is basically unpretentious instrumental rock, executed with a degree of Japanese perfection. textura

Japanese quartet Hologram—bassist and vocalist Saori Yokoyama, guitarists Kensuke Takahashi and Tsubasa Ehara, and drummer Go Hidaka—eschews histrionics for finely-calibrated post-rock on its fifty-minute, North American debut. The secret weapon is Yokoyama whose warm female vocals lend the group's sound a distinctive edge: the slow-motion setting “XX” turns dreamy when the soft, four-note cascade of her voice joins in, and “HARU” likewise exudes a more heavenly aura whenever her delicate singing surfaces. A glockenspiel brings additional sparkle to the lulling “asagiri” while “moon” alternates between tasteful quietude and more euphoric aggressiveness without sacrificing the song's fundamental elegance in the process. The album isn't without its aggressive moments—the otherwise well-behaved “bird,” for example, dedicates its second half to heavy guitar-driven psychedelia—but Hologram largely opts for atmospheric moodscaping in place of dynamic extremes. Hologram+'s restrained post-rock is hypnotic in the best sense of the word. Not revolutionary, perhaps, but lovely nonetheless. the irish times

From incandescent and beautiful to self-indulgent and aimless, there is a fine line between good and bad post-rock. Fortunately, Japanese band Hologram have avoided the many potential pitfalls on this fine sophomore release. Simplicity is the name of the game here; repeated guitar motifs, delicate vocals and the occasional electronic flourish contribute to a haunting, ethereal atmosphere. Sounding like a cross between their compatriots Mono and CODY-era Mogwai, the four-piece dispense with any need for noise, and in Uano-Sora and Haru settle for subtle melody over ear-splitting distortion. Asagiri is stunning in its directness - guitar, bass, drums and glockenspiel combining to gorgeous effect. At times Saori Yokoyama's voice tends to detract from rather than embellish the overall sound, but the spacey, dreamlike quality of XX and Union help make this a captivating listen

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