Takako Minekawa

Takako Minekawa returns with Maxi On!, a seven-song collaboration with New York's similarly experimental, playful group Dymaxion. However, the band must either be really in sync with Minekawa's usual modus operandi, or else they didn't contribute very much; unlike her past collaborations with Cornelius, DJ Me DJ You, and Buffalo Daughter, Dymaxion don't really make much of an impression, and Maxi On! isn't strikingly different from most of her other work. It might be slightly more expansive and even more atmospheric, but otherwise, it's business as usual for Minekawa. That's not a bad thing, however; each of the mini-album's pieces features more of her naive melodies, breathy vocals, and percolating arrangements. From the playfully spooky, trip-hop-tinged title track to the dreamy pop of "Follow My Dreams" and the U.S. bonus track "Sleeping Bag," Maxi On! follows the lead of Fun 9's off-the-wall electronic pop. While the moody "Report on an Investigation" does reveal a bit more emotional depth than much of Minekawa's work, Maxi On! doesn't offer much in the way of surprises; however, it also offers few disappointments. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide