Samurai Music | 侍 音 楽

Last Life - 侍栽培五 [SAIBAI5]

Pre-orders now live on voidvinyl.eu and Bandcamp

Released on Ltd Edition Marbled 12” and Digital - 31.07.2026

The Moat comes instantly with purchase

A long-time figure at the heart of Samurai Music, Last Life makes his first appearance on SAIBAI trading his signature snarl for shadowy psychedelia and snaking beatdowns.

Since 2015 Mauro Picciau has been cultivating a sound that maximises on the space that opens up around half-time 170, finding plenty of power while stretching out his rhythms. On this new
release he pivots towards subtler tones and textures, and plugs directly into the wave of innovative artistry occurring at the intersection of D&B and deep techno.

Writhing, taut sound design spells out the mood on opening track ‘Gear Cutter’, as Picciau gets expressive with metallic feedback tones that elegantly contort across the front of the mix. There’s a strong sense of narrative that brings the track’s dynamic movement to the fore, holding back energetic shifts with a measured intent to ramp up the tension. ‘Norma’ has a more ceremonial feel, locking into a steady pulse and letting distant clouds of melodic ambience create a
bewitching atmosphere around the percussive mantras.

‘Radian’ speaks its own minimalist, techno-spirited language, drawing on alien murmurs and steely drones to strike a lighter note without breaking the mysterious fog that hovers over the EP.

‘The Moat’ leads on a heavier set of drums to close the record out, shaping space with skilful reverb and a tightly controlled synth pulse. Within this echo chamber, and across the whole release, Picciau has capitalised on this patient
approach to bed infinitesimal ripples into the mix, rewarding the active listener and instilling his creations with a kinetic vitality that can always be felt, no matter how slight the sound is.

01. Gear Cutter
02. Norma
03. Radian
04. The Moat

Art/Design - @rqnz
Mastered and Cut at @stardelta_mastering
Pressed at @intakt_vinyl
Distribution - @triplevisionrecorddistribution
Words - @oliwarwick