Keigo Oyamada returns after a six-year hiatus, and last year, under his artist name Cornelius, he dropped a new album “Dream in Dream”. Recently, three days ago, he added to the previous surprise by giving us a new single, “Too Much Love for Sauna.”

In retrospect, Cornelius’s musical evolution is evident when comparing his early work to his recent output. However, some elements remain steadfast: his meticulous use of clean electric guitars and drum sets that somehow don’t veer into rock territory, his sweet vocal deliveries paired with agile synthetic orchestrations that skirt the edge of synth-pop, and his deep-rooted influences from Yoko Ono and Yellow Magic Orchestra, yet never sounding derivative.

“Too Much Love For Sauna” kicks off with a sustained chord that initially feels like a dreamy synth instrument, only to reveal itself as a reversed electric guitar strum that intensifies with distortion in a crescendo. Over this, a descending line traces an exotic Japanese scale—all within the first 7 seconds. The main motif soon takes over, played on a complex, multilayered synth that threads through the entire track. The song’s development hinges on the gradual layering of new instruments: voice, bass line, drums, and that’s it. The magic lies in the ostinato—those insistent, repeating musical patterns—and my favorite aspect of any ostinato is its eventual break. Cornelius crafts a profound melancholy when the pattern is finally interrupted, with a nuanced shift into dominant harmony territory, descending synthetic strings, and intense vocals elevating the piece. This sequence is beautifully disrupted by a transposed version of the Japanese descending line we heard in the intro. The melancholic whirlwind dissipates, and the original pattern reemerges to close this exquisite composition.

The single’s B-side, “Sketch for Spring,” is similarly anchored by an ostinato, but here the pattern persists, minimalistic and unwavering from start to finish. The electric guitar takes the lead, weaving through a polyphonic jungle of instruments that seem like they don't ever want to stop singing.

This release is a triumph for long-time Cornelius aficionados, yet it extends an open invitation to new listeners. Those in search of something fresh, intricate, rich, and simultaneously relaxing and contemplative will find much to admire in this offering.

Author: Martín Cacho

Martín is a video game composer, producer and writer from Sonora, México.