Decomposition: Fox on a Highway, by Saapato

Decomposition: Fox on a Highway

by Saapato

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Mike How Beautiful ambient soundscapes. Surely one of the best albums of the year in this vein with an inspired concept and stacked list of contributors! Each track is like the rotation of a microscope to reveal a new dimension worthy of inspection.

JLP Hypnotic, contemplative, and surprisingly pleasant despite its dark theme, this recalls the upbeat and ironic chanting at a funeral described by Chuang Tzu. “You have gone back to your true self while we remain as men! Alas! Alas!” Favorite track: Ways to Be Remembered (feat. Kallie Lampel).

yourcolleague the concept and the sounds on here fit so well. I love how every track is so different, really highlighting the decomposition phase they each tackle. Favorite track: Bloat (feat. Haruhisa Tanaka).

Miles Egan There are some really lovely soundscapes here but it's not afraid to use tension and dissonance to build a richer narrative. Favorite track: Worms In (feat. Laraaji).

ghosttropics When I was a child, there was a rabbit that had fallen into the window well by the door of my childhood home and died. Every day when I passed by I'd see this once recognizable form slowly turn into something unfamiliar. This memory stuck with me all my life and i think it was the first time I grappled with the concept of impermanence. I find this album comforting, a reminder that death and life are intertwined and that the things we look away from can still hold beauty and meaning.

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1.	Worms In (feat. Laraaji) 02:32	buy track
2.	Beneath the Overpass (feat. Shuta Yasukochi) 03:01	buy track
3.	Gravel (feat. Loris S. Sarid) 02:34	buy track
4.	Highway at Night (feat. James Bernard & marine eyes) 06:05	buy track
5.	Fading Form (feat. KMRU) 03:25	buy track
6.	Death Display (feat. Diatom Deli) 02:20	buy track
7.	Bloat (feat. Haruhisa Tanaka) 06:37	buy track
8.	Larvae (feat. Ki Oni) 08:27	buy track
9.	Autolysis and Putrefaction (feat. Green-House) 05:13	buy track
10.	Clouded (feat. Golden Brown) 02:20	buy track
11.	Countless Wheels Keep Turning (feat. Early Fern) 04:19	buy track
12.	Everyone Passing (feat. Gregg Kowalsky) 07:07	buy track
13.	Ways to Be Remembered (feat. Kallie Lampel) 05:13	buy track
14.	Fur and Exhaust (feat. Ben Seretan) 03:21	buy track
15.	Active Decay (feat. Patricia Wolf) 09:43	buy track
16.	Melting into Asphalt / Springing from the Earth (feat. Nailah Hunter) 02:37	buy track
17.	Worms Out (feat. Laraaji) 02:30	buy track

about

While working a job that required frequent drives between Philadelphia and a remote warehouse to sort furniture, Brendan Principato, the artist behind the project Saapato, noticed a fox on the side of the highway that had been struck dead by a car. Its vibrant red coat stood out against the asphalt. Day after day, the fox remained there, gradually transitioning from serene lifelessness to an unrecognizable state, a haunting reminder of nature’s cyclical processes.

This encounter sparked a year-long exploration of decomposition—not merely as a biological process but as a metaphor for transformation, interconnectedness, and renewal. The result is Saapato’s forthcoming album, a deeply conceptual project inspired by the five stages of decomposition: fresh, bloat, active decay, advanced decay, and dry/remains. In researching decomposition, Principato learned about the intricate network of factors that drive it: animals, bacteria, fungi, temperature, moisture, and time. Recognizing the inherently interwoven nature of these forces, he chose to mirror this interplay in the music. What began as a series of foundational “skeleton tracks” that Principato produced quickly evolved into a collective endeavor, with a wide array of guest musicians and sound artists contributing additional processing and instrumental textures to Principato's source material. These collaborators act as symbolic “decomposers,” breaking down and reshaping the sonic landscape to create an altered final form of the music found across the album.

The album features contributions from an extraordinary roster of artists, including Laraaji, Shuta Yasukochi, Loris S. Sarid, James Bernard & marine eyes, KMRU, Diatom Deli, Haruhisa Tanaka, Ki Oni, Green-House, Golden Brown, Early Fern, Gregg Kowalski, Kallie Lampel, Ben Seretan, Patricia Wolf, and Nailah Hunter. Each artist adds their own unique perspective, resulting in an evolving, organic soundscape that captures the delicate balance of creation and decay.

The result is not only a sonic journey but also a philosophical meditation on the interconnectedness of life, death, and renewal. In the process of decomposition, nothing truly disappears—everything transforms, sustains other life, and/or persists in some form. This ethos permeates each moment of the album, inviting listeners to reflect on the beauty of impermanence and the cycles that shape all living things.

credits

released March 25, 2025

Written, Recorded & Mixed by Saapato
Rewritten, Rerecorded, Remixed, Reworked, Decomposed, Destroyed, Changed, Shifted, & Morphed by all of the contributing "decomposers"
Mastered by Chuck Johnson
Cover Art and Layout by Taizo Watanabe

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we're all beside a wooded creek, laying on this silken mossy chord, listening as leaves tumble down in succession. the pond nearby catches each leaf and we sync our thoughts using the chain of ripples in the water. thanks a lot for this one. recommended for relaxation or when it just gets to be too much out there Ews Nsj
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