Will Yates on how a Leaf sampler CD contained a track that continues to inspire him to this day
The premise of One Track Mind is pretty simple: I ask artists to pick one track that means a lot to them – either something they’ve discovered recently, something that’s been with them for years, or one that reminds them of a specific time in their life or career – and tell me what makes it so special to them. I get to talk to the artists I love, and they get to talk about the artists they love. Love all round!
memotone is the alias of Newport-based multi-instrumentalist, producer and composer Will Yates. Working across ambient, contemporary classical, jazz and experimental music, his intuitive, improvisation-led approach has earned releases on labels including World of Echo, The Trilogy Tapes, Sähkö Recordings, Accidental Meetings, Patience/Impatience and Black Acre. His music combines delicate melody with rich textural detail, constantly pushing into new sonic territory.
His new album, Warm Shadows, marks a return to Accidental Meetings and finds Memotone expanding his palette once again. Blending ambient composition, free-form improvisation and subtle sound design, the record features collaborations with Lithuanian artist Ugnė Uma, Jabu’s guest and percussionist Typesun, creating a warm, immersive collection that balances intimacy with widescreen experimentation.
For his One Track Mind, Yates has dug out some buried treasure from an obscure label sampler CD.
Memotone on Asa-Chang & Junray – Hana
This track was featured on a 17 track label sampler CD from Leaf back in 2002. The whole CD, which was called ‘Lost for Words’ is responsible for a big shift in my music appreciation and understanding back then. My dad got a copy of the CD about 2005 (I’d have been fifteen at the time), and I circulated it around my friend group. It’s gone on to become a legendary artifact between a few of us, and the track ‘Hana’, especially, is something very special.
Asa-Chang is a Japanese percussionist and original bandmaster of the Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, he then formed Asa-Chang and Junray in 1998, as a duo with Hidehiko Urayama. The track comes from their ‘Jun Ray Song Chan’ LP, issued in the UK by Leaf on their Japanese imports imprint ‘Bay’ (controversy remains about this situation and if Leaf ever paid any of the Japanses artists they released, including Susumu Yokota). I bought a second-hand vinyl of the record years later, and I still play it regularly.
You can also hear how the track lives on in modern examples (not just my own! Haha.) There is a track from a French group called ‘Troubadours’ called ‘Realistic Avatar’ – released in 2025 on Few Crackles – which is like a modern equivalent. I don’t actually know if Troubadours have ever heard ‘Hana’, but the likeness is undeniable. And my track ‘Fever of the World’ is a bit of a homage to the FEEL of ‘Hana’, even if it doesn’t sound much alike. Anyway, give it a listen.
memotone – Warm Shadows is out now
The Predatory Wasp 