The arrangements, the time signatures, the melodies and layering, all have a smart, crisp, pop sensibility to them. When a lot of electronic music is going the way of free form improvisation, Quantum delivers carefully crafted compositions that go down smooth and easy. Case in point is Akikaze's "Conflicting Emotions", sixteen tracks of straight ahead drums, synths and guitars in very pleasing arrangements, with an emphasis on the electronics and sequences. The man behind Akikaze, Pepijn Courant, presents the music as two long tracks and two short ones, but the two long tracks are subdivided into seven songs each. From the soft electronic tinkling of "Shadowland" to the forceful guitars and drums of the effective opening track "The Call," a wide variety of musical ideas are introduced, bound together with a cohesive identity. Highs and lows are well-placed, from the infectious energy of "Out of the Dark" (try not bouncing along or tapping your toes to this one), to the ethereal, other-worldly quality of "Inner Voices," which features a choir of unusual voices treated with electronic effects. Song titles convey the feelings well, from "Exaltation" to "The Head and the Heart." The latter is an almost classical piece, short, simple and elegant. Conflicting Emotions is thought-provoking, emotional music with lots of imagery, energy, and intelligence.