Fans of Ekkhard Ehlers and the Boards of Canada may want to check out Kazumasa Hashimoto. I found his 2003 album, Yupi, and it's a gorgeous blend of combination of various orchestral instruments, including piano, cello, violin, flute, drums and guitars that are combined with computerized sound effects. He just released a new album, Epitaph, on Flyrecs. I haven't heard it yet, but a review on his home page suggests it's more of the same, which I would gladly welcome.
Sadly, I haven't found any North American stores that are selling either CD.
posted by Jonathan