A Sweeter Escape: Nakanojojo And Toccoyaki’s “Kagami”

Nakanojojo and Toccoyaki exist in the same world as cotton-candy-bright dance-pop from the likes of Snail’s House, Yunomi, YUC’e and more. It extends beyond the fizzy, maximalist electronic pop both make, as they both share an interest in anime-as-cover-art and a general positivity flowing through their music. “Kagami” brings the two artists together, and the end result is a song highlighting all of the above (kinda), but standing out because of the small details. It’s a chipper number, all Mushroom-Kingdom keyboard and persistent beat, an upbeat backdrop for Nakanojojo’s singing (untouched by digital tools — which, in a song I want to call “post-Nakata,” is the key element that stops me). Lyrically, it’s a mix of fantasy and split emotion. This latter bit creates “Kagami’s” best moments of tension — although the words sometimes wade into overly positive territory, “Kagami” ultimately fixates on more downtrodden emotions, revealing something more conflicted then the music might lead on. And it’s small musical touches — that grinding sound that pops up here and there, the aforementioned non-filtered singing — that make the unease come through. Listen above.