Blooming: Ykiki Beat’s “Garden”

Ykiki Beat includes members of Timothy Work and DYGL, two Tokyo projects who have produced some solid works in the past year. Yet I gotta know, how did Ykiki Beat end up with the best track any of the lot have presented so far? “Garden” is the sort of song that gets a band a sudden influx of attention…if a British group made this, I’m pretty positive NME would gobble it up and lump it in with a dozen other “hot new band about to CHANGE EVERYTHING.” This is just crazy catchy – the sun-drunk, hop-scotch beat and the handclaps and the backing shouts of “take me away!” and the fat synth lurking in the back and oh my goodness just the whole thing. Ian Martin compared them to Orange Juice which sounds good to me, but if you are too young to remember those guys (which, fix that) picture a less rigid Foals circa their first album. Except better. So glad summer is starting to peak through the clouds, because here’s a jam for the next three months. Listen below.