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Category Archives: J-Pop

Station To Station: Music Station For April 27 Featuring Anne, SMAP And Ikimono-gakari

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For the next few weeks, Station To Station will be happening on Thursday nights for various reasons that will be revealed in due time. Don’t worry – our irrational hate of Sexy Zone won’t be going anywhere.

Anne “Ai Wo Anata Ni”

WATCH HERE

New night, but same old boring material. This might be a bit of a bumpy edition, so let’s try to highlight some positives, shall we? Like this clip of the new Kaela Kimura single “Mamireru.”

[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyOlKxEi9hs”]

The “hey, let’s go!” repetition and (especially) the way the song bursts into this twinkling electronic-heavy section reminds me of Sakanaction, except given a more upbeat tone courtesy of Kimura. Looking forward to this one – it’s out May 16.

Ikimono-gakari “Haru Uta”

WATCH HERE

Ikimono-gakari might be the perfect mid-point in contemporary J-Pop. The majority of singles they foist onto the world sound identical – vaguely mid-tempo pop that always has violins playing off in the distance, and can become a huge weepy ballad by just adding more violins – and this formula doesn’t provide much memorable music. They have a few noteworthy moments – a ballad like “Yell” manages to go a long way by squeezing a lot of drama out of the quiet-verse-loud-chorus formula – but for the most part they just are, providing the J-Pop consumer with songs in the style of Ikimono-gakari and nothing much more. Critically, though, they aren’t terrible. They never descend into the annoying depths of an AKB48 or V6, trustworthy but bland like a piece of unbuttered toast every morning. “Haru Uta” doesn’t divert from anything mentioned above.

Itano Tomomi “10 Nengo No Kimi E”

WATCH HERE

Here about the former members of AKB48 who went to some Japanese tabloid to vent about their former employer? Read a translation here. A lot of the stuff isn’t that salacious – the more popular members got better treatment! While I never! – but the fates of the former members plus the bit about Itano Tomomi being “carnivorous” and going to the beach with male friends are pretty interesting. The prior for sad reasons, the latter because I think this whole article might be stealth marketing to promote Itano’s new solo single. The tabloid article goes on about how popular members can go out all night and have boyfriends – well, guess what we see Itano doing in the above clip? She’s at a club! She’s with some artsy dude who makes models of churches out of shoeboxes! There is some other guy! Seems a little suspicious, ya know what I’m saying?

Thinking about wacky conspiracy theories ends up being way more fun than listening to this boring single, a track where the best thing I can say is “the percussion is cool sometimes I guess.”

SMAP “Sakasama No Sora”

WATCH HERE

How’s the new single from SMAP? It’s not very good.

You know what is good? Sleepy Tokyo’s Dark Circles album, which you can hear this way. Way more reflective of modern-day Japan than anything SMAP releases nowadays.

Sexy Zone “Lady Diamond”

WATCH HERE

How’s the new Sexy Zone single “Lady Diamond?” Oh my god fuck humanity for this one.

No what isn’t a blight on the face of the Earth? Breezesquad, who makes video-game-powered music and has a free EP waiting for you. Just get far away from Sexy Zone.

Yuzu “Niji”

[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UY19v3SzxE”]

Oh poor Thursday night, what have I done to you.

Winner Of The Week – Of these songs? Ikimono-gakari, because they are the non-terrible option this week.

New Shiina Ringo: “Jiyuu E Michizure”

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With her Tokyo Jihen project officially at an end, Shiina Ringo can focus once again on her solo work. Here is the first glimpse of her post-Jihen life, “Jiyuu E Michizure” which will be serving as the theme song for some TV drama called Ataru. The song is a pretty straight-forward rock number, at times being a little too stereotypically rock, especially near the beginning. Ringo’s voice, though, slides over the chugging guitar just right, becoming the inviting center of the song. And yeah, she’s got a pretty great rapid-fire chorus in her. Listen below.

[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKYiihDLiec”]

Hoshina Anniversary Remixes M-Flo – “She’s So Outta Control”

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I’m usually down to geek out over anything 2NE1 end up associated with – have you heard “Scream?” Doing a fist pump right now – but man this song they did with Japanese hip-hop outfit M-Flo seems like a real waste of talent. 2NE1 don’t do any of the things that make them such an exciting pop group, rather reduced to singing a hook any J-Pop diva could have handled with a pretty lukewarm rap section thrown in. I mean seriously…they just have them say the first syllable of “volcano” a bunch of times. M-Flo, meanwhile, bring nothing memorable at all to this song, the group’s rapping and singing being the sort of thing you can probably outsource to some company nowadays for less money. “She’s So Outta Control” basically sounds like a Black Eyed Peas’ rip – “I’ve Got A Feeling” anyone? – which isn’t a good thing. And at this moment I remember 2NE1 are working with will.i.am….

Hoshina Anniversary’s remix of “She’s So Outta Control” saves the song by getting rid of nearly everything in the original and just making it louder and more abrasive. His decision to warp some of the backing vocals so that they sound like goblins actually sounds like something 2NE1 would do. This might barely constitute a remix – he’s tossed out so much it barely resembles the original at all – but it’s so much better than the M-Flo original…hell, this actually sounds like it would be fun to dance to. So thanks Hoshina Anniversary, for making lackluster pop-rap great. Listen below.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/43402602″ iframe=”true” /]

Review: Perfume’s “Spring Of Life/Communication”

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“Spring Of Life,” Perfume’s 20th single and first for Universal Music Japan, sold 49,448 copies on the day of its debut, giving the techno-pop trio their highest first-day sales ever. The song also saw digital release in 50 countries, and coinciding with “Spring Of Life’s” release, Universal gave Perfume their very own label, Perfume Records. All of this movement pretty much kicks off Universal’s attempt to turn Perfume into a global name. It is, needless to say, a big release.

What’s funny about all this hubbabaloo is that the song ushering in all of this change breaks no new ground for Perfume. “Spring Of Life” finds everyone in the Perfume universe – the three singers, producer Yasutaka Nakata, the people who decide what flavor of alcoholic pop to hustle the song out to – doing pretty much what they always do for the big A-side singles post Triangle (2009). And, even though many in the Japanese media (at least the English side, which is what I understand) criticize the group for clinging to the same sonic blueprint while edging closer to pure pop, it’s the right decision. Instead of altering themselves to maximize worldwide appeal…a decision that helped to torpedo BoA and Hikaru Utada’s forays into the Western market…they have decided to stick to what has already worked in Japan and just introduce it to a potentially larger audience.

“Spring Of Life” really does come off like a scientist-constructed song, featuring everything that makes Perfume sound like…well, Perfume. It’s a hyper-upbeat song packed with Willy-Wonka-colored electronics, all playing out over a beat midway between the pop charts and the dance club, Nakata flexing his populist songwriting abilities. The members of the group sing as they always do, flowing with Nakata’s digital wave and sometimes allowing it to envelop them in ones and zeroes. It has a killer chorus. It even functions as a seasonal treat in the same way “Chocolate Disco” appeared on Valentine’s Day, coming out around the time Japan transitioned from glum winter to spirit-boosting Spring, “Spring Of Life” not so much background for the entire three months but the sound of this specific moment when people can start peeling off layers. Some dude in promotions deserves a promotion.

“Spring Of Life” functions as a great gateway to the group’s digi-pop onslaught, but simply writing “standard-issue Perfume” over it comes off as a little unfair. One of the complaints aimed at the group over the last year has been the belief Nakata has been mailing in his production duties for the trio. I don’t necessarily agree with this, but “Spring Of Life” finds him trying out some new ideas right in the open. The most obvious comes late, when the sun rays vanish for a second and a throbbing bit of dance music overtakes the song. It adds a touch of tension to an otherwise candyfloss tune, and Nakata wisely lets it go long enough so that when the somehow-brighter-now music bounces in, the whole song becomes even more ecstatic. On a subtler level, check the squelchy lines of synth crawling down “Spring Of Life’s” side during the verses – a small touch that gives the track a little extra personality.

This single also comes with one other new song, called “Communication.” It’s a throwback to the trio’s earliest work, a time when Perfume weren’t signed to a major label and constantly on the verge of being disbanded due to lackluster sales. It’s a cute idea – hey longtime fans, remember this style! – except Nakata already did it last year, and did it a whole lot better. That song was “Have A Stroll” off of (the still-dominating-time-on-my-iPod) JPN, which mimicked the cutesy looping of stuff like “Vitamin Drop” while still being very much the product of Perfume circa 2011. “Communication” sounds cute in a way more annoying fashion, one where the group’s trademark digital vocal manipulation gets turned down a bit (DANGER DANGER) and the backing bleep-bloop pigeon sounds mirror the sounds of French children’s show star Pigloo. Tellingly, you can only download “Spring Of Life” from iTunes, “Communication” relegated only to the physical CD as a hook to convince people to spend 10 bucks. It is especially frustrating considering that the other new track teased, “Point,” sounds fantastic.

What’s refreshing about Perfume’s adventure into Western markets is the low-stakes game they are playing. Whereas Utada and BoA did a lot to try to get over in America – the latter did a collab with fucking Flo-Rida, for God’s sakes – and current K-Pop supergroup Girls’ Generation seem hellbent on making it in the States, Perfume seem to be approaching this with a detached approach that ends up being a swagger all its own. Sure, they launched a pretty website and are upping their social-media game, but they are pretty much (at least for now) just releasing songs they would have dropped in Japan to other country’s iTunes Stores and then sitting back. Besides being a good way of not getting hopes up, it also shows a strange confidence that feels wonderful in the face of relentless marketing – we are Perfume, and here is a Perfume song, hope you enjoy. “Spring Of Life” is one of the most significant singles they’ve released, but it’s Perfume just being Perfume.

[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kWFGTH8K5g”]

Station To Station: Music Station For April 6, 2012 Featuring Rihanna, KARA And Mr. Children

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Big news here at Make Believe Melodies – this past week, MBM headquarters moved from Osaka to Tokyo, into the hear of the Japanese music scene. Or a relatively convenient subway ride away from it. So yeah…if you are in the Tokyo area, holla at me, we should hang out and eat at the fancy Wendy’s. That, or I’ll just keep sitting in this beanbag chair I call my “office” now.

KARA “Speed Up/Girl’s Power”

[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTXFjy90oqw”]

[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sApUUGgClf8″]

Last year’s J-Popification of KARA presented an interesting situation – could a K-Pop group like KARA, part of a movement subject to all sorts of unfair nationalistic judgements, be transformed into a group sounding like other Japanese acts without sacrificing that “exotic” element? Answer was a resounding “yes” – the music they released gradually became more like other contemporary J-Pop acts (in other words, worse), but sales continued ballooning. The quality of their singles dropped, but since KARA seem content milking the Japanese market for all its worth instead of venturing to the West, it also wasn’t a bad business move.

Now comes two new singles, “Speed Up” and “Girl’s Power.” Here, KARA attempt to channel the style they still lean on in Korea while also keeping an eye on how much Yen they can rake in. “Speed Up” stands as the better song, a slinky electro-dance number that comes off like a J-Pop-ready take on last year’s excellent “Step.” It’s the best single they’ve released since last spring’s fun “Jet Coast Love.” “Girl’s Power,” meanwhile, isn’t quite as ambitious, but features enough catchy instances to not be as soul-crushing as everything the group pumped out in late 2011. It also, to KARA’s credit, continues pushing the theme they introduced on last year’s Super Girl of being a “super girl,” a sorta empty bit of empowerment but still miles ahead of most J-Acts. Still, turn to “Speed Up” for something sonically interesting.

Kis-My-Ft2 “She! Her! Her!”

[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxvlxT2jfGY”]

The part where they whisper-grunt the song title is actually pretty intriguing. Naturally, this gets turned into but a small detail in an otherwise dreadful bit of Johnny’s pop. In the hands of a more daring talent agency, this could have been really good. Instead we get status quo.

Masaharu Fukuyama “Ikiteru Ikiteku”

[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0m8iQsRS2mg”]

Wrote about this one before, and not much has changed…I think this coincided with the new Doraemon movie, and given that context this is pretty harmless kiddie-ready fun. Like, I’m not going to throw rocks at a Discovery Zone, that’s messed up.

Porno Graffitti “2012 Spark”

[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9-TS2rhy2s”]

So the trick with this week’s Music Station is that none of the acts listed what song they are performing, so I’m just going with the last single they released. I dropped some acts entirely for not even having anything new in 2012 (sorry Superfly!), and am now realizing I’ve written about most of these tracks before. So apologies Porno Graffitti, but if ya’ll want to hear me snark-out about this song, hit up the search bar.

Mr. Children “Inori ~Namida No Kidou”

[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOlZumNtmio”]

Know what the search bar won’t help you with? Mr. Children, who I have never written about on this site for some reason. They are one of the most popular Japanese acts ever, one of the most dominant groups of the 90’s pop scene here and big enough to warrant mention on the Bubba The Love Sponge radio program in America (this is where I first heard of them, one afternoon, while flipping through satellite radio stations). How they ended up so massive I don’t know, but they keep on chugging into today like fellow Clinton-era holdovers SMAP.

This song, available in tiny clip form above, doesn’t really shed any light on why Mr. Children became one of the biggest Japanese rock bands ever. It’s the sort of song a machine would create if it was told to make music for the end credits of a cheesy movie – which is exactly what this Mr. Children tune does, offer a soundtrack for who worked as a key grip. This might not be a fair single to judge, but for what it is it seems pretty forgettable.

Rihanna “You Da One”

[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3HeLs8Yosw”]

She doesn’t necessarily have the media-ready narrative a Lady Gaga does, but it’s not crazy to think Rihanna is the most prominent pop star in America today. She’s not flashy, but more a model of consistency, the Tim Duncan of modern-American pop. She’s adept at adapting to trends…remember when she used to exclusively do dancehall stuff? Now she’s hopped on the Euro-dance craze and seems at home…and also keen when choosing who to collaborate with. As a result, she’s been in the pop eye since her debut and has a bunch of number-one singles to her credit, and as inspired a bunch of imitators (see: Nicki Minaj whenever she tries to be a pop star). Oh, and she’s headlining Summer Sonic.

“You Da One” isn’t one of the more immediately pleasing singles in Rihanna’s recent catalog, but is a pretty pleasant bumper. It lacks the stadium status something like “We Found Love” seems built out of, but rather a surprisingly intimate number with a few weird electronic gurgles popping up in the later part of the song. Some have described this as a “filler single” and I get that – this isn’t the sorta season-defining work she’s capable of. But still pleasant stuff.

Winner Of The Week – KARA’s “Speed Up”