English producer…and Maltine fixture…bo en was profiled on Pitchfork today, and of all the great details within also existed…his song for rising Japanese pop singer and Kyary-agency-mate Yun*Chi. The story of Yun*Chi’s music career thus far has been one of sounds being all over the place – she’s been backed by a bunch of producers, ranging from Avec Avec to Vocaloid-innovator kz to…many many more. “Dancing” isn’t her latest single, but rather it backs up the fine, straightforward-number “Wonderful Wonder World.” bo en’s approach to the song…one approved by Yun*Chi over Twitter, in a story I still can’t get over in its that-is-not-like-a-Japanese-label-ness…is to be all over the place, an approach that works well for an artist who has never really been allowed to find her own corner sonically. Like a lot of bo en’s solo music, “Dancing” zooms all over the place, from clap-along segments to ones featuring playful interpretations of Jersey Club (bed spring!) to a sax-out near the end. It is one of the more daring J-pop songs of 2014 sonically, and Yun*Chi adds her own charm to “Dancing” with her spoken-word improv (which is mainly meowing). Listen above.
Category Archives: J-Pop
Seiho Remixes Passepied: “Matatabistep”
The end of the year is creeping up on us, which means it is time to start thinking about the memorable albums of the past 12 months. One of the bigger surprises came courtesy of Tokyo rock outfit Passepied, who have been a perpetually pushed “next big thing” for the last few years, though none of their EPs or albums really delivered on the hype – they had their moments, but overall they seemed like an outfit that had a rough idea what they wanted to be (vaguely retro Showa-rock pop built for festivals) but weren’t there yet by a long shot. So this year’s MakunouchiIsm was a great development – anchored by three killer advance singles (highlighted by best-to-date-creation “Tokyo City Underground“) their latest saw them take their sound and get ambitious with it…while also coming across some killer hooks. It isn’t their masterpiece or even a real top-20-of-the-year contender…the biggest compliment and criticism of it is it solidifies Passepied as an outgoing SÅtaisei Riron…but it’s a huge leap in quality and has completely flipped my view on them going forward.
And now, new ambitions. They have a new EP coming out which finds them eyeing the English market…they’ve recorded thumper “Matatabistep” into English, and called up hip-as-heck producer Seiho to remix it for them. That rework is out now, and the Osaka creator turns it into a liquid-limbed Jersey-Club-ish slinker (!!!). It is fun as fuck, and a preview of their English endeavor (sounds alright to me). Listen above.
New Kindan No Tasuketsu: “Chyuuto Han Pa Hayamete” Featuring Izumi Makura
Kindan No Tasuketsu just released a new collection of songs, Entertainment, and here’s a woozy taste of it. Kindan handles the dreamy chorus, while guest rapper Izumi Makura adds some flair to the verses. It’s a focused number, and features a very nice outro. Check it out above.
Nice Nice: SAWA’s “RingaRinga”
New single from one of the many electro-pop artists who got a stab at the mainstream in the wake of Perfume’s landscape-shifting album GAME…and one of the many to recede from the spotlight and end up on some tiny imprint once the market decided they only really wanted one future-pop group bumrushing the charts. Which is a shame, because SAWA is pretty good overall, and “RingaRinga” is a nice synth-pop workout. Part cheerful electro-pop, part dance-floor-aiming release (that beat).
SAWA is also responsible for writing and co-arranging Especia’s “Midnight Confusion,” if you needed an extra nudge to click ‘play.’
New Her Ghost Friend: “Knock Knock”
Geez, this week is off to a great start. Colorful J-pop duo Her Ghost Friend are back with “Knock Knock,” an extremely playful number that finds producer DJ Obake treating sounds like gooey taffy. From the start, “Knock Knock” drips in samples of birds, scattered sounds and the titular phrase before segueing into a slightly more traditional structure. Still, Obake messes with pitch, bass sounds and Shinobu Ono’s voice twisted into various directions (at times sounding like it is drifting off into space). Yet there is also a bouncy pop number here, just one off-set by stuff that would seem out of place on an Oricon-charting single. Listen below, or download it here.