Here’s the latest taste of Tofubeats’ forthcoming major-label debut, First Album, which for those who know their Tofu will realize it sounds very very familiar. That’s because the luxurious beat for “Poolside” first appeared as the opening track for 2012’s fantastic Summer Dreams. The music…along with Tofubeat’s original rap…remain, but it is now joined by a guest appearance from RIP SLYME’s PES, turning it into a bit of a tag-team number. It also has a new video, which you can watch above.
Category Archives: J-Pop
Fuck It Friday: The Lasttrak Bring King Cream Soda And Daft Punk Together At Last
Sometimes an idea is so absurd it turns genius really fast. The Lasttrak…who mainly remix anime theme songs into, like, dub burners or EDM bruisers…take an extremely popular song from the trio King Cream Soda made for the cartoon Youkai Watch and mashes it up…with Daft Punk. It somehow works, and, honestly, to close out this week…why not, fuck it. Listen below.
New Tofubeats Featuring Hitomi Arai Of Tokyo Girls’ Style: “Come On Honey!”
(Heh, talk about nice timing)
Kobe producer Tofubeats’ latest single is here, and after two major-label songs where he hooked up with some older names, he’s teamed up with Hitomi Arai of Tokyo Girls’ Style for new single “Come On Honey!” It’s a shuffling number featuring some nice synth blurts right before the chorus and a healthy dose of fuzzed-out vocals, one of those Tofubeats’ details that has always sweetened his songs considerably. Arai herself handles this well, in particularly when she goes in for the high notes during the chorus. Watch the video above.
Especia Meet Negicco: Negipecia’s “Girl’s Life”
It isn’t necessarily made clear here, but if you follow Make Believe Melodies on Twitter or on Tumblr, you’ll pick up on the fact that J-pop idols are responsible (or, at least represent) for some great music. This outlet…which, in theory, focuses more on the independent/not-mainstream side of Japanese music except, uhhh, when it doesn’t…hasn’t been shy in praising Osaka outfit Especia, a group with a vaporwave aesthetic and fantastic pop rooted in City Pop and acid jazz. Leak-boosting trio Negicco…not as vocal, though all you really need to know is that their “Triple! Wonderland” is one of 2014’s best.
Because they are idols, and because idols in 2014 constantly need to be doing something different, Especia and Negicco have teamed up to form Negipecia. They’ll release one single later this month, and that tune is now out, and you can hear it above (and watch the silly, hotel-parodying clip) above. It’s a surprisingly good midpoint between the two groups – it features the swoons and well-crafted sheen expected from Negicco, yet still squeezes in some Especia elements such as the beat and the twinkly synths (and the video). At the center – a hook that both groups would have probably been happy to have all their own.
New Dempagumi.inc: “Chyururi Chyururira”
A large part of manic pop outfit Dempagumi.inc’s message up to now has been a desire to go worldwide – see the still definitive “W.W.D.” – but on their latest single, they turn a bit inward. “We are Japanese” goes one part at the end of the chorus, though the traditional-leaning instruments popping up all over should be more than clue enough. Not a bad move, considering they are gaining momentum domestically…might as well drive it home completely with one celebrating all sorts of corners of Japan.
Thing is, the group’s defining sonic feature – the pinballing approach to pop – is still in place (and check those 8-bit bloops lurking in the verses). Plus, those dramatic interludes!