It’s a match made in peppy pop heaven. Brinq and Antenna Girl have both made springy, at-times busy dance-pop over the last couple of years, so seeing the two collaborate on an EP together isn’t too surprising, though it’s also plenty welcome. “Lonely Lonely Blue” offers the first taste of the forthcoming Sayonara EP, and it’s appropriately high-energy. Brinq handles the music, crafting a swift and bouncy electronic backdrop that constantly finds a way to up its own drama — just check the little twinkles in the back. Antenna Girl, meanwhile, handles singing, and holds her own over the quick track (and, in a moment where both artists collide, her voice does get turned into a digital hiccup that ups the energy even more). Listen above.
Category Archives: Music
New Fellsius: Daily Housework
One of Trekkie Trax’s strongest attributes is the sheer variety of electronic music they’ve shared with the world. Fellsius’ Daily Housework is a nice reminder of that, finding the young producer creating a pretty reverent set of house tracks (the title being a nice wink) leaning on the heavier side of the genre, complete with throaty vocals overlaid. It’s an energetic affair and one that works best as a front-to-back listen. Get it here, or listen below.
New Homecomings: “Songbirds”
Kyoto’s Homecomings have found their corner of the music world, and they fit snuggly into it. “Songbirds” is their latest song, and it is a further Sharpie-underlining of what they do so well. No band in Japan captures suburban ennui —- a very Kyoto-born longing, a place that allows for the space and time to just think —- and “Songbirds” plays out like many of their past mid-tempo cuts. It takes its time getting anywhere, more content to think issues of the heart over while a stroll of a guitar melody and light beat moves forward. The music can get a little rougher, but Homecomings leave plenty of space for Ayaka Tatamino’s reflective, slice-of-life lyrics to get space. Yeah, it sounds familiar coming from the quartet. But they excel at it so much, it feels comforting. Listen above.
More Than Comedy: Pink Neon Tokyo Gang Kill Them All #PNTGKTA
What should be a novelty from a collective often flirting with disposable music —- future-funkers Pink Neon Tokyo putting out an album that seemingly exists to riff on a Tyler, The Creator album cover — ends up being an enjoyable and clever listen. Pink Neon Tokyo Gang Kill Them All #PNTGKTA stands out immediately because it isn’t just a collection of future funk, a niche genre that can produce interesting ideas (and fun beats) but often feels a little too “aesthetic” for its own good. Rather, the folks involved with this just get goofy, starting off by matching trap-style beats with Showa-era pop to create a dumb-fun opener that sets the pace. Lil Fiji Vert (yep) teases bouncy Vocaloid-pop before throwing a huge splatter of Trap-a-Holics sample over it and transforming it into something a bit more thumping…but still lithe and catchy. “Wanima” is both the the stupidest and most fun to sing along with, featuring the name of the punk-pop band repeated over and over again (Lil Pump style) into something that becomes clever the longer you let it linger. And even if that isn’t working for you, they close it out with a surprisingly reflective instrumental. Far from essential listening, but far more fun than you’d ever expect. Listen above.
New Buddhahouse: Kinki
With any new enterprise, you want your best foot forward. DJ and producer Buddhahouse recently launched a new label called Fruit Parlor Records, and the first release to come from this fledgling operation comes from himself. Kinki includes tracks the Sapporo-born creator has shared in recent memory, making it a good one-stop for the tropical delight of “Mango!” and (a slightly re-worked) “See You.” Yet the real power players are new creations showing a bit more length from Buddhahouse. “Kyoto” revs out the gate, but the song slowly morphs into something more reflective thanks to squiggly electronic details that slowly change. Even better is “Personal Memories,” a slow-burning romper that paces itself just right. Get it here, or listen below.