Osaka artist Le Makeup’s recent Life Intonation EP feels like part compliment to last year’s Hyper Earthy, and also a bit of a stab at wider recognition. The six songs gathered here and put out at the very end of January build on the soft meditations he pivoted too last year, using splashes of guitar,…
Last year was a weird one for E-Girls. After a few years where they felt like the logical next direction for J-pop to head in, 2017 felt a touch off. Not necessarily musically, though — E.G. Crazy was an overstuffed double album, but one featuring a pretty great “Cool” side loaded up with some of…
Osaka’s Batsu gets reflective on Half Self. The electronic artist’s latest offers up a fragile set of tracks that often tease going over the edge, but always hold everything back, aiming for something more melancholy than moshing. Not to downplay how springy Batsu’s creations can get — check the zero-gravity “Confess,” seemingly using melodies from…
Haruruinu Love Dog Tenshi first came on our radar last year thanks to a collab with the producer/rapper Youheyhey. That cut sounded great, but it was Haruruinu’s rap-turned-sing delivery that elevated the song and added an extra layer of giddiness to the tune. The two come together again for Haruruinu’s very own “Setsuzoku,” but this…
I can earnestly say that, without the internet as it existed in the early 2010s, my life would be completely different. Living in rural Japan, there was a strong but small local community I could rely on, and I’m forever thankful for that, but you also miss out on so much more. Yet back then,…