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Category Archives: Music

Simple Memories: Hachimitsu To Kamenberu’s “Scenery From Seabed” And “Monorail”

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Simplicity goes a long way. Osaka’s Hachimitsu To Kamenberu creates sparse synth tunes oozing out emotion, tapping into the complicated feeling a few electronic notes can conjure up and going from there. This two song set highlights what makes the producer so intriguing. “Scenery From Seabed” offers up a delicate whir of electronics in the mold of i-fls or group_inou’s imai (or, when the vocal hiccups enter, early Meishi Smile), capturing a fragile melancholy from simple sounds. “Monorail” incorporates samples of the titular transport, and is closer to i-fls’ musical portraits of everyday life in the suburbs (guessing the monorail in question is the Osaka one just outside of the city center). Get it here, or listen below.

New Neshizuku: “Vague”

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Sometimes, after a long day, you just want a number that gets you nodding along on your couch. Producer Neshizuku’s end-of-summer gift to the world is “Vague,” a slightly menacing dance cut pulsing with energy. This one doesn’t mess around — from the start, Neshizuku lets steel-tipped synth lines graze over the beat, constructing a sleek but mean-mugging melody. Neshizuku doesn’t really develop it into something new, or shift “Vague” into a different lane for its homestretch. Rather, he rides the metallic rhythm for all its worth, and ends up with a not-so-nice, energetic cut. Listen above.

Yuzame Label’s Hatsune Miku Compilation I Want To Tell You Features Yunomi, Mecanika And More

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In general, I’m drawn to music utilizing Vocaloid software in an experimental manner, or just pushing it to its digital extreme. Basically, give me a computer voice that sounds like a computer over a computer voice trying to be human. Yuzame Label’s I Want To Tell You isn’t pushing the singing-synthesizer program in any new ways, but rather serves up eight electro-pop numbers starring Hatsune Miku. And they all shine in their own way. The most direct are simply skippy pop number featuring big bright hooks and a lot of synthesizers, such as Ichisei Rupo’s bouncing “Restart” or Mysteka’s rumbling “Vivid,” which sees how airy Miku’s voice can get. Mecanika switches things up, turning “Raw” into a start-stop rev up wherein Miku’s voice is turned into a sonic dressing rather than the focus. It’s the most creative use of her voice here. Meanwhile, Yunomi closes out I Want To Tell You with a song building on his style, offering something a bit more spacious and dramatic (but still featuring traditional instruments), with Miku simply serving as his guest vocalist. Get it here, or listen below.

New Le Makeup: “Red Tinged Memories”

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The shift Osaka’s Le Makeup made earlier this year, moving from Bala Club-inspired dance cuts to more reflective numbers often utilizing guitar, has allowed the young artist to start developing a sound all his own. “Red Tinged Memories” builds on the fantastic Hyper Earthy, finding Le Makeup crafting a woozy number that only grows hazier as it progresses. A strong thump persists during its whole run, but “Memories” ultimately feels reflective, highlighted by the muffled sound of Le Makeup himself (I presume) singing. Listen above.

New Acidclank: “Lionel”

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Acidclank’s newest song “Lionel” goes on sale tomorrow, so now seems like a good time to check it out. The band first caught our attention as a shoegaze outfit, and their earliest albums matched everything you imagine a group described as (or self-describing as) that would. Yet recent songs have hinted at Acidclank edging away from burying themselves in distortion, and letting a little more come through to the surface. “Lionel” stands as the outfit’s most direct to date, to the point where the words come across pretty clearly. It’s still pretty lovelorn though, and approaches something desperate on the chorus, which features the repeated “try me if you’re lonely,” less a come on and more a plea. The music matches this — deeper in things wooze off, lending a lurking unease to the song, and even the guitar solo cutting through late adds aggression rather than release. Listen above.