Less than a month after releasing a solid set of UTAU-centered electro-pop, Gaburyu and digi-singer Eru Amaga return with the sweet shuffler “Pop It Soda.” What’s most remarkable about it is how Gaburyu takes familiar elements of dance music sub-genres — Jersey club for one, and whatever you want to classify the thing most begrudgingly call “tropical house” — but finds a way to fit them into a song that doesn’t simply sound like an imitation of any. Rather, she weaves in high-energy passages and a hook anchored by syllables (which, to be fair, is something Vocaloid producers have been doing long before “Sorry”) around a number that can be downright lovesick in its verses. Listen above.
Category Archives: Music
Electric Fellows: Iivvyy’s (Kosmo Kat And Hvns) “Want You”
Tokyo producers Kosmo Kat and Hvns have orbited the same spaces for a couple years now, so the two coming together to form a new project isn’t totally out of left field. But the first song under their Iivvyy moniker surprises in just how effective it is in capturing what both artists do so well without any part being diluted in the process. “Want You” shimmies forward, marrying Hvns techno-leaning side with the wonkier electro flourishes of Kosmo Kat, most evident in the fat bass notes and the way voices warp around into new forms. A reductive way of saying it is Iivvyy turns the shiny off-center pop of Kosmo Kat into something more Resident Advisor friendly thanks to Hvns. Yet this (which, hey, I just thought up, so I’m my own target) fails to account for how smooth everything works together, even as the edges of the song reveal metallic spikes and uneasy flourishes. Listen above.
New ELLEH: Anthems Part 2
Today in “catching up on releases from the summer,” Tokyo duo ELLEH shared Anthems Part 2 in late August, building on the sad boy disco of the first installment in the series. If Anthems Part 1 dwelled mainly on the downtrodden side of their dance-pop, Part 2 adds a little hope to the mix via “I Can Be Your Best Friend’s” optimistic strut, the collection’s finest moment and the pair’s best song to date. The rest, meanwhile, is more downcast, even in moments of escape — “Space To Dance” exists on the floor, but the self-ripping lyrics and icy groove are all doubt, while “Ghost” mines unrequited love over a sprightly disco bob. Get it here, or listen below.
New Yullippe: “Monemone”
Recorded during a live set at Osaka’s Zakuro back in July, “Monemone” features an extra rawness thanks to its in-the-moment nature. Yet however this sounds, Yullippe manages to make the uneasy nature of its rumble come through clearly. The beat shambles forward, the industrial influences she has long drawn from adding a nice crunch. And when the razor-sharp synth lines come in, somewhere between a gurgle and a blast, everything becomes even more dizzying. And in a nice touch possibly inspired by the live setting, she lets the song completely drop away late…only to return it, for maximum dramatic effect. Listen above.
New Yunomi Featuring Nicamoq: “Shugorei”
Jumping off of something written the other day, it’s nice to see artists continue to push their sounds into new directions rather than simply abandon them or let outside influence shape it for them. Yunomi boasts one of the more distinct sonic palettes in Japan, a mix of hyperactive EDM-inspired electronics merged with traditional Japanese sounds worthy of basically being an entire idol group’s sonic DNA. “Shugorei” finds the producer diving deeper into the sound, letting the screws loosen a bit up in the verses (listen to how those synths feel a little off, and while he still utilizes a familiar soft-to-loud build, on this number Yunomi lets the corners fray a bit. The main drop buries vocals from long-time-contributer Nicamoq (in top form here) and a late passage glazes her voice in digital effects, over a sparse beat. The changes are small, but significant. Get it here, or listen below.