Your summer probably won’t get any smoother than this. Laid-back rock outfit Evening Cinema teamed up with equally chill outfit Cinnamons for “Summertime,” a song that certainly operates as a carefree number, but which stands out for actually having a skip to it. It jogs ahead, never getting heavy, but plays out swiftly thanks to some speedy guitar playing and synth streaks. The key to “Summertime’s” charm is the vocals, a relatively straightforward but sweet vocal turned in by Cinnamons’ lead vocalist…which is countered by the Auto-tune-dunked voice of Evening Cinema’s singer, making for a nice contrast. And make the hook all the stickier. Listen above.
Category Archives: Music
New Masterpiece Presents Imaginary Dinosaur Landscape Featuring Boogie Idol, 909 State And More
New Masterpiece’s latest compilation, Imaginary Dinosaur Landscape, doesn’t set out to identify any new trends or solidify around any specific sounds. Rather, every artist brings something different to the mix, which might ultimately be more reflective of the label than if they coalesced around a theme (a theme beyond “every track is named after a dinosaur”). A handful of artists choose to embrace aggression, such as Rhythmboxer on the swift and clanging “Velociraptor” and Geodezik on the disjointed head trip “Zhuchengtyrannus.” Others go for soft, such as Boogie Idol’s twinkling meditation “Brontosaurus,” while Tanaka Scat opts for a lithe synth number accented by a talk-box-like effect on “Triceratops.” If you are looking for any other major takeaways reflecting larger movements, 909state’s embrace of acid on “Spinosaurus” mirrors a recent up-kick in Japan-based producers returning to those squelchy sounds. But otherwise, enjoy this comp for its whirlwind vibe. Get it here, or listen below.
New Paellas: “Shooting Star”
Sometimes, you do something long enough it ends up aligning just right with a trend…or presents a shadow version of a booming sound. Paellas have been creating shadowy music since around 2012, initially starting off making late-night-lounge indie-pop before transitioning to a style drawing more from R&B and weaving in electronic touches, but maintaining the after-midnight despair. Following a great album late last year in Pressure, they seem poised to ratchet it up to the next level on forthcoming mini affair D.R.E.A.M. The sound mostly remains the same — the bass lines play out tightly, while the vocals continue to do downcast near-whispering just right. They add in a nifty keyboard solo. It struts, sadly, and hovers around a hooky chorus. It is very much a Paellas’ song, not far removed from the nocturnal laments of Pressure. Yet now all those sounds have become staples of mainstream Japanese music, or at least the next level under (the opening drum roll made me instantly think of Chai’s “Sayonara Complex,” except with dark alleys replacing sun-lit streets). If Suchmos represent all things laid back, cool and positive about Japanese music in 2017, Paellas have stumbled into a mirror role, using the same sonic palette to add some darker tones to these often polished sounds. Here’s hoping they connect with those burnt out from all the brightness. Watch above.
New LLLL: “Slowly We Come”
LLLL’s Chains project has allowed the Tokyo-based producer to explore a wide range of sounds and tempos, some entries offering speedy dance numbers, while others have leaned closer to something more reflective and slower. “Slowly We Come” hints at its pace right in the title, finding the producer creating a song that takes its time to move forward, backed by percussive details that reach the intensity of a typewriter at most. This spaciousness allows the sounds to wash over the vocals…here provided by the project’s original vocalist…and underline the reflection hinted at by the synthesizer notes all the more. Listen above.
New Chelmico: “Highlight”
Building off of a lovely debut album last year, hip-hop duo Chelmico will release a new EP titled…EP next month. They’ve previewed it with the bouncy “Highlight,” which finds the pair tag-teaming in and out over the skippy dance-pop beat, delivering smooth rap flows and sing-song styles in equal measures. Central to Chelmico’s music has been the ability for the duo to pivot into really nice pop choruses, and “Highlight” features a very solid hook, finding both members of the group singing together over a near-carnival stomp. Listen above.