New-ish project Feather Shuttles Forever brings together Hikaru Yamada (of the group Hiakru Yamada and The Librarians) and Mukuchi, who has appeared on this blog a few times with a genre called “seagazer.” Together, they create a shifty electronic-pop number in “Zujou No Seaside Town,” which features smooth singing gliding over an ever-changing backdrop, one teasing hip-hop breakdowns and detours into future bass. It isn’t so much the tension of the music that makes it work, as much as it is how nicely the singing works over whatever sounds the music throws at it (only a piano interlude finds the vocals taking a break all together). A lovely pop song from a project that I hope keeps on going. Listen above. They also put out an album this past February that we missed…well, fix that by going here.
Category Archives: Music
New Youthmemory: Neo Tokyo
It’s always nice to see an indie-pop outfit lean towards something slightly darker. Youthmemory, whose name should tip you off to how they’ve sounded in the past, inch towards the shadows on Neo Tokyo. Similar to how Moscow Club tried out all sorts of moods while still being centered around indie-pop sounds, the two songs here are still very much in Youthmemory’s wheelhouse, but with details that add new depth to their sound. “Neo Tokyo” moves a touch slower than previous songs by the project, and the drum-machine beat feels more obvious here, giving a mechanical, somewhat jarring element to the song. “City” is zippier, but still finds the group looking towards the ground, the speedier tempo getting wrapped up in synths and melancholy lyrics. Get it here, or listen below.
Kansai Scene: New Songs From The Neon City, Nite Body And Metome (Sort Of)
Always fun logging on after a weekend away in the countryside and starting to sift through all the new music out there. Three songs (errrr, two songs and a mix…three is the magical number for these things, sorry) jumped out at me, and all come from artists who hail from the Kansai region of Japan. So let’s get into them.
— The Neon City pushes the boundaries of not only this goofy post, but also this blog’s leading philosophy — she is currently based out of New Zealand, which is not Japan. Yet I’m allowing it for now because I think it’s not permanent, and because “Magical Love” is a woozy little electronic number worth attention all the same. Like most of The Neon City’s recent creations, it is a bit on the stripped down side, featuring keyboard notes and vocals that echo off into the distance. Simple, but it creates an inviting and warm environment that makes the dreamy vibe of “Magical Love” all the more charming. Listen above.
— Dance producer Nite Body returns with “Galaxy Visions,” a rubbery house number that is the most fitting of the three entries here to soundtrack your night out. Nite Body excels at this sort of late-night, lose-yourself dance sound, and it’s always a treat when he shares something new. Listen below.
— Lastly, a mix, which is something we normally don’t post…but when Metome does anything, we try to report on it. This mix is a playful, upbeat one, running from outright pop to a mix of dance styles. Besides being a set that never stops skipping along, it offers some nice insight into Metome’s mind at the moment (we can assume). Listen below.
Floor Filler: Otenba Kid’s Pink Panther EP
The latest from Maltine Records requires know super deep analysis, at least not on a Friday night. The relatively mysterious Otenba Kid’s Pink Panther EP is a rollicking set of disco and house tunes, recalling artists such as Cherryboy Function on shimmering opener “G.o.o.d.y,” which matches bright synthesizer up against piano lines. It’s a high-energy dance number that previews what is to come, ranging from the skippy, sample-centric title track to the guitar-assisted burn of closer “You Gonna Be Rock.” I’m sure there is plenty to unpack here…but for right now, it’s best just to dive in. Get it here.
New Teen Runnings: “Hair Wax ’95”
Teen Runnings were way ahead of the curve. The trio — initially known as Friends — were playing a take on beach-fitting rock all the way back when MySpace was still the dominate way to find out about new music. They added a thick layer of distortion, lending their songs a sense of unease the otherwise fun-in-the-sun melodies didn’t bring. But then they went on hiatus…and suddenly every ascendant rock band in Japan was also playing sun-dappled rock. The noise coating it was gone, but it’s tough listening to half of these bands and walk away not thinking “man…Teen Runnings was just way better than this Mac DeMarco stuff.”
But now they are back! For at least one new song (demo, technically, but we can make an exception here) and a show in Montreal later this month. “Hair Wax ’95” is not as feedback-drenched as older Teen Runnings’ cuts, opting instead for a bouncy, vaguely tropical number. The lyrics, though, still lean towards the less tubular, even if they often sound upbeat enough. Here’s hoping for more. Listen above.