The past is never too far from contemporary music. The ’80s have haunted Japanese music of all sorts for…well, probably even longer than when I arrived in 2009. Yet recently, it has been even more clear than ever before. Domestically, Suchmos have become a top-tier act using mellow rock stylings…not “city pop” as they’ve been…
Doesn’t matter if it comes out on a Monday morning or Friday after 10 pm, when a new edition of Fogpak hits the Internet, this blog is going to cover it as soon as possible. The 18th collection appeared tonight, centered around the theme of “Teen,” and the artists contributing to the latest installment of…
Nothing says “Friday afternoon vibes” like some hair-raising, industrial-tinged electronic music. Cemetery excels at this, and he has an album coming out via Sacred Phrases in May. “Riffs” is a preview of what to expect, and it turns out the producer is dabbling in slow-burning, slowly building in force electronic music with all sorts of…
Tofubeats’ major-label forays thus far have leaned heavy on guests, and they’ve mostly worked. The Kobe producer has teamed up with classic idols, E-Girls, rappers and more. With forthcoming album Fantasy Club, out in May, it looks like Tofubeats is focusing on himself. Based on the available tracklist, his third Warner-associated full-length is low on…
In general, the longer a trend lasts, the more exposure to it is likely to make listeners hesitant. Which is to say…the opening notes of Leave E’s Youth, full of bubbly synth building up to a big, bass-centric drop, made me think “here we go again.” This style, which you could call “future bass” bordering…