Sometimes, you don’t need much time to make a good point. Osaka’s Valentine’s need just over a minute and a half to shine on “Dear Simon,” a song they originally made a year ago, but have re-recorded now with a slightly more raw feel (all pretty much in the vocals). In either form, it is a darty bit of rock, so quick that it feels like they don’t have time for a proper chorus. Yet who cares, because the way “Dear Simon” skips ahead, it is catchy enough, and that’s before the final stretch of la la’s. Listen above.
Category Archives: Music
New Guchon: 9999/Namahage
Producer Guchon has been a netlabel staple for more than a decade now, having released some of the earliest (maybe THE earliest, if you count mixes) material on Maltine Records, while hopping around several other digital imprints too. Sabacan Records has hosted several of his creations, and they bring the world the one-two punch of “9999” and “Namahage.” It’s a high-energy set, opening up with the sample-heavy, shuffling dash of “9999,” which channels late Aughts’ British dance. “Namahage,” meanwhile, is a bit more stripped down, emphasizing the beat and slowly mutating it. Get it here, or listen below.
New Tricot: “DeDeDe”
It’s pretty crazy how, like, notable Tricot have gotten over the past year? This was a group that was mostly overlooked by Japanese media, until they started getting more Western recognition…which allowed them to get that lovely reverse-import effect. They aren’t Babymetal-huge or anything, but they’ve moved up the ranks considerably. And new album 3 is being put out by pretty decent-sized labels in the West, and they’ve gotten blog premiers. Latest song “DeDeDe” first appeared on Gold Flake Paint, and finds Tricot doing what they they are best at — transforming twisty-turvy guitar playing into something deeply catchy. “DeDeDe” features a lot of nice little touches among all the math-rock signifiers, like the vocal flourishes lurking in the back, which add nice depth. Yet “DeDeDe” is ultimately a reminder that Tricot have this style locked down, and can find new angles…angular angles?…on it all their own. Listen above.
New Ancient Youth Club: “Highline Wo Yokokiite”
On their latest song, Ancient Youth Club shoot for drama, and get it just right. I don’t want to ever put too much stock in the images uploaded alongside songs, but an ending credits roll hints at something potentially cheesy. Yet “Highline Wo Yokokiite” balances it all well. It certainly builds, and isn’t afraid to approach schlock (those keyboard notes), but they never go overboard with it, keeping it more pleasant than screen-focused. Plus, the hook manages to sound a bit off, like sung through a layer of digital sparks. Listen above.
New X-Files: Space Jazz
He’s turned his attention to Space Jazz, but the latest release from X-Files still brims over with the sense of unease that has defined the artist’s work over the last two years. There actually isn’t that much “jazz” present — rather, it is a lot of guitar countered by a serious of synth notes, with songs that can turned warped and aggressive (“Surf Sax”) to lonely (“Cum”). Samples break up the noise, adding a human element and, on a number such as “Guitar Lesson,” a bit of humor, yet Space Jazz pulls you in because of how unnerving and at times pulverizing (see: the buzzsaw guitars of closer “Super Surface”). Get it here, or listen below.