The thing about being upbeat is that you really need to commit to not come off as phony. Lucky Kilimanjaro occupy just the right corner here, creating bouncy dance-pop topped off by shout-along hooks that never get too twee and mutate into an I’m From Barcelona group hug. “Kaze Ni Naru” offers up joy in…
HoneyComeBear’s calling card has been the ability to take familiar EDM stompings and find a way to turn them into something closer to a J-pop ballad without sacrificing the banger qualities. “Calling” offers the latest example of the duo’s balancing act, featuring skittering drum beats and bright keyboard melodies wrapped around tender verses just really…
Let’s call this one a softer side of Mom. The artist’s best work, for me at least, has always been about energy, often giddily jamming genre together or simply finding his own perspective on hip-hop and running with it. “Himitsu No Futari” keeps things mellow. It’s the closest he’s come to approaching that neo-city-pop sound,…
I’m just so tired recently…the latest release from Omoide Label serves as a real nice shot of sonic caffeine, an upbeat trio of dance songs from producer Toti that really just go for pure energy over any evolution of the “future bass” sound that has been kicking around for a while now. The title track…
Haruno steps towards the spotlight on these pair of recent releases. The artist has previously used Vocaloid singing as a base while in recent months has switched up to more beat-oriented instrumental chill outs. But now Haruno is making their vocals (presumably) go to the center on numbers that opt for mid-tempo pop. “Broadcast” came…