New Emamouse: “Floating Wide Luffa”

The smallest alteration can create a significant ripple in Emamouse’s world. Much of the sonic architecture found on Floating Wide Luffa feels familiar — synthesizer melodies stumble about on songs such as “Matsuri No Yoko No Ie” and “Fusen No Makoto,” while Emamouse’s own vocals still sound as wonderfully wonky as ever, especially when sampled…

New ΔKTR: “Push”

ΔKTR makes beats that feel like they are tripping over themselves, but manage to vaudeville themselves into something smooth. It has always been a winning approach, but feels even more welcome when so much music —- even songs with actual singing instead of sliced-up found sounds — aims for the background. Push reminds that the…

Team Work: PALM2REE Featuring Gokou Kuyt “Reflect Alone (Yuzion — ‘Jealousy’ Remix’)”

Team Work: PALM2REE Featuring Gokou Kuyt “Reflect Alone (Yuzion — ‘Jealousy’ Remix’)”

Music remains one of the few passages between Japan and South Korea fostering good vibes in increasingly strained times between the two. Rap, in particular, has enjoyed quite the creative exchange in the 2010s, highlighted by “It G Ma,” but flourishing lately thanks to an underground rap community on both sides open to collaboration and…