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Category Archives: Music

New X-Files: Spam 2017-2018

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Maybe X-Files spam is hiding a lot of good material. Spam 2017-2018 implies these are leftovers from the low-key noise maker, but these tracks are among the best they have ever made. It really gets going with “Midlife,” which introduces thundering drums to X-Files’ needly synth bursts, making for a particularly intense listen. “MetalCom” appropriates elements of metal music (and, uh, Pink Lady?) to create a whirlwind of sound, while “Phantasm” creeps along, offering pure unsettling atmosphere. And there are plenty of slow-burning passages of tension rounding out this collection, highlighted by 11-minute-plus finale “Xanadu.” Get it here, or listen below.

New Young Agings: Before I Go

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Given how common this beach-adjacent sound has become in recent years, it is…weird (?) hearing Before I Go and being transported back to the first half of the decade. This is basically a Teen Runnings album, maybe a little less fuzzy (well, save for inclusions like “Unconsciousness” which go big on feedback) around the edges but containing the same driving tempos and ennui that populate that group’s music. See the giddy rush of “My Universe” or the slightly slower chug of “Remember Me” — this is right in line with that other group, and every bit as sticky. And still miles better than a lot of outfits that arrived later. Get it here, or listen below.

New Pavilion Xool Featuring Levi Watson: “Day God”

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Pavilion Xool always works better with others, and this collaboration with Atlanta (but based in Tokyo, if SoundCloud is to be believed) rapper Levi Watson introduces a new path for the producer to go. Coming from imprint Yaoya in their continued effort to introduce younger artists to the world at large. Pavilion Xool’s beat is a nice mix between glassy synth play — actually bringing to mind ’80s ambient, at least in very broad ways — and disorienting passages that twist everything around. Watson fits in nicely among both sides, bouncing between all sides to create a nice vocal back and forth. Listen above.

Prickly: Makiko Aizen’s “Untitled 7”

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Producer Makiko Aizen’s “Untitled 7” pricks away at the listener, but knows that you need to mix in some soft beauty to make it worth it. The main sound coming through in this just-under-three-minute-long song is a sharp synthesizer line raising in intensity over the course of “Untitled 7.” It isn’t harsh or anything, but it certainly hits the ears pretty hard, especially in latter parts of the song. But lurking underneath is a far more faded and ultimately beautiful melody. The tension between the two makes this one a winner. Listen above.

New Cairophenomenons: “Tiger, Tiger”

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It would be a bit too precious to say Tokyo’s Cairophenomenons carry the torch of early 2010s Japanese indie-rock, though they probably are as close as anyone is going to get to the vibe of Hotel Mexico in 2018. But they really do nail a certain Setagaya-ward-basement feel that is becoming a bit more rare as bands shift towards City Pop-lite, or more twee grounds, or like noise. “Tiger, Tiger” is a breezy number with enough rev ups (see: right after the hooks) to not be blown over by one’s breath. It’s just the right mix of earnest and muscular, and the end result is comforting if not a little too familiar. Listen above.