Allow me to take you back in time for a second…when I moved to Japan in 2009, one of the most reliable labels in the Kansai region was Second Royal Records. Looking back on it, they boasted one of the most loaded line-ups of artists in Japan — Hotel Mexico, Halfby, Handsomeboy Technique, Turntable Films, it goes on. In recent years, though, they were a touch more quiet, putting out a smattering of releases but not quite at the pace of yesteryear, and not quite as apt at highlighting great new talent. But late 2018 has been a bit of a resurgence, and Kyoto’s The Fax deliver with “Cool Me.” If the dog barks at the start don’t give it away, this one’s a little on the wonky side, without devolving into pure goofery. It’s a bouncy bit of rock, springier than most indie-pop (even the stuff Second Royal has put out before) but retaining moments of reflection. Always nice to be introduced to a band that you are interested in seeing evolve from here. Listen above.
Category Archives: Music
Out Of The Shadows: Hasami Group’s Atsui No Haru EP
Hasami Group is one of those names that comes up from other artists in Japanese underground music. Fuji Chao covered them on one of her 2017 releases, for example. Turns out they’ve remained active, albeit without much publication. Recent EP Atsui No Haru gathers songs recorded from 2011 and 2018, making for a kind of nice gateway into their music, which fluctuates between group_inou-style instrumental numbers (albeit with more strings, and sounding much more bedroom) to more catharsis-chasing numbers complete with vocals. And you get something like “Siren,” which is crud-encrusted rap over boombox beats. An interesting in to an intriguing veteran act. Get it here, or listen below.
New Stones Taro: Black Bread
Stones Taro has been on a tear this year, and Black Bread only adds to the winning streak. Released via Glasgow’s Johnny Johnny, the three-track set finds the Kyoto producer dabbling in a variety of house stylings, playing around with faded sounds and acid touches on the opening title track before getting a little thumpier on the disorienting “Living With Other.” The highlight, though, is “Merge,” which combines a persistent beat with synth wooze and samples of Michael Jackson drifting by. It is an out-of-time piece of jubilation. Get it here, or listen below.
A Day In The Life: Dove’s “Femm”
The debut song from Dove finds a space between daily life happenings and dreamier escapes. It is the first release from Pure Voyage Records, and the number is written and composed by Le Makeup, a fact that comes through clearly in most elements of “Femm.” The music sounds suitable for Hyper Earthy or other releases from their electronic documents of the everyday, featuring vocals often just out of reach and a slightly faded backdrop often interrupted by more dynamic bits of percussion (see the bridge). But the voice at the center is different, Dove providing a different perspective than Le Makeup releases, while still being captivating in how it captures everyday feelings and longings. Listen above.
New Lucky Kilimanjaro: “Hitori No Yoru Wo Nuke”
For a second there, it looked like Lucky Kilimanjaro was going to become the new Give Me Wallets. That outfit got some buzz with retro-tinged electro-pop material, and quickly found a way in to writing J-pop songs for artists like Yuki. A solid career choice and one resulting in good pop, but it also meant the original project just kind of stalled. Lucky Kilimanjaro has been working behind-the-scenes for major labels more in recent times, including for Tokyo Girls’ Style (with Haru Nemuri!), which…again, cool. But could result in less of what they do.
But they are back, with the bright conga-bounce of “Hitori No Yoru Wo Nuke.” Like their best songs from the past, the power of this one lies in how unrelentingly upbeat it is, the verses skipping along before ratcheting up to a big neon burst come the hook. It’s really pretty simple, but Lucky Kilimanjaro nail the part where you need to keep the pace up and make those moments of wonder hit hard. Listen above.