Toyomu’s radical re-works — especially that one — are always going to be the immediate image of the Kyoto artist for a lot of people. But “Maboroshi” shines because it channels all the other elements that have been present in Toyomu’s original music, synthesizing them into one squiggly track. Traces of his Brainfeeder-loving early days shine through, while the slightly faded synthesizer melodies recall more recent post-Kanye experiments. And adding some local charm to the whole thing is a sample of what sounds like a Japanese children’s choir singing, adding a lightness to the whole thing. Most importantly of all? Whereas previous Toyomu creations could feel closer to sketches (or just beats seeking…something), “Maboroshi” stands alone and goes through a whole arc. Listen above.
Category Archives: Music
Simple Cuteness: Nakamura Sanso’s “Only You”
Cutesy bass music tends to embrace maximalism, so it’s nice to be reminded that keeping everything simple can be just as effective. Nakamura Sanso’s “Only You” emphasizes melody over anything else, and rather than load up every corner with sound lets the main vocal line and surrounding synth chirps carry the song forward. The MVP element, though, is the percussion, which goes from a half-step to a more rollicking beat that carries the song forward. Listen above.
New Tempalay: “Doushiyou”
Gotta switch to a tab not playing the video for this one. Tempalay’s brand of Mac DeMarco-indebted goofballery is hit or miss, but in the past it at least matched up with the general vibe of the music (shambling, silly, one more drink away from waking up next to Hachiko). With “Doushiyou,” the accompanying video doesn’t really do justice to the song, which actually finds the band nailing something they’ve been trying — and generally just missing — for a while now. “Doushiyou” is off-balance and tripped-out, the guitars and vocals all feeling like they are just a second behind one another. It’s unease done well, and it sounds like the group hitting something they’ve always eyed. Listen above.
AR30 Shares Summer Compilation Featuring Rigly Chang, Notuv And More
Here’s as relaxed a way to close out summer as you are going to find in 2018. AR30’s Late Summer Compilation 2018 closes out the season with a set of late-afternoon dance tunes, optimal for one last party by the pool (even if leaves are starting to muck it up). This easily could have been a chance to indulge in some beach-resort-during-off-season vibes, with sadder dance tunes, but AR30 opts to just have some fun instead. Rigly Chang channels New Jack Swing on their two contributions, one of which kicks this comp off on a particularly elastic foot. Takeda Soshi comes closest to nailing the overall feel here with “Autumn Poolside,” which approaches melancholy for the end of warmer times but uses its sparse melody to revel in what’s left. Notuv gets similarly spacey on “Hidden Things,” before pivoting right into skittery sample-sliced beats on follow up “Ultra Manic.” The end stretch is particularly joyful, embracing house euphoria (and, on DJ Badboi’s closer, lo-fi house). One last hurrah for the summer. Get it here, or listen below.
New Maison Book Girl: “Okaeri Sayonara”
Idol music isn’t a field geared towards innovation. The challenge in approaching it is accepting that groups — especially in the 2010s — tend to occupy a very specific musical (if not visual) niche, and expecting change from them is kind of a hopeless pursuit. One I still fall for, but I digress! This is all a way of saying Maison Book Girl hit a sonic sweet spot for me, and a large part of that is just personal preference for click-clacking percussion and violin swoops instead of another group leaning on chugging guitars. “Okaeri Sayonara” serves as a preview of the group’s next album, and leans on a familiar palette of sounds, albeit one that also seems a touch more spacious than other recent releases. Yet it’s a sound they keep finding new angles on, all while maintaining an emotional core that elevates the group up for me. Listen above.