Is it too early for a victory lap? Maybe not, given the upward trajectory YUC’e finds herself on — 2018 has been a continued high for the all-over-the-place artist, releasing an OK (albeit exploring slightly well-worn territory) EP and playing shows across Japan and abroad. “Summer Night Hiking” comes off like a moment to catch…
Electronic artist Miii continues exploring just what someone can do with the bass-rattling properties of dance music on the short Mythology release. Following a bit of string-centric fanfare to open the album, Miii dives right into the experimentation with “Arachne,” built on bass freakouts and discombobulated voices. It’s a drop locked into eternity, with Miii…
Indie-rock project Figure has always been just outside of any indie-pop community in Japan, their music being too claustrophobic and darker-tinged to really slide in next to the various Sarah Records devotees across the country. After what felt like an extended break, Figure has a new album out in September via Sauna Cool, and has…
There’s something wonderful about being knocked off balance. Tokyo trio Moscow Room create something disorienting on “Swim,” a number really maximizing space and sudden noise better than most numbers I’ve heard in 2018. Everything starts like its coming out of a seashell, the vocals and synths just out of reach. But as everything lurches forward,…
Consider this the sorbet following yesterday’s emotional bloodletting. Digital Clinic 2000 are a bunch of goofballs, and bless ’em for that. “April Stretch” serves as their proper debut, and it is a silly number built around the group delivering echo-soaked spoken word bits over a slinky synth-driven beat. Just check the cheap video coming with…