我々の”favorite songs of 2012 lists”のような年末特集を組むのは非常に難しいです。限られた数を選ばなければいけないので、結果選べないアーティストもいるからです。去年でいうと”My Aquamarine/Spinning Wheel”をリリースしたElen Never Sleeps。このシングルは素晴らしい曲を２つも収録した、ENSがアーティストとして急成長した作品です。そして2013年を迎え”Silver”をリリースしたENSは、今年もさらに彼らしさを発揮させています。新曲”Shine On Me”は去年の”My Aquamarine”を彷彿とさせるものの、ビートがENSの今までの曲の中で一番ダンサブル。コーラスの部分では、風変わりなボーカルやストリングスを始め、さまざまな音色が飛び交っているものの、互いを殺しません。こういった細かいこだわりが光ります。
One of the tougher parts of putting together a year-end feature – like our “favorite songs of 2012 lists” – is cutting it down. This means some really great stuff gets left outside…and last year, one of the toughest omissions to make was Tokyo murmur-pop dude Elen Never Sleeps, whose “My Aquamarine/Spinning Wheel” single featured two great songs and marked a jump forward artistically for Elen. It’s looking like ENS won’t be facing a similar dilemma in 2013, as he’s just released two tracks in advance of his new Silver EP, and both find the solo artist making further artistic strides. “Shine On Me” initially resembles last year’s “My Aquamarine,” but features a livelier beat that is the closest ENS has ever come to being dancey. The real development, though, is greater attention paid to sonic details – the most catching element of “Shine” is the almost-meowed noises that make up the chorus, but equally as strong are the strings that rise up throughout the song.
The title track from the EP, meanwhile, is more reflective, but features ENS adopting a slightly deeper voice for most of the song. It’s the less daring of the two tracks, but refines the Elen Never Sleeps sound further. Listen below.
So much stuff came out while we were on vacation, we’ve decided to just do a quick catch-up post highlighting some of the best stuff that appeared. Away we go! Jesse Ruins’ side-project Cold Name dropped two new cuts late last week, and they continue fleshing out Cold Name’s unsettling sound. “Intent To Kill” and…
As of late, websites Tiny Mix Tapes and the Fader have been making a big deal about Japanese juke and footwork music. Both have profiled Japanese artists operating withing that scene, Tiny Mix Tapes going as far as to review a Paisley Parks’ album. One name that comes up sometimes is FOODMAN,who has been one…
The real news hook here might be that electronic artist/awkward-pairing master Idiot Pop has a record label. The first mp3 release on his titular imprint comes from the fantastic Carpainter, already responsible for one of the year’s finest EPs, and now back with two new songs on the Gravity Falls EP. His two originals are…
Try listening to the latest Maltine Records release while dozing off. Doesn’t matter if it’s during a lull in the work day, or right before bed, or even after taking a handful of cold pills and a cup of Nyquil (ahem). Something interesting happens when you just let this play, taking your eyes off the…
Note: We are, technically, still on vacation, but noteworthy happenings will earn small updates. Like this! The 2014 album race is already underway (Metome already sprinting out), and in January Nagoya’s CRUNCH will enter the race with Futoshita Nichijyo No Koto. Now, though, they’ve decided to share the whole album on BandCamp, and you can…
Not going to lie – footwork-maker Weezy’s new album On Nukes caught my attention from the rows of new Bandcamp releases because of the title. The general lack of socially aware music in Japan…especially on the always hot-button issue of nuclear energy/weapons, a topic that became relevant once again earlier this month following North Korea’s…
