So this is sort of a big deal – three of the heaviest hitters in Japanese indie music today (which is to say, they are all signed to international labels of some sort) have collaborated on a song called “Yubiwa,” which is basically The Avengers of shadowy sounds from Japan. The players: Kyoto’s Hotel Mexico (on Double Denim), Tokyo’s Jesse Ruins (of CUZ ME PAIN and Captured Tracks) and Sapphire Slows (Not Not Fun). The obvious fear going into a track like “Yubiwa” is that too many home-recording artists could spoil the song, what makes each of these acts stand out would end up lost in an effort to democratize everything. Impressively, that doesn’t happen on “Yubiwa” – each artist stands out, their skills combining just right to make a pretty exceptional song. Hotel Mexico brings the most obvious style, as “Yubiwa” features real guitar and drums, sounds rarely floating around in the ethers Sapphire Slows and Jesse Ruins create. Slows’ voice haunts the back of the song, and she also contributes the same ambient touch that makes her swirling songs so compelling – they are mysterious yet inviting at the same time. Jesse Ruins, meanwhile, bring the dreamy electronics to “Yubiwa,” their synths grazing the song, adding a touch of out-body-experience to the track. It’s a fantastic song, one summing up what each of these artists has done so well over the past two-and-a-half years. Listen below.
You can here remixes the groups did of each others songs here.