Jazzy Feet: Hentonacyoyu

Based out of Okinawa, producer Hentonacyoyu makes juke music featuring a hearty dollop of jazz influence. That in and of itself isn’t noteworthy when placed in the context of juke as a whole — even within the Japanese juke scene, no shortage of artists go this way — but Hentonacyoyu does it very well, which is the only hook Make Believe Melodies needs. A song such as “Aoiro” (above) is a nice, skittery number with some relaxed vibes behind the beats, while “Shimon” finds a nice tension between jazz guitar and high-pressure clangs. Listen to that one below.