New 80KIDZ: “I Don’t Stop”

Electro duo 80KIDZ have let their emotional guard down many times over the years, and those instances have always resulted in their best work. This is a group that came up during peak bloghouse days and gained attention in Japan’s club scene thanks to big blow-out dance cuts, but you can’t just post up at Club Asia for your whole life and expect to have a rich life. The pair have seen aware of this, complimenting the rave ups with more reflective dance number — see 2010’s Weekend Warrior for the best summary of this — and latest single “I Don’t Stop” reminds of how nice reflection works for them. They break out the Vocoder to coat their singing in a thick layer of electronic noise, which pairs nicely with the piano-guided melody. This isn’t total sad-robot territory, as 80KIDZ pair it with an energetic beat and later on some joyful string swells. Yet it works because of the sweetness they sneak in via those electronics. Listen above.