New Aya Gloomy: “Shizukane Kieru”

Aya Gloomy’s initial foray into music after joining up with Tokyo’s Big Love Records was to create a buzzing, unsettling number that gave just enough room for her singing to come through clearly, even if the whole song felt like it was being sucked into a whirlpool. Now she has her proper debut album out in less than a month, and latest number “Shizukane Kieru” prioritizes space over all else. The beat and melody are sparse, giving plenty of room for Gloomy herself to sing, and for the most part she comes through clearly (though at a few points a faint echo comes up, and at other times her vocals get multi-tracked). Yet “Shizukane” remains as unnerving as last year’s busier releases, achieving that by letting so much room through that little details and changes make everything feel just off. Listen above.