Ahhhh, just in time for the crisp early part of Fall…a chance to break out the ol’ “this isn’t technically Japanese” disclaimer for a new season. Chimp Beams feature three Japanese men living in Brooklyn, so this falls under the Caroline/Maia Hirasawa brand of music on this blog, as in it certainly is worth talking about but also a little bit outside our usual scope. Still, news about their new EP Aquatrium popped up on Twitter and it’s definitely something worth sharing.
The title track stands as the big highlight, Chimp Beams crafting a twilight-evoking instrumental that’s a treat to listen to by its self (and you can, they included an extended version of that on the EP). Chimp Beams recruits Shing02 to rap over it and though he’s no Danny Brown his easy-going flow fits in nicely here. The other original song, “Sunbaked,” belongs in the summertime, a nice slice of NYC rap. Check it out here.