New Crunch: “Blue”

ByPatrick St. Michel

Christmas is more than a month away, but in Tokyo at least it already feels like December 24th. Stores have set up Santa-centric decorations and “All I Want For Christmas Is You” has started getting serious play. Although the current Star Wars advertising blitz is giving it a serious run, the holiday season feels firmly in place now.

Nagoya trio Crunch haven’t explicitly written a Christmas song in “Blue,” but it certainly fits the mood of the next two months perfectly. The big obvious reason is the use of bells at various times, which add some seasonal flair to the song, but that’s not just why. From an indie-pop outfit that’s created some sparse-and-longing numbers before, “Blue” is especially spacious and chilly, featuring only a light dusting of guitars and drums (and bells), putting the emphasis on lead singer Noriyo Hotta’s vocals. Her words are conflicted, both nostalgic but also accepting of being alone. It’s all wrapped in a dreamy package, which makes it lonelier and sweeter. Perfect for feeling weird about being alone during the next month. Listen above.

Similar Posts

  • New Kindan No Tasuketsu And Wata Megumi: “Romantic Hankagai”

    ByPatrick St. Michel

    After embracing boogie-woogie grooves on their last song, Kindan No Tasuketsu have teamed up with artist Wata Megumi for another strut-worthy song. The backbone of “Romantic Hankagai” comes from a sample — or well-done-but-acknowledged replication — of Michael Wycoff’s “Looking Up To You” from 1982. From that, they play tag-team vocals to put their own…

  • New CRZKNY: Groove 2

    ByPatrick St. Michel

    For the most part, Hiroshima’s CRZKNY has operated in a quick-hit, often aggressive style when it comes to juke. He either loads up on split-second samples or creates a thick sense of unease, one that lends itself well to his political leanings. Groove 2, a two-track release from Poland’s Outlines imprint that follows up compatriot…

  • Fogpak Grows Up With Fogpak #20, Featuring Chanbe, Shpmskk, Teleco And More

    ByPatrick St. Michel

    The Fogpak series of electronic music compilations has reached 20 releases with its latest — theme, “Adult,” congrats Fogpak you can buy cigarettes from a vending machine — and the newest set offers the same mission as the 19 that came before. It spotlights ten artists — in recent versions, Fogpak became more global, but…

  • Pleasant Surprises: Lil’ Yukichi’s Ghetto Pop Idol

    ByPatrick St. Michel

    私はちょっとした理由からJ-Popのリミックスにはあまり興味を持てません。というのも、本来のJ-Popのままで十分なのでリミックスは必要ないからです。あと、J-Popがジャンルとして劣っていると示唆していたり、それを直接的に伝えていたりするから、というのもありますね。中にはチョップド＆スクリュードやテクノ・リミックスやらなんやらをしないと楽しめない音楽だと思ってる人もいるのでは？ でも最近Ghetto Pop Idol を聴いた時は驚きました。この５曲入りの作品ではLil’諭吉というアーティストが、有名なJ-Popの曲をヒップホップ・ビートで奏でています。嬉しい事に、私の好きなきゃりーぱみゅぱみゅとPerfumeが使われています。これにはついつい惹かれてしまいました。ただ、それだけじゃないんですよ！きゃりーのキラキラしたトラック”ぎりぎりセーフ”も、Lil’諭吉が切り刻んで手を加えれば幻想的なビートに一新。他のプロデューサー達が単にテンポを遅くして満足しているのとは訳が違い、原曲の良さを残したまま新しいものを作り上げています。彼がリミックスした“Plastic Smile”も個性的。Perfumeのボーカルを１秒程の長さにカットして、それを上に重ねたり、連続させたり。更なる目玉はAira Mitsukiの”ニーハイガール”のリミックスなのですが、オリジナルに使われている多すぎる電子音を強調してみたり、逆にメローにしてみたりして、曲の中に強弱を付け、上手く展開させています。これがJ-Popの本当のリミックスの仕方です。試聴はこちらから。