Producer fu_mou’s “Green Night Parade” has become one of the defining Japanese netlabel songs of this decade, a number that has gone on to influence plenty of artists all around the world and one whose sentimentally sweet vibe was ahead of its time, the chirpy vocals and piano a couple years in front of the current “kawaii bass” wave. It took some time to really sink in — look at what some dummies wrote about it at the time of its release — but now feels like an especially important note in the halcyon days of Japanese netlabel culture. Now, like a lot of other former .zip file wonders, fu_mou is releasing his first “proper” album via Tower Records next week. The lead song from it, “Abyssal Drop,” is already out though, and shows that fu_mou can still write a great melody…and wrap it up in a glitchy electro-pop frame. Considering a song like “Green Night Parade” already was leaning pretty close to J-pop in regards to vocals, hearing his singing here isn’t a surprise, and ultimately it matches up well with the music’s bounce…and the way it ruptures at the end. Listen above.
