New (Kinda) Anemone: “Requiem”

Usually, a year really starts to show itself in, like, March — that’s when releases start emerging that feel more reflective of the year as a whole (well, at least if you operate in blanket thinking). Yet January saw a lot of great full-lengths emerge from Japanese artists, including Mom’s topsy-turvy Baby Like A Paperdriver and Phew’s enveloping Voice Hardcore. Add Anemone’s self-titled debut to that list — the duo of Ninomiya Tasuki and China-based artist Yikii first album gathers songs that appeared over the last year along with a few new ones. “Requiem” was one of the very first songs the pair made, but it has a new video (above)…and happens to be a pretty good sum-up of what Anemone does so well on their first collection. Their music often approaches a dream-like state courtesy of a lot of synthesizers, but “Requiem” adds a slight nightmare feel to the formula via its skittering intro and mutating beat, over which Yikii recites the Lord’s Prayer. It’s disorienting, but still comforting…at least in the moments when grace come through the stranger musical details. Listen above.