New KiWi: KiWi Monogatari

The duo of KiWi dabble in a lot of sounds that have been ever present in Japan’s electronic music scene for the last few years — spine-cracking bass, trap-appropriate beats, fast tempos — but they’ve managed to stand out thanks to their flair for the dramatic. The KiWi project features a legit story, with characters and extremely cute fruit-themed spirits. KiWi Monogatari, their latest, drives that point home, complete with web site outlining the characters. And the same theater-leaning sound remains.

Also critical to this whole enterprise — it never tips in to worst case scenario (“YouTube Presents: The History Of Trap…By Puppets!” or something equally eye rolling). For all the theater kid flair, songs such as the title track still devote plenty of time to bubbly bass sections that would sound good stripped of any backstory. Really, the interlocking vocals and lines like “how can we break this curse?” serve as clever wardrobe to stand out in an electronic scene that can at times blur together a little too much. And man, do KiWi know how to make flat-out great pop — see the airy “Mahou No Kiwi,” featuring their most sky-high vibe. Listen above, or watch the video for “Obake No Kiwi No Uta” below.