Music

New LLLL Featuring Horikoshi Chifumi And Makinoa: “Oshimai Kanashimi”

ByPatrick St. Michel July 5, 2016

It would be inaccurate to say LLLL’s music has existed entirely in the shadows…the project certainly has spent a fair amount of time in darker terrain, but it has always been good about fitting in moments of escape, using pop as a way to let some light in every once in awhile. Still, “Oshimai Kanashimi” is one of the most outright upbeat songs to emerge from LLLL yet, featuring contributions from Horikoshi Chifumi and Makinoa, and in general sounding like the sun coming out after a big rainstorm. It features a marching beat, and occasionally stops for a second to let some colorful sound enter the frame — samples galore! pitch shifted like cartoons! — and it even ends with a skippy passage. The release comes with a slower take on it via LA’s Meishi Smile (givin’ us Jesse Ruins’ vibes), along with a breezy one from Amunoa. Get it here.

Music

Small Travels: High To Low’s “Hong Kong 17:00”
ByPatrick St. Michel June 20, 2016

One of the more interesting developments in Japanese rock music over the last three or four years is the outfit Soutaiseiriron becoming a major point of inspiration for bands both big and small. High To Low are one of the better outfits this year to have clearly studied the group’s speak-sing and approach to guitar…

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Music

And Back To Shoegaze: Anyo
ByPatrick St. Michel March 2, 2010

Well, sort of. Osaka band Anyo’s music leans more to pure post-punk than shoegaze, but a few dreamier elements work there way into the group’s sound, including three new tracks (or rather clips of new tracks) recently uploaded to the Web hyping up an EP due in April. Recently posted highlight “水鏡” rushes right out…

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Music

Squiggle Dot Releases New Albums From Boogie Idol, Toiret Status And Oakmilk, And Woopheadclrms
ByPatrick St. Michel November 30, 2016

American imprint Squiggle Dot just released three albums from a trio (or, maybe 2.5, as one is a split with another artist outside the country) of Japanese artists, each hitting on different pleasure centers. Boogie Idol’s Mall Pop Hits is a great place to lead off, the Tokyo producer’s crystalline synthesizers and BGM-ready beats intertwining…

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Music

New Kazumichi (Kazumichi Komatsu): “Deep Metal OST”
ByPatrick St. Michel July 10, 2019

It’s slightly funny to think back to the early days of Madegg and remember that the Kyoto producer (real name Kazumichi Komatsu) used to release new tracks on a near daily basis, all straight to SoundCloud. Now, he is sharing a collection of songs corralled under the title Deep Metal OST partially because an unnamed…

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Music

Kansai What: MADEGG
ByPatrick St. Michel July 28, 2011

Tokyo is always going to be the central scene for all Japanese music, just because of the sheer size of that metropolis. Yet the Kansai region…the area anchored by the triple-threat of Osaka, Kyoto and Nara…has been hiding some of the most interesting electronic noises in the country today. I’m not just talking about tech-rock…

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Music

Softly Lit: Y T A M’s “Torch Crystal”
ByPatrick St. Michel September 4, 2014

Y T A M manages to set a very specific scene with “Torch Crystal,” or at least she’s managed to make a song that lends itself well to conjuring up landscapes. This song is a slow builder, opening with a faint, glassy beat. Her voice comes in next, singing quickly before the beat finishes up….

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