Every few months, an internet-centric electronic artist in Japan releases a song that makes me stop and go “….wait, is this like a return to Shibuya-kei mindsets?” It’s a feeling YUC’e conjures up frequently, and Puni Puni Denki’s new song “Life Is Super Dope” goes even further by pivoting into bossa nova that would make record diggers from 1993 proud. This risks turning into dentist-office soundtrackery, but Puni Puni Denki’s ability to add in elements that offer a little bite — samples lurking in the back — and letting the singing pop a bit more push it up. Plus you have the semi-jarring use of “super dope” in an otherwise hammock-ready number. Listen above.
