New Puni Puni Denki: Mirai Addiction

Puni Puni Denki makes stylistic shifting look easy on Mirai Addiction. Released near the start of the month, this four-song collection marks a big jump forward for her, showing off her range and ability to hop-scotch over whatever her and guest arrangers come up with. It’s also another 2019 entry into the “kawaii-bass has mutated into something far more interesting than that name would imply” category. The title track features a spitfire of vocal samples and breakbeats crashing over one another, chaos that Puni corrals into something resembling pop, albeit fractured. “Rotten Candy” re-imagines Shibuya-kei for 2019, moving away from the whirlwind of “Mirai Addiction” in favor of jazz-accented strolling music. Pasocom Music Club swings by for closer “Silent Kiss,” helping Puni create some laid-back disco, but better still is “Imaginary Boi” featuring an assist from Mikazuki Bigwave. Fresh off their own triumph, they help turn Puni into a real-life future funk sample, her voice skittering off and hinting at a potential for the style that has been constantly teased but in 2019 feels closer to actually happening. That’s a fitting way to sum up Mirai Addiction in general. Get it here, or listen below.