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Outside Beats: Flux’s Rafflesia
Rap from Asia feels like one of those constantly percolating trends in Western media, frequently written about but never going that next step…always stuck in “four artists ready to break!” lists territory. Japanese artists have been in the same cycle too (although probably less than other artists across the continent, which is a different conversation),…
Two For One: Candy Collection (24Poonz) Reproduces Nayutanayuta’s “Stargazer”
Let’s actually start with the original version of “Stargazer,” by “Japanese Gloomy Pop Band” Nayutanayuta. Despite that self-given description, the band’s music can be downright cheery when it wants to be. Last year’s Alice featured plenty of moments where the lead vocals were dipped into digi affects, giving the songs extra sparkle. “Stargazer” — released…
Emotion Plus: Hamidasystem’s “Yoru No Hakoniwa”
Like a lot of projects in recent memory consisting of young women performing music written by someone else in Japan, Hamidasystem don’t bill themselves as idols even if everything about them is pretty idol-ish. Ultimately, that label is more important for a bunch of other matters — perception by fans and media, mostly — but…
New House Plan To Start Recording New Album Soon, Share “Small World”
Peace be on Google Translate. Thanks to it, I learned that Tokyo-based outfit New House plan on hitting the studio soon to record a new album. Considering how long we’ve been salivating over a couple of demo tracks the band released last year, this ends up being some stellar news. The actual release probably will…
New Dorian: “Like A Wave”
It’s pretty easy to make jokes about Urkel-O’s before calling Dorian a great example of 80’s revivalism. Just check the short teaser clip they put together for their recently released album Studio Vacation – cartoon lady looks like she belongs on a Duran Duran sleeve. Yet, like similarly new-wave-inspired gang The Brixton Academy, Dorian conceal…
Marshy: Swamp Sounds
The few songs Japanese project Swamp Sounds has shared online…well, let’s say whoever is behind it chose an accurate name. These tracks are oftentimes damp, distorted guitar and harsh bass constricting on songs such as the especially tight (in terms of noise, it is actually quite jumbled sonically) “Kontra” (below). Yet the key to Swamp…
