One of the weirder things to happen…or, more appropriately, not happen…in the realm of Japanese music is the near lack of music relating to the 3/11 earthquake and tsunami or the Fukushima nuclear incident following it (and still going as strong as ever). I’m not talking about outright political songs addressing the government or TEPCO…
I’m melting over here. Let’s put biases out front shall we…Perfume are my favorite musical entity ever, and I’ll always find some light even in their worst moments (I see you “Mirai No Museum,” what’s up “Toki No Hari”) because I’m fully entranced by what Yasutaka Nakata does. OK, we clear on that? “1mm” is,…
Few bands are as upfront about their influences as Nagoya’s Crunch on new song “Mori No Naka.” “Song inspired by Radiohead’s Jigsaw Falling Into Place (In Rainbows)” they write on SoundCloud, and elements of that track certainly pop up in this indie-pop band’s latest. In particular, the driving tempo and the bass lines present here….
One of the tougher parts of putting together a year-end feature – like our “favorite songs of 2012 lists” – is cutting it down. This means some really great stuff gets left outside…and last year, one of the toughest omissions to make was Tokyo murmur-pop dude Elen Never Sleeps, whose “My Aquamarine/Spinning Wheel” single featured…
Bedroom-whizz Shugo Tokumaru has released his first glimpse of the follow-up to 2010’s Port Entropy in the form of new single “Decorate.” For those expecting his whimsical, toy-instrument heavy music to morph into something new by now, prepare to be let down because “Decorate” is another solid example of his playroom pop. Tokumaru’s usual assortment of bells, woodwinds and acoustic guitar dominates this song, and at one point he even works in the sound of an alarm clock ringing off. Also intact – the same sense of wonder the majority of Tokumaru’s tracks possess. Listen above. You can buy the single in stores now, and if you do, you also will get the chance to hear Tokumaru’s take on The Buggles’ MTV-launching “Video Killed The Radio Star.” I don’t know what the single version sounds like, but watch Shugo deliver a cutesy live cover below.
The steady influx of Internet-centric producers into the ranks of J-pop has been exciting to watch…check the Maltine Girls’ Wave project, or Tofubeats getting to shine further with Lyrical School, or Schtein&Longer’s work with Especia…but one guy who deserves a bit more room to work is Avec Avec. The Osaka beatmaker (and one half of…
Kyoto’s Madegg is 19. What were you doing when you were 19? I was goofing around in college planning my next post-midnight trip to Burger King. Madegg releases music like BK pumps out Whoppers…at a highly disturbing amount. First, dude posted a new song this week called “AM.” I’ll save space by just saying “FLYING…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfgB3bX0sLg&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=fr_FR&feature=player_embedded&fs=1] Two of Japan’s best musicians got a chance to shine on one of the Internet’s best live-music shows this week. La Blogotheque’s genius “A Take Away Show,” where bands perform stripped-down songs usually in public places, featured Shugo Tokumaru and Tenniscoats performing in the streets of Tokyo. Tokumaru, who managed to sneak a new…
A lot of words get mushed together on Hoshina Anniversary’s new track “Everybody Plays The Music.” Yet it’s the titular phrase that manages to escape unscathed and take center spotlight, emerging from the throbbing electronics to serve as the song’s (intelligible) chorus. The rest of “Everybody Plays The Music” features sliced-up vocals (or French???) that…
Even though I grew up obsessed over video games (I consider the Christmas where I get an N64 one of the highlights of my life), I have a really hard time getting into chiptune music. Chiptune (for those out of the loop, it’s music made mostly out of video game noises) boasts plenty of great…
Busy year for Yokohama sample whizz ΔKTR. He’s already shared one of the year’s warmest releases via the hazy dance grooves of suburbanfunkessentials, and now he’s letting listeners even deeper into this world with Lala. Via Fuzzoscope, it’s a beefed-up set, clocking in at 22 tracks, ranging from the laid-back glow of “Toundsrack” to the…