We’ve been quite smitten with the music the duo of Yentax have put forth thus far, and latest cut “Yentax Error” only further fuels that interest. This number features more guitar at its center, only introducing rubbery synth lines and brief vocal touches (covered in a layer of electricity) about halfway through. It’s a track carrying an air of rising tension…but also settles on a great groove right from the get go. Listen above.
This is more of a public service announcement than any substantial write-up, but rising folk-pop artist Nohtenkigengo released his first major album, Never, last week, and it is very much worth your time, especially if you like the sort of extra-oomph music of someone like Shugo Tokumaru. Here’s his latest video, for the song “Fever.”…
We’ve long been fans of the folk-leaning whispers of Predawn, and her stock has slowly but surely risen in recent years. Her latest album came out this September, and “Universal Mind” was the first taste of it. A bit has changed — the simplistic, bare-bones structure of her earlier works have been beefed up a…
A little context…I’m listening to (and writing about) this one from downtown Shibuya, so seeing all of the bright lights and people wandering around (on a Monday! What a city!) is playing a role here. But Futari No Bungaku’s “City Liner” manages something not much city pop revivalists can, which is actually get some emotion…
Sapporo’s always unpredictable producer Parkgolf has a new song out via part of Activia Benz’ Singles Club, and it’s a fine contribution both to the imprint’s gleeful collection of songs and Parkgolf’s own hyper-rainbow sound. “Silk Curtain” finds balance between smoothness — those vocals, like air blown on exposed skin! — and just pure release,…
Spring has barely sprung, but ya still gotta start planning for summer festival season in Japan. Let’s see how the two behemoths have shaped up recently… Summer Sonic – Score one for the poptimists. Aw-shucks country pop star Taylor Swift will now play Summer Sonic. Please leave your horribly outdated Kanye jokes at home. The…
There’s something wonderful about being knocked off balance. Tokyo trio Moscow Room create something disorienting on “Swim,” a number really maximizing space and sudden noise better than most numbers I’ve heard in 2018. Everything starts like its coming out of a seashell, the vocals and synths just out of reach. But as everything lurches forward,…