Not As Magical As You Think: Omoide Label’s Juke Shiyouya ~ most dangerous loveromance juke~

Chalk it up to years spent watching the netlabel scene or just suspecting it of any imprint whose released music from cartoon-theme-remix barons The Last Trak, but I’m genuinely surprised this new compilation of juke music from Omoide Label isn’t loaded with skittery anime samples. Rather, this collection finds a bunch of the stronger…and wonkier…producers in Japan inspired by Chicago juke showing off what they got. The presence of some familiar names serves as a quality control sticker — there’s Dubb Parade showing off his chameleon-like approach to electronic dance, there’s Trekkie Trax associate DJ Amps gets hard on “Vaporize,” and Syohin Matsuri aka Foodman reminds us he’s still the most far-out-there juke producer in the country with his contribution. Yet the rest of the album showcases names from labels and places all over the map — Misaki Takada chops up a vocal sample into something hectic before blowing it up completely into a furry of sytnhs, while Osaka BootyTune associate Hiroki Yamamura gets a bit playful on the guitar-backed “Disco Down,” somehow less manic than his usual work.

And if you really do want something Akihabara ready, jump to Denoko P’s number, which features some nifty Vocaloid manipulation, and is the most anime-ready song here. And really good! Whatever shape it takes, this is less a novelty and one of the stronger dance comps out of the country this year. Listen below, or get it here.