Out Of Step: FOODMAN’s Iroiro

As of late, websites Tiny Mix Tapes and the Fader have been making a big deal about Japanese juke and footwork music. Both have profiled Japanese artists operating withing that scene, Tiny Mix Tapes going as far as to review a Paisley Parks’ album. One name that comes up sometimes is FOODMAN,who has been one of the more prolific producers in this realm of Japanese music over the years. And he’s got a new album called Iroiro out now! Rejoice juke and footwork fans, yeah???!!!

Well, not quite, because this is not your typical juke/footwork album. Iroiro is a very experimental affair. There are moments where FOODMAN’s latest approaches…APPROACHES…those forms, like the beat heavy “BASHI BASHI” or the giddy-up beat of “HAHA2.” Yet most of this tape just takes the idea of chopped up sounds and runs with it in more oddball ways. Tracks like “Rock Kid” and “Battle Man 2” sound like disjointed festival songs, while “Un” is less than a minute of bongos. Most of these brief songs are deconstructed numbers, minimal to the max. This is FOODMAN exploring specific sounds, constructing at times crude (and at other times, fascinating) songs out of noises that caught his ear. It’s a fun one to get lost in. Get it here, or listen below.