It’s somewhat startling to realize Osaka indie-pop band Wallflower haven’t released a proper album yet. They’ve become one of the cornerstones of that city’s twee-tastic community, and have put out various singles, EP and — that classic curveball — the mini album over the last few years. But now comes a real first album, set to be released in June. In a truly twee move, the first taste of it is a song called “I Wish Spring Would Last Forever,” which currently sounds fitting but upon the album’s release in the humid depths of summer will sound melancholy (and, like, really nice). Indie-pop isn’t exactly the most adventerous style of music, and “I Wish Spring” is more of a reminder of what Wallflower do well than any shift forward. But they do it well, and that’s why this album is going to be an anticipated one, regardless of the season. Listen above.
New House Of Tapes: “Another Sky”
One of the bigger downsides of music fragmentation — specifically the fragmentation of how one goes about listening to new music — is not knowing where exactly to find something you want to check out. House Of Tapes released a full-length album via Progressive Form last month, and it’s on the hallowed wanna-hear list…but I couldn’t find a physical copy in any stores near me, and it isn’t on streaming last time I checked (and, uhhh, I’m lazy about ordering online). “Another Sky” serves as a great personal reminder to stop slacking and go get it, while also teasing a new(ish) direction for the Nagoya producer. Unlike the heavier sounds populating his early song catalog, “Another Sky” opts for lighter, downright pretty synthesizer notes, letting them flutter upwards. House Of Tapes slowly distorts them, leading to the big, forceful break in the song — the arrival of drum clangs — but even that doesn’t turn the song claustrophobic. Rather, it adds extra energy, and underlines the warm feeling lurking within. Listen above.
Breezy Beat: Nacht Musik’s Cure
Fast music rules, but sometimes you listen to a netlabel offering and you end up reaching for a glass of water or something. That’s not really the case with Nacht Musik’s Cure, released via Omoide Label at the end of March. Every song just zooms forward, though — the Hiroshima producer leans in on squiggly synth notes and vocal chops that build up to even zippier segments. Opener “Find You” offers up one of the brightest blasts of adrenaline I’ve heard in Japanese electronic music this year, buoyed by pre-hook voice snippets that up the emotional ante. Even the songs with trap elements — “Wet” and “Cat” — end up feeling lithe. And that’s one gives Cure such a breezy vibe despite moving at a constant sprint. Nacht Musik’s light approach to making these songs make them feel less intense, and even though they are energetic, they feel far more measured. Get it here, or listen above.
Not A Regular Punch: Sumitomo’s “Egotistical Gabber”
(Programming note: site is currently going through a lot of technical difficulties, and actually writing posts is a massive challenge. Might be a bit more inconsistent for the next few…uhhhh, days, I hope? Stay tuned)
Look, we all get stressed out, and we need to deal with it in our own ways. This week has been a wash thus far — see above note! — so stumbling across Sumitomo’s long-burning “Egotistical Gabber” was a welcome treat this week. But it isn’t purely about turning to hard-hitting electronic music as forms of relief. “Egotistical Gabber” plays out like the opposite of CRZKNY’s latest album. Whereas that full-length plays out like a pretty straight-forward gabber celebration, Sumitomo’s nearly nine-minute-long jam is a gabber mutation that spends significant time away from the pulverizing beats. Which only makes the moment it does embrace the punches all the more forceful. Get it here, or listen above.
New Satanicpornocultshop: The Rise And Fall Of…
This year is already feeling like a particularly strong one for Japan’s juke community, with plenty more to come. Yet Osaka outfit Satanicpornocultshop just went and dropped the first great front-to-back album of 2018. The Rise And Fall Of… doesn’t mark any massive departure from their usual sound, nor does it find them even pushing juke music into some new, experimental territory. Rather, it finds Satanicpornocultshop sticking to the style’s basics, loading up on jittery beats and sliced-thin vocal samples sourced from all over the place. Part of the fun is just in seeing what they pull out next and take a knife to —- Edwin Birdsong’s “Cola Bottle Baby” (errrrr, or is it Daft Punk?) gets mashed up with Auto-tuned gurgles, Michael Jackson becomes a stutter, and Laurie Anderson’s “O Superman” goes through the meat grinder on the tongue-in-cheek “Ooo Sperman.” This set is just really fun, and for all the clever nods and small jokes, Satanicpornocultshop make sure the tracks here move and bump. Which, ultimately, is one of the keys to the genre. Get it here, or listen below.