I went to the fifth installment of the Tokio Shaman party today at Shibuya’s WWW, and it re-energized me a bit when it comes to following music existing just outside of the mainstream. Ostensibly, this event highlights Japan’s nascent “SoundCloud rap” community, featuring performers such as Sleet Mage, Gokou Kuyt and Tohji. Part of the thrill was seeing a tight-knit set of people coming together and soaring up together — maybe a semi-strange comparison, but this had the same energy as like Maltine Records’ events from the start of the decade — while also getting the vague sense that this could transform into something bigger. A few of the artists have the look that some clever major label should pounce on — my personal pick would be Sleet Mage, who had the crowd at peak hype with this one featuring Sid The Lynch — but if anyone is going to leap up it’s probably going to be Tohji, who has that stage presence and all-out energy that really wins folks over. And maybe this was home field advantage, but they were gobbling up his set. “On My Own Way” popped up early Sunday night, with an opening melody that made me think Vanessa Carlton. It’s a good display of his sonic variety — dude does a turn-up well, but here’s the kind of introspective number showing a way for Japanese rappers to actually stand out from the American acts they draw moves from. It’s even better with headphones really, full of nice vocal mist lurking in the back and the strings at the chorus sound extra lush here. It comes down to how Tohji navigates this softer side, still sounding every bit as charming and making it land in any mode. Listen above.
New Ex Confusion: “I Remember When”
Forget subtly — sometimes you have to just drip out the bad feelings until they’ve totally gone away (for a bit). Nara artist Ex Confusion has always let emotion all out in their music, and I Remember When stands as their melancholy masterstroke. These loops just really go into downcast territory, using a mix of acoustic guitar notes and electronic washes to create this really fading feel, like memories being looped but deteriorating as they go on. “Tears” uses slight distortion to make the feeling of ennui come through clearer, while “Nothing Stays The Same” brings in piano playing to only make the pain come through clearer. Ex Confusion has been working towards this for a while, but this finds them really going all in on this pained mood. It can sometimes be a little too focused on these feelings, but when it hits, it really hits. Get it here, or listen below.
New Tomisaki: “Merriep”
A classic example of a song where using too many words trying to say something smart would be foolish. This is just a really great dance track, one really bringing the energy without ever letting it slip for a second. It exists in the same semi-fluttery zone as a lot of stuff you’d find on like Yesterday Once More, but adds a bit more muscle into the mix. Great number! Golden Week has made my brains feel like mush. Get it here, or listen below.
Trekkie Trax Crew And Nakamura Minami (Teng Gang Starr) Team Up For “Reiwa”
This is going to be very tired sometime very soon, but let’s savor the genuine thrill of history while it lasts. The Reiwa era is here in Japan, and it was a genuinely cool moment that saw celebrations all over the country and at least one guy somersault onto a boat. Shared moments — pretty neat! To commemorate the change, Trekkie Trax teamed up with Nakamura Minami for a song called “Reiwa” that is all about, well take a guess. A lot of really goofy efforts have been made to either stare longingly back on the Heisei era or try to imagine what Reiwa might be like, but this number just simply celebrates the moment. It’s high energy fun, all hyping up the times to come while waving goodbye to all that happened (with enthusiastic vocal samples cascading behind). Fittingly, this one rings in the new times with pure energy. Get it here, or listen below.
New Puni Puni Denki: “Wonder Underground”
Turns out Puni Puni Denki’s recent turn to more relaxed, near-bossa-nova sounds wasn’t just a one-off thing. Wonder Underground follows up the cafe-adjacent sweetness of “Life Is Super Dope” with three more songs begging to soundtrack your next chill-out session. Wonder Underground isn’t background music or even smooth enough to soundtrack your next homework marathon. The strings and gentle beat of “Empty Castle” hide some lyrics marked by darker details (like, some Cersei-level anger aimed at others) and the whole vibe the relationship central to this isn’t real. The past-midnight lounge lament “Your Skin,” similarly, uses sax and piano as a way to hide longing. It’s all easy to get lost in, as long as you don’t let the details snap you back. Get it here, or listen below.