The recent focus on pop music going “international” via K-pop and Latin pop has resulted in an interesting tension in how these songs get interpreted. How important are lyrics to this? They obviously are central, and no doubt that’s part of the appeal to listeners who actually are fluent in these languages. But a big…
Consider Mayhem a test. This collaborative album finds Okinawa Electric Girl Saya teaming up with another Terminal Explosion staple, producer AX, whose best work up to this point is probably the too-many-highballs-kicked-back stagger of the Purple Juke series. Mayhem is the first of two releases coming from the pair over the next couple of months,…
Last year, the fledgling Hihatt label released the Rubber Band EP from Tottori producer Hajime Iida. It was a late calendar release, so it sorta snuck under our ears for a bit, but it’s a fantastic EP of understated house music, highlighted by the breezy strut of “1” and the more hurried rumble of “3.”…
Side projects usually give someone the chance to try out sounds they can’t get away with in their main vehicle, and the results are often hit or miss. Body Curves, the solo creation of Shion Hosobe of the band Waater, deals in songs really similar to what comes out from the group…and finds a lot…
A lot has changed for Zombie-Chang over the last few years, but at the same time her approach to new-wave-brushed pop remains pretty true to what she’s been doing since Zombie-Change. “Saredo-Shiawase” is a new single that finds her embracing synthesizer whirs to create a buzzing number nodding to early ’80s artists who made wonky…