Perhaps it was overly paranoid, but it’s great to see Tricot still chugging along. For a second last year, it looked like lead vocalist / guitarist Ikkyu Nakajima could pivot into more proper J-pop territory, due to the surprise success of the variety-show-fueled band Genie High and just a greater turn to being a more…
Despite being their most zonked out number lyrically to date, Yurufuwa Gang’s “Fresh All Day” manages to avoid falling into the ether. That’s not a bad spot for the pair — last year’s “Palm Tree” being a strong argument for just letting the void devour you entirely — but this one works because Ryan Hemsworth’s…
I associate a lot of feelings with independent Japanese electronic music — joy, togetherness, escape, ecstasy, lower back pain (owing to a crowd surfer jumping directly onto me at a Pa’s Lam System show…great set, though). But vulnerability isn’t one that has exactly cropped up much in the decade I’ve been following it. Releases and…
Sometimes songs can do one thing so well they don’t require much reflection. Such was the case with Wagatsuma’s “Slowdown,” a calming bit of pop that used a little to leave a big impact (and offer an apt backdrop for just zoning out). “Fureru” is mostly another great example of how to turn out a…
An early buzzing 2019 hit comes courtesy of singer/songwriter Satoko Shibata, an artist who has attracted attention in the past for her playful acoustic pop numbers which often come with clever videos. “Namida” plays out like an update of something you’d find on Taeko Ohnuki’s Sunshower, striking a balance between daily-life ennui and a nice…