Make Believe Melodies Logo

New (Kinda) Oomori Seiko Featuring Sayumi Michishige: “Zettai Kanojo”

Posted on by

Videos that basically pause in the middle to air a commercial or other kind of brand-building content are, almost always, obnoxious. But damn, is the middle stretch of this upload essential. This isn’t the first time Oomori Seiko has crossed paths with the world of Morning Musume, and she’s collaborated with former leader of said group Sayumi Michishige before. But in this behind-the-scenes insert, Oomori just gushes at the chance to create a video with someone central to a project central to what she does artistically, and her whispered praise and the two’s interactions are the kind of giddy treats optimal for fans of both worlds (Not to mention this being a nice island escape popping up in what has thus far been a sea of terrible news related to J-pop idoldom in 2019, and the whole of this clip being a strong argument in favor of fandom and the joy it can spark).

Every bit as great as the video itself is Oomori’s continued interest in playing around with “Zettai Kanojo,” a number done as torn-journal confessional and bouncy pop calling card. In 2019, she pushes it towards the digital edge, coating both her and Michishige’s voices in Auto-tune and playing around with post-EDM elements (skittery vocal after chorus section! Bass drop section! Give Oomori a video game franchise and access to cool Western producer to work with!). Part of this charm comes from a personal love of artists refusing to let songs just sit finished, and the fact Oomori keeps finding new angles on this number is thrill enough. That she also makes it sound great — digital journal reading — is even better, especially when paired with the bubbly excitement floating up in every second. Listen above.

New Emamouse: “Puppy”

Posted on by

The ever woozy-making Emamouse has a new album titled Eye Cavity out on March 29 via Primordial Void, and “Puppy” serves as the first preview of that full-length offering. It starts jaunty but with an unnerving side, the synth melody dashing about while something sinister burbles up beneath. But it never really consumes the main part…at least not until midway through. That’s when distorted electronics rip in and turn this from slightly off cartoon hop-scotch to something approaching harsher territory (without plunging too far into “fit for a Merzbow podcast” territory). Listen above.

New Gimgigam: The Trip

Posted on by

You ever enjoying yourself, say on an excursion out of the house or on a small vacation, only to have the sudden reminder “oh hey, civilization is ultimately doomed” cross your mind? The most striking individual moment on Gimgigam’s The Trip manages just this feeling, and the warmer-clime funk-pop proceeding makes the realization all the more stinging. Like most acts under the Local Visions umbrella, Gimgigam reinterprets city pop for modern times, and The Trip brings to mind something between fusion longplayers and those albums that like JAL would put together to help people experience far-flung destinations. Opener “Matinee” works in sax blurts and easy-going guitar playing to create a relaxed atmosphere made all the more rich by bird samples (a touch popping up throughout and lending this one a travelogue vibe), while “Botanical Garden” is pure resort get-down. Guests appear on the bulk of the tracks here and turn them into pop delights itching to jump on your summer playlists. See the sweltering shuffle of “Orange” which finds Yoko. T using “coined words” to create a delirious afternoon bounce, or the steady rumble of “Horizon,” which features lovely English lyrics from Takara Araki (complete with a little unease via references to losing “status and money”). All in all a good time and a lovely escape…well, unless you are wired like me, and reach the boogie pop of “Dancin'” only to hear a vocal sample about how “the human race will be erased” if we don’t change are ways. Hmmm, give me a little bit more time in the sun first. Get it here, or listen below.

Electronic Round-Up: Negative Headphone, House Of Tapes And Vibes Kiun Featuring DJ NightPool

Posted on by

— Everything can feel so fast nowadays, and sometimes you just need to zone out. Like, completely. Negative Headphone’s latest full-length offering, Ambient Ground, pretty much tells you everything you need to know in the title. This is a solid collection of ambient tunes, calming and only ever disrupted by the slightest of ripples breaking through the sound. During a different week, this one might have just slipped by. But right now, it’s nice to sink into. Get it here, or listen below.

— House Of Tapes has tried out a lot of modes over the years, but disorienting isn’t one I’d normally associate with the Nagoya producer. “Paint It” approaches the claustrophobic zones of older material, but also feels like a creation where the seams show clearly, the rough edges grinding up against one another and creating a loopy tension. Listen below.

— If the above are too chill or choppy for your liking, Vibes Kiun’s collaboration with DJ NightPool should scratch your itch. This cut is a thumping house number bolstered by some nifty vocal slice-and-dice, making for a track in constant motion. If you aren’t getting ready to pass out on a Friday night, here’s the one to get you moving into the night. Listen below.

New DJ Fulltono, CRZKNY And Skip Club Orchestra: Draping 7

Posted on by

The Draping series keeps on delivering, and the seventh installment in a project bringing together three heavyweights of the Japanese juke community stands as a highlight. This trio of track brings the energy, each creator offering up one of their briskets creations to date. DJ Fulltono gets it going by embracing repetition with a particularly jagged number that refuses to take a breath, plunging ahead and only gaining in intensity as the beat mutates throughout. CRZKNY builds up to the dash, using huge industrial-sized beats to slowly build the mood before letting everything merge together for one hellacious final stretch. By comparison, Skip Club Orcehstra’s “Draping 7” feels a little more reserved, but it still darts ahead on sharp details and vocal bursts. Get it here, or listen below.