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New Haruno: Sigh.

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Haruno makes music in many different molds. They’ve used Vocaloid to create dreamy synth-pop, while also shifted closer to Nujabes via albums of laid-back hip-hop-inspired beats. I’m more drawn to the prior than the latter, as the beat-oriented stuff feels a bit incomplete and a little too sleepy. Sigh. still gravitates towards that territory, but finds Haruno adding in elements that make it a bit more intriguing. Mainly, Haruno takes a cue from Snail’s House and weaves in classical elements — lots of piano, strings and other touches matched up with slight beats. It’s still more pit stop than one to dig into fully, but features a lot of pretty moment — and, wisely, lets them pass by quickly rather than let the beauty burn out. Get it here, or listen below.

New Boogie Idol: Tsuchi Wo Uru Shigoto

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One of the big thrills of 2019 finally being here is that we get to reflect on the decade as a whole…real soon! Some of my favorite artists this past ten years in Japan were bedroom creators zeroed in on one stylistic drive, and just exploring it in seemingly infinite ways. Think Ventla, or I-fls. Or Boogie Idol, who continues to comb through the musical stylings lost to time and create dazzling tracks from their memory (and now he seems ahead of the curve — Japan loves all the stuff once brushed aside as garbage in the post-DA-PUMP-renaissance world, while Boogie Idol was taking from Eurobeat way before it became the next wave).

Tsuchi Wo Uru Shigoto continues Boogie Idol’s exploration of forgotten yesterdays, as well as his run of just hooky tracks. That’s evident from kick-off number “Namae No Nai Ten He,” a typically twinkling bit of pop featuring an array of bass slaps and synthesizer notes. Like a lot of Boogie Idol’s top stuff, it’s complex but never feels that way, with the song making sure to put all the body-moving stuff right at the front. From there, the album twists into more spaced-out numbers, laser-light-show stompers and zippy creations nearly teasing drum ‘n’ bass (but, not quite). Boogie Idol even includes “Mohani Bhakalele,” a re-imagining of a Nepalese traditional number made for Kathmandu’s first Jusco. Get it here, or listen below.

New Oyubi: Aspirations EP

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Part of juke producer Oyubi’s charm lies in how prolific young creator can be. Their 2018 output registered as #17 on our favorite albums list, and it helped that Oyubi put out so much to show all the various sides to their approach to the Chicago-born style. No wasting time in 2019 — the Aspirations EP dropped right on New Year’s Day, and further offers plenty of reminders of why they are on the rise. “You Drop Like This” offers one of the more skeletal tunes Oyubi has shared yet, featuring some rough-around-the-edges percussion and follow-the-bouncing-ball vocal samples. But simplicity proves effective on this back-and-forth number. “0069” is just as spacious, but swaps out playful simplicity in favor of chilly and sparse creeps, using deep bass lines and skittering electronic touches — and recorded voices reciting numbers — to create an unnerving side of Oyubi. “U Go” is more of a traditional slice of Chicago juke, while “Tribal Juke” finds the producer integrating slightly wonkier sounds into their universe (the sliced-up syllables and hoots bring to mind Foodman if he made juke…ya know, more direct juke). A strong start for an artist who seemingly doesn’t stop. Get it here, or listen below.

New Miii: The Hanging Forest

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A drop isn’t just a drop in Miii’s hands. The Tokyo producer revels in big neck-twisting blasts of bass and samples, making them the central sonic foundation of their music for most of this decade. The Hanging Forest is one single track of the same name, and highlights this love of fest-friendly chaos. Space and subdued rumbling open the number, but that’s all window dressing. Everything slowly starts picking up the pace, more elements creeping in and everything building for that first, big static plunge. It’s in these stretches where Miii’s real joy comes out, as they just throw all kinds of samples and sounds into the fray, letting all kinds of interesting stuff development (personal favorite: a stray dog bark). Miii doesn’t treat it like a typical drop, letting it play longer and revisiting them like a particularly compelling musical passage — but they also don’t let it get stodgy, remembering what makes them such a blast in the first place. Get it here, or listen below.

New Mom: “Superstar”

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Happy New Year’s from Make Believe Melodies! To celebrate, here is a song that is more of a Christmas cut than anything else. But anything from Mom — responsible for two releases that landed at number three in our top ten album list — peeks our interest, and “Superstar” offers one of the more spacious creations from the young creator. Set against near-malfunctioning twinkles, Mom delivers a pretty understated verse in the mold of group_inou, a large chunk of it about the Dec. 25 holiday. That dates it ever so slightly, but within it are reminders of what makes him such a thrilling youngster to listen to. Listen above.