Ryan Hemsworth has done great work giving attention…like, big publication space…to under-the-radar Japanese artists, whether he’s collaborating with them (Qrion, Tomggg) or just shouting them out (Seiho, Taquwami). His Secret Songs label just released a mix featuring a bunch of great music, all worth checking out…Kero Kero Bonito!…but for now we’ll focus on two tracks from Japanese creators. The aforementioned Qrion contributes “Only,” a shuffler featuring ample handclaps, pitched vocal samples and some twinkly piano for good measure. Listen above.
The other Japanese contributor is Cuushe with “Do You Feel Me.” Whereas Qrion delivers a solid song in sonic territory you’d expect from her, Cuushe mixes it up a bit – her singing sounds as dream-pop worthy as usual, but now she’s unfurling her words over a hiccup-y beat, one accented by streaks of her saying “yeah!” Listen below.