Kobe’s Kaz Okamoto has taken some chopped up vocals…and turned them into an explosion of sound. “Color” jumps all over the place, centered around the skittery female vocals, diving into brief brostep and trap interludes, but never getting sucked down into being a boring banger. It is way too anxious to explore all sonic corners. Listen below.
Osaka-based artist Magical Mistakes’ latest album revels in little imperfections. Going by Astro Nautico’s accompanying press for it, his new Cracks In The Surface collection is “inspired by the experience of losing connections with friends and loved ones.” There is certainly something unsettling about the music here, as it frequently skitters and appears ready to…
I talked to Yurufuwa Gang in The Japan Times today, about their forthcoming album Mars Ice House, one of the better Japanese rap albums I’ve heard in recent years. “Escape To The Paradise” isn’t their most Technicolor cut, though it still manages to highlight most of the sonic elements that makes them such a breath…
Sometimes, you just need music that propels you forward. Producer Tororoudon’s “Summer Stream” excels at that particular point, featuring a persistent beat and several layers of high-noon-bright synthesizers, all whirling together alongside some piano notes to form an instrumental cut that just skips ahead all joyful like. Maybe its the constant shifts, from electro-bouncer to…
In news that was inevitable, fuzzy beach-pop group Friends changed their name. From now on they will be known as Teen Runnings, which I like to imagine came about because the band watched Cool Runnings and thought “teen” was a synonym for “cool.” Anyway, this had to happen because Brooklyn group Friends, responsible for this…
In case you didn’t hear, a little sporting event called the World Cup begins this week in South Africa. For one month, the majority of the world will watch to see which country will emerge glorious, while also getting in arguments with Americans over them calling it “soccer” (aside…”soccer vs. football” is the stupidest language…
Look, I’m all for homages/attempts on hitching one’s wagon to a trend…but Vivian Boys??? Seriously? It would be one thing if they only took naming cues from a certain other Vivian band. Like, if they played folk music or made dubstep, this all would be a lot less of an issue. Thing is, they make…