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Make Believe Melodies’ Favorite Japanese Songs Of 2016

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Another year draws to a close, and that means its time for the annual rush of year-end blog posts looking back on the year that was. And, again, I try to write an intro to this collection trying to say something original, about putting together lists and what it all means. But at this point, I know exactly why I do this and why I think it matters — because lots of great artists, albums and songs emerged from Japan in 2016, and some of my personal highlights deserve a chance to be discovered and heard. That’s the optimistic view of these endeavors, after all. That it offers a chance to hear all the stuff you missed, and find something new to swoon about.

Make Believe Melodies’ year-end coverage starts today with our Favorite Japanese Songs Of 2016. Like last year, no rankings, but rather a chronological pass through some of our favorite tunes that weren’t on any of the albums the site plans to cover later in the week.

And if you want my take on the year as a whole, jump over to The Japan Times.

E-Girls “Dance With Me Now!”

Released a day before 2016 officially arrived, “Dance With Me Now!” remains as polished and all-around hooky a J-Pop song as anything that came out in the months that followed. This has been E-Girls’ strength since Exile decided to get in the girl group game, but they’ve never been as direct as on this tightly constructed bit of club escapism.

Metafive “Luv U Tokio”

The one moment this year where supergroup Metafive — featuring members of Yellow Magic Orchestra, Denki Groove, Cornelius, Towa Tei and more — rose above a jagged collection recalling much better releases to deliver something they could call their own. Maybe the secret was letting Yukihiro Takahashi’s soft voice be the focus.

Parkgolf “Silk Curtain”

Plenty of artists all over the map have embraced the high-definition sounds and drip-drop-piness that appear on “Silk Curtain,” but very few can arrange all these moving pieces into something body moving and bonkers like Sapporo’s Parkgolf. Also see “Crush On,” though it was this track via Activia Benz that scored more plays in my iTunes.

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New LLLL Featuring Asia Marie And Kiddeceus: “Loaded Gun”

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The latest in LLLL’s monthly project, “Loaded Gun” sounds, on first brush, far more upbeat and even at times downright happy (that synth line!). It’s a heavy-hitting number, the beat drawing from modern bass music but opting to not dive into the deep end of the style, with the big breakdowns on “Loaded Gun” serving to raise the tension of the song rather than be an endpoint on its own. The key, though, are Asia Marie and Kiddeceus, whose vocals add soul to the number — along with a slight unnerving feeling via the words themselves. Listen above.

New LLLL Featuring Yeule: “Dance & Kill”

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Tokyo’s LLLL has launched a new project entitled Chains, which will involve the release of a new song every month for the next 12 months, divided into four parts (and featuring an EP compiling three tracks at a time when the moment comes). Kicking it off is the shifty “Dance & Kill,” featuring fellow Zoom Lens artist Yeule. LLLL’s music has, for the most part, chosen to smudge vocals in some way, which added a sense of unease to the poppier creations found on their earliest releases. “Dance & Kill” is far more twisty, the music rumbling forward at a speed approaching UK dubstep, and the singing fittingly is even more distorted, registering like a phantom tumbling around all the noise. It’s a great way to kick off a very intriguing project. Listen above, or get it here.

New LLLL Featuring Horikoshi Chifumi And Makinoa: “Oshimai Kanashimi”

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It would be inaccurate to say LLLL’s music has existed entirely in the shadows…the project certainly has spent a fair amount of time in darker terrain, but it has always been good about fitting in moments of escape, using pop as a way to let some light in every once in awhile. Still, “Oshimai Kanashimi” is one of the most outright upbeat songs to emerge from LLLL yet, featuring contributions from Horikoshi Chifumi and Makinoa, and in general sounding like the sun coming out after a big rainstorm. It features a marching beat, and occasionally stops for a second to let some colorful sound enter the frame — samples galore! pitch shifted like cartoons! — and it even ends with a skippy passage. The release comes with a slower take on it via LA’s Meishi Smile (givin’ us Jesse Ruins’ vibes), along with a breezy one from Amunoa. Get it here.

New LLLL Featuring Yeule: “Breathless”

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Tension has always been central to the music Tokyo’s LLLL creates, the shadowy electronics giving way to moments of ecstasy and hope…although they never come easy. “Breathless” is a series of reflections and emotional bursts, moving from slower passages to split-seconds of silence bursting alive right after. The key, though, is a guest appearance from Singaporean artist Yeule, whose vocals ebb alongside LLLL’s music to make the emotional core of “Breathless” all the more powerful. Listen above.