Make Believe Mailer Vol. 4: Going Up On A Wednesday
In a normal week, moving over 9,000 physical copies of an album would definitely be good for a top-ten spot on the Oricon charts, and probably guarantee placement in the top five. Most weeks, however, don't feature the arrival of new One Direction and Justin Bieber full lengths (not to mention Kanjani8), along with the lingering presence of Arashi and a reissue of The Beatles 1. So pop outfit Suiyoubi No Campanella's new album Zipangu debuting at #11 is a bit misleading, as the 9,798 copies moved according to Oricon is an impressive figure for an act existing in the new J-pop upper-middle class.
A different but still very worthy Zipangu
The gap between mainstream J-pop and the indie level has always been massive, but recent years have also seen the space between the upper rungs of Japanese music and the middle widen immensely. Artists signed with "indie" labels -- basically just smaller labels -- regularly get lost in the shuffle, as do lesser acts signed to big-time imprints. In the '90s, Mr. Children would dominate the charts, sure, but you would also see some interesting smaller names creeping up with decent sales. Now, Mr. Children dominate the charts followed by an ever-shrinking swirl of mediocre sales.
Yet sudden superstardom isn't the only way out of this pop purgatory in 2015. A J-Pop upperclass has emerged, where smaller acts can still reap solid sales and all the benefits of being signed to a big label. These are artists such as Tofubeats and cero, who carry a sort of buzzy "coolness" around them, who are far from household names but can still nab TV appearances and pull in A-list guests to add extra oomph to their music.
Suiyoubi No Campanella moved up to this level over the last 12 months, with Zipangu's sales being a confirmation. A lot of credit for this goes to the group's lead singer -- and only member in the public eye -- Komuai, a whirling dervish who is the sort of person born to appear in magazine spreads and commercials and TV shows (and be supported by Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, which doesn't hurt). Zipangu marks the group taking its place as the biggest group in this upper-middle zone, while also making eyes at the next level -- complete with seemingly big budget videos. Just because you are out of purgatory means you should stop.
Also just like a real pop star, an Ancient Egypt-themed music video!
Japanese Music Highlights From The Past Week
Oh, hey, how about the actual music on that album? Despite really liking the first song from it, I went in with low expectations because...I'm not sure? Maybe the higher profile and that "Ra" video hinted at a shift towards something more mainstream (read: boring). Well, that didn't really happen, it's still a whirlwind mix of house, rap and pop (the other benefit of that upper-middle position...you can still get away with, like, working Jersey Club into your music), though I should also listen to it a lot more before trying to write anything. But the best element is the run time, over in just over 30 minutes, with no killer ballads or anything. Best song!
Switching back to indie stuff -- the revival of Tokyo indie bands I loved in 2011/12 continues, with CUZ ME PAIN super-group-ish band Wooman. Please let this nostalgia wave keep on coming.
Nagoya's Crunch have a new song that I thought sounded great for the holiday season, but maybe I just get sad easily.
Great compilation between Yesterday Once More and Cosmopolyphonic, two of the nation's better electronic collectives in 2015.
Dux Content from PC Music remixed Sekai No Owari, sure.
News And Views
Only story that truly matters this week is that AKB48 sister outfit NGT48 (Niigata's non-Negicco idol group) are teaming up with local McDonald's for a special 48-pack of McNuggets. As someone who once ordered the McDonald's "bucket of fries" as a child, I really want to eat this stupid dumb thing.
Idol music and McNuggets -- two things Japanese consumers don't want at all.
In other AKB48 news, don't say anything negative about them unless you want to be banned from covering them!
Tokyo Girls' Update is not particularly known for hard-hitting writing, but they posted a doozy of an article last week about "idol suffering." It's a really good read, though I don't see how you reach the end of that and think "yeah, this is a culture I want to be part of without hesitation."
I didn't realize Lawson (the convenience store) works in conjunction with HMV (the music store), but they do, and opened a new HMV & Books store in Shibuya this week. It will feature space for live shows, further accelerating the live-music boom in the city. And, in late breaking news, Lawson and HMV have teamed up to form a new music label too, according to this press release in my inbox. It's called "Thank You Music," can't wait to see how 7/11 counters this.
Small to medium-sized music venues in Tokyo are doing well -- but The Japan News says big venues are having a tough time, to the point where the entertainment is labeling this the "2016 problem." This is mainly because of renovations.
Oricon Trail For The Week Of Nov. 9 - Nov. 15
Every week, I'll share the top-charting single from the Oricon Charts, a deeply flawed ranking system that favors groups who get fans to buy multiple copies of the same song, offering a warped view of what anyone actually listens to.
#1 Kis-My-ft2 "Saigo Mo Yaapari Kimi" (191,3822 Copies Sold)
Four weeks into this and I'm already to throw this feature out the window, boring Johnny's ballads will do that to you. (I do like that electronic flutter though, but that's the only thing keeping me from dozing off)
Look At Me!
For Japan Times: Talked to Spangle Call Lilli Line, who I really like, and also reviewed a good album from shoegazey act Acidclank.
I went on Australia's ABC News 24 to talk about Vocaloid, here is a screen shot courtesy of Jonathan Bradley. Don't know why I look so angry, the producer kept saying "legend" after I adjusted my camera, that was a treat.
Have a great Thanksgiving, and then, winter truly starts!
Written by Patrick St. Michel (patrickstmichel@gmail.com)
Make Believe Melodies / Twitter / Facebook
Header by Alan Castree (AC Galaga)