Make Believe Melodies For April 22, 2024
Subversion? Or Just Superb Music?
Jiyugaoka And Sangatsu — Syndrome
One of the more educational moments of my life came when devouring Soutaiseiriron’s album Town Age. It was the first release by that band I experienced from start to finish since moving to Japan — everything else either came out before I relocated or emerged while I was still stumbling about Kansai — so it had a particular grip on me. Specifically, Etsuko Yakushimaru’s monotone mysteries when it came to the lyrics. To my ear (and my very-uneducated brain when it came to Japanese), it sounded mysterious and surely deep.
“What’s going on here, what are the secret meanings and deep metaphors lurking within this music,” I asked someone close to me, a native Japanese speaker and big Soutaiseiriron fan.
“Uhhhh, nothing much. The words mostly sound good together, and sometimes they hit on a pun,” they responded.
A vital lesson learned.
Syndrome brings to mind Soutaiseiriron, both musically and meaning wise. This is duo Jiyugaoka and Sangatsu’s second album together following 2022’s Twilight. That one was a little more electronic, with a bit more focus on texture (samples galore), whereas the duo’s latest emphasizes smooth rock sounds bordering on indie gold (the blogs would have gone gaga for the jog of “Signal”). Clouding all of it are lyrics dabbling in dark imagery or cryptic references (the synth bop of “Ghost Town” makes references to sluggish GDP and abandoned streets…all with charming piano melodies sprinkled in), all delivered in a very familiar, very direct way. Now, factor in the Local Visions touch, and you really start asking questions.
Subversive…or just superb music with a knack for great diction? I’m leaning towards the latter, because this pair have nailed one of the year’s best blends of sounds with words yet, to the point where the meaning itself is just a bonus. Part of Syndrome’s charm is just pure pop songwriting goodness, with grooves leading to sticky hooks. The playfulness the two bring helps a bunch — the shadows they cast over otherwise uptempo rock adds some nice tension, especially on the unnerving strut of “Party” (whose lyrics…hide some definitely eyebrow-raising references to an affair that never ends, backed by malfunctioning electronic touches). Don’t dwell too much on meaning…just avoid the thrill of experiencing it. Get it here, or listen above.
Madobe Rika — “Rika”
Virtual girls, be ambitious. The latest from Virgin Babylon’s resident VTuber-adjacent creator Madobe Rika clocks in at over seven minutes, featuring disorienting electronic balladry that gives way to an extended diary recital until hitting a noisy crescendo…and I mean those are just the main points, I haven’t even mentioned the drum ‘n’ bass break. While coming from a very 2020s package, this is classic Virgin Babylon dramatics that should have World End’s Girlfriend smiling, merging rattling digital sounds with poemcore flair. Get it here, or listen above.
Denkyu — “4 Bansen”
I get it…I zone out while waiting for the train all the time, my thoughts interrupted by those JR announcements. Artist Denkyu nails that sensation in a way more emotionally hefty way on “4 Bansen,” the sounds of PA systems blurring in to a slow guitar-powered chug that eventually consumes Denkyu’s bleary-eyed vocals. Imagine Fishmans working an exhausting job and trying to perform after a soul-crushing shift. Listen above.
aymk — “motive of the soul”
Over here, a dance-pop song that sounds jet lagged. Artist aymk has always worked well in a blurrier mode, but “motive of the soul” zips ahead on one of the liveliest rhythms she’s ever produced for a song. That energy sparks tension, though, when her muted vocals and synth touches emerge. Everything works in tandem, but in a way conveying weariness, even as everything powers ahead. Listen above.
Tim Pepperoni — X
Pepperoni doesn’t miss. After releasing one of the best rollicks of the year so far, the rapper turns fizzy for this two song set. The tempo on “ROX” staggers about, with Pepperoni himself being the anchor that navigates the sloshed beat. “Xanax” stabilizes the sound a bit more, though Pepperoni adds some haze to it all by letting his vocals mutate all over it. Listen above.
killwiz — “kilakila”
Former Dr. Anon member and all-around-strong solo creator ponika debuted her new project killwiz, and she hasn’t lost a step since that trio called it a day. Her first single “kilakila” dashes ahead, with ponika skipping over the beat, even as manipulated choruses of her own voice play out around her. Listen above.
Nozomi Kitay And GAL D Featuring Mukade — “MOSHI MOSHI”
Sometimes, a catchy song is all I need to be charmed. Listen above.
Tatsuya Kitani — “Preview Of Me”
The main draw here is the video, a great send-up of Ultraman-style hero shows, complete with burgeoning J-pop star Tatsuya Kitani going full kaiju. Yet I’m just as charmed by the song itself, specifically the way it plays around with vocals. Kitani plays with fire throughout — he utilizes a children’s choir, a move that could have rendered this swift song unlistenable if relied on too much. Yet it never gets overly annoying, but rather plays into the dizzying feel “Preview Of Me” runs on. What puts it over for me is when dude goes full hyperpop in the back half, letting his vocals run through some wonderful electronic filters as the music around him skitters out. Then…he transforms into a one-person Sakanaction with a fidgety all-together chorus. Another reminder that if oddball creations like this can thrive in mainstream J-pop, the industry is at a good place creatively. Listen above.
Oricon Trail For The Week Of April 8, 2024 To April 14, 2024
Back in the day, the Oricon Music Charts were the go-to path to music stardom in Japan. Acts of all sorts traversed these lands, trying to sell as many CDs as possible in order to land a good ranking on a chart choosing to only count physical sales, even as the Internet came to be and the number of versions offered for sale got ridiculous. Today, with the country finally in on digital, these roads are more barren and only looked at by the most fanatic of supporters needing something to celebrate. Yet every week, a new song sells enough plastic to take the top spot. So let’s take a trip down…the Oricon Trail.
Nogizaka46 — “Chance Wa Byoudo” (517, 872 Copies Sold)
See, this is why we need idol music. When most artists turn to the past for cool new influences, they dig into obscure corners or at the very least zero in on very specific concepts of a sound (“city pop”) to highlight their taste and/or marketing savvy. God bless Nogizaka46, for eschewing that whole dance in favor of pure disco silliness, complete with plinky-plonk synths and horn-assisted hook. A large part of this song is the group just singing “get down” nobody needs to scavenge a thrift store to find that. Sometimes being obvious proves to be the best approach. Listen above.
News And Views
Dempagumi.inc announced that the project will come to an end in 2025. The news sparked a lot of sadness and shock, which I get…but this is an idol outfit that has been kicking since 2008, and has weathered a lot of significant lineup changes that would have sunk the vast majority of projects in a similar lane. So I will say, I’m mostly impressed how they were able to keep going for so long and still release pretty great music this far into their existence. One of the most important J-pop idols of the 21st century so far…and one of the most prophetic…and it actually will be quite nice to properly take in Dempagumi’s legacy over the next few months.
My report from Coachella for The Japan Times. Based on what I heard about weekend two…all holding true!
YOASOBI have, naturally, been doing a lot of press themselves, what with their Coachella appearance and two solo shows in California on top of it. This Consequence Of Sound feature is probably the most interesting, as they asked the duo to select 10 J-pop albums everyone should check out. Make Believe Melodies’ take: hey some good ones in there, but never spend money on a Sukima Switch album, that could go towards literally anything else.
Another act that appeared at Coachella, Atarashii Gakko!, got a great feature in Nylon, by friend of the blog Erica Russell. Give it a read!
Beyoncé embraces the call of the conbini and enters the world of dekotora (decorated trucks, for the uninformed), for new Cowboy Carter promo. Honestly top-level stuff, she still has it.
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu announces she will have a child in a very Kyary way.
Say hello to “K-city-pop,” which has technically existed for decades but hey let the marketers market.
While on the topic of K-pop…everything unfolding with HYBE and ADOR right now will eventually have a ripple on the Japanese market, especially since NewJeans and ILLIT both seemed designed to tap into audiences here (the prior are practically making it a focus for at least half a year now). Not directly linked to Japanese music, but bound to have a huge impact.
Once-lost Linda Carriere album produced by Haruomo Hosono set to finally be released.
Yahoo! News talked with Ichiro Yamaguchi of Sakanaction for a feature that explored his bouts with depression, resulting in a revealing (and often charming) read. Dude was really bummed out for a while, to the point where he’d order Uber Eats but not have the motivation to go collect them, resulting in a entryway full of delivery. The one thing he found solace in? Japanese professional baseball, specifically Nagoya’s Chunichi Dragons. He threw out a first pitch earlier this year.
Yoshiki of X JAPAN performed a song and the National Anthem at a Los Angeles Dodgers’ game last week. I was there! More to come????
This Side Of Japan with a lovely issue devoted to anime music as gateway.
And let’s close with one of the biggest songs of the year getting a triumph THE FIRST TAKE…
Written by Patrick St. Michel (patrickstmichel@gmail.com)
Twitter — @mbmelodies