Make Believe Melodies For February 13, 2023
Kids Today
toyod ine — popwasbroken!!!!!
Older people tend to approach the youth like they are aliens — either to be repulsed by or stared at as perfect anomalies. Both approaches kind of stink, and a better philosophy might be to think of younger folks as…gasp…regular people, who a lot of times have a lot in common with you. With music and “internet culture” writ large, I have a tough time being wowed or weirded out by how many younger creators slice-and-dice content, or the entire concept of “Corecore” largely because…it doesn’t feel much different than what was happening ten years ago, just on different platforms. Specifically…this all seems very netlabel to me, and I mean that as pure compliment.
A great example of this lineage1 carrying on comes from toyod ine’s popwasbroken!!!!!, a set of tracks influenced by “Dariacore” or “Hyperflip,” but really boils down to “tearing apart samples and pasting them together into something madcap for the internet age.” Here’s a new generation coming across the thrill of smashing melancholy synth hiccups up against party-starter rhythms on “almini” before finding joy in letting it grind down. Here’s breakcore hitting the NOS button on “starch syrup.” Here’s rapid-fire vocal snippets and snatches of guitar a la In The Blue Shirt meeting Jersey squeaks and shots (and anime) on “Fractal.” Nothing to gawk at, because there’s a history…and it’s thrilling to see new names come to it in their own way. Get it here, or listen above.
Meitei — Shitsurai
Based around the theme of “Japan’s four seasons,” the latest work from Meitei isn’t all that intriguing as a concept (“Japan’s four seasons”) but as pieces of music, it’s among the most fragile and pretty pieces of art he’s ever composed. Stripped down even more than last year’s ambient wash as Tenka, Shitsurai uses piano as the primary way of conveying mood, with only a few electronic touches and nature samples interrupting the solitude. Aching in how bare it is, getting to the heart of what Meitei’s emotional aims. Get it here, or listen above.
meme tokyo. — “Meteor Shinkiro”
Look, I don’t have good reasons for being behind on music — I’m either catching up on work or using free time to eat free pizza samples at Costco — but there’s a lot of albums out this month I “need to spend time with” i.e. actually sit down and listen to from first song to last. I’ll get around to the new mekakushe, I swear! The first full-length album from meme tokyo. also falls under that to-do list, though jumping around the new songs leads to this late entry as being a highlight. Partially, that’s because it’s one of the only original additions to the album to continue poking at Hyperpop, with an assist from Phritz and Amane Uyama2, folks central to the Japanese mutation on this sound. On "Meteor Shinkiro," that's largely from the percussive clangs, like roofing shingles being smacked around, adding a distinctive texture on top of the synth burbles. Oh and just as important — no winks or irony from the lyrics, which are very idol-OK wishes for something better and turning to the sky for answers. Listen above.
Yunovation — “Palm Tree Sprinkler”
Oh thank the heavens, new Yunovation! Kind of…this actually came out in December as part of a compilation, but appeared on SoundCloud this week. Thank goodness…after all this dreary weather, some recorder-guided vibes were in order. Listen above.
Utae — “Ivyness”
Master of woozy pop songs Utae returns with a fittingly knotty one in “Ivyness,” though it’s the little details — like the chipper synth notes or moments when the beats forces everything to stay sturdy — that really makes this one click. Listen above.
Neo Iceyyy — SPID3R
A great example of what working with like-minded rabble-rousers can do to make your work better. Neo Iceyyy sounds best when pulling chaos force rirugiliyangugili into their workd, adding fangs to the fritzing “HELLO KITTY” and welcome force on the lurching “GAS,” which also benefits from an energized Lil Steez cameo. EDWARD(me) swings by “Never” to add pathos, finding the right middleground between Iceyyy’s brooding and rirugiliyangugili’s snarl. Listen above.
LANA Featuring Candee And ZOT on the WAVE — “TURN IT UP”
While her being on top of the Jersey wave as it hits contemporary Japanese music is definitely the immediate hook, LANA’s voice stands out as one of the best in Japanese music. I just love how she snarls and practically growls when hitting certain syllables (“n” and “ga” especially take on new ferociousness when she runs into them), and it’s her delivery that elevates this, an effort to further move her into the spotlight. Listen above.
Summer Eye — “Shippai”
Summer Eye create the sonic version of putting one of those fun little tropical umbrellas into your own pool of melancholy. The flute, percussion and late-song plink-plonks limboing down with the guitar make for a nice slice of Sandals-ready indie-rock, but lurking within those warmer climes is longing for someone to stay by your side, fully aware that — like the summer itself — nothing can last forever. Bonus points for an XTAL remix that turns it all sweltering. Listen above or get it here.
Paperkraft — “Beep Bodak Zoo”
“Just for fun :)” I’ll say, because this is a blast! Listen above.
Oricon Trail For The Week Of January 30, 2023 To February 5, 2023
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.
Sandaime J SOUL BROTHERS From EXILE TRIBE — “STARS” (103,036 Copies Sold)
Feel-good dance-pop from a group that can’t decide if they should push more internationally or not. It’s…fine? I don’t know, this group is responsible for a 2010s J-pop eternal banger, one that nails a certain tension between big dumb drama and EDM release. “STARS” feels like a pat on the back, with even the electronic breakdowns telegraphing a “eh, what can you do” shrug.
News And Views
Looked back on the 10 year anniversary of Minami Minegishi’s head-shaving incident for The Japan Times. At the time, this was an example of how backwards and out of step the Japanese idol industry was (and, to be clear, parts of it certainly still reflect that…dating rules and the way the Generations guy skated through it all unscathed). But in the decade since, turns out Minegishi was out in front of how life in the social media age would play out, where people metaphorically shave their heads in apology everyday online and most of the AKB-centric rules of the time now apply to…everyone. Bonus perk…Minegishi out here living her best life, a real winner.
I also profiled new music space Bacond in Shin-Okubo for The Japan Times, a really cool spot created by a guy with a fantastic story.
The biggest news in Asian pop this week…and, really, in quite some time…comes from South Korea, where HYBE became top shareholder in SM Entertainment, after a lot of drama that sure looked like a corporate coup. This will send ripples across the entire global music industry, especially in Japan, where both companies have been major players, both historically and recently. I’ll wait on the “will a Korean company buy Avex?” rumors, but this shakeup in the K-pop absolutely will shape the inner workings of J-pop over the next few months.
G.RINA of FNCY (and her own prolific solo career) is moving to Malaysia! Which means the group will enter a new era in the months ahead, with one last show before shipping off.
CHAI went on Japanese morning show Sukiri! earlier this week, and got to hang out with Fuwa-chan. Legends meeting…gotta love it.
Lyrical School unveiled its new structure, which includes new members…including men. I think the first song they’ve released (below) is pretty forgettable, but I’m actually intrigued by this new structure, and how they can recalibrate the project after the hellos are out of the way.
Me listening to the 100th “Ditto” remix YouTube throws at me on a daily basis.
Written by Patrick St. Michel (patrickstmichel@gmail.com)
Twitter — @mbmelodies
Follow the Best of 2023 Spotify Playlist Here!
Potential here to argue netlabels like Maltine Records were another example of “Japan comes to the edge of capitalism, like plummeting population rates and the embrace of idol culture (influencers), but I’ll think that one through first.
I know I’ve written about this before, but always important to remind…as Uyama gets more attention in Japan and abroad, great to remember he was one half of Kamisama Club, one of the best pre-pandemic upstarts in Japanese music, and I’m glad their influence carries on in some way.
spunchbop
https://on.soundcloud.com/UBhGZm7ZdST5VyNv9