Make Believe Melodies For November 27, 2023
Wish I Could Go Back To The Onsen...
wai wai music resort — “Pacific Onsen”
Duo wai wai music resort make music for moods tied to specific places. This isn’t sonic wallpaper or fodder for ~ vibes~ based playlists. Rather, the pair create soundtracks for situations, ranging from vacations to lonely drives. The overarching thematic concern — and extremely fitting for a project under the imagined neo nostalgia of Local Visions — is that of updated “resort music,” a city-pop-adjacent string of music to chill to (because your bank account is doing just fine) in the Bubble days. That’s not quite as in reach now…adding a melancholy to even the chillest of scenarios.
They focus on a more everyday escape on “Pacific Onsen,” both loving ode to public baths / hot springs and somewhat melancholy dream of escaping to an even greater fantasy land. Over a horn rumble and splashes of guitar, wai wai music resort transform a post-work plunge into a tropical getaway, with the bubbling water around them taking on oceanic characteristics as it washes away the stress of the day preceding it. It’s a sweet number perfectly in line with what the pair have gotten up to before…complete with a slight touch of longing for the lounging to go a little longer. Now that’s the onsen experience captured perfectly. Get it here, or listen above.
QUBIT — “Mr. Sonic”
I’m still processing it, but the first album from Daoko’s new band QUBIT sounds special on early listens. It’s a chance for a creator seen primarily as a “whisper rapper” and J-pop surprise to stretch out over new sounds, alongside a set of musicians including Seiichi Nagai of Soutaiseiriron…a decision results in other familiar sonic palettes being scrambled up towards something new. A great example of this is “Mr. Sonic,” which teases familiar kayokyoku retro-isms, but runs them through filters and electronic touches until it becomes unrecognizable.
Unfortunately, the majority of what I’ve seen discussed about the song and project thus far (OK, on Twitter / X, so small sample size but still…) is the AI-generated video above. You don’t need to dig further than to guess what the reaction is, and I’m not going to like push against anything aesthetically (it’s ugly). But it’s kind of a bummer that what ultimately amounts to a very small part of what this project is doing is going to suck up the most attention. Well hey, consider just listening to the audio below.
STARKIDS — “PARAPULL”
Strongest argument in favor of actual videos — STARKIDS offering a Gen Z version of Velfarre via the para-para-powered clip for “PARAPULL.” Fitting too for a song feeling like a mission statement post joining a major label, both kicking at polite society and celebrating bro bonds. They’ve been doing this sound for a bit now, but damn they just keep making it work while trumpeting their worldview. Listen above.
bala — “Tokyo Survivor”
Speaking of another group representing a new era of young creators…bala is back with their third single! Go-to J-pop producer of the year Kenmochi Hidefumi handles the music, and we get a great example of what defines his approach to music…it’s nothing sonic specific, because he’s ultimately an extremely curious dude open for anything (here he jumps back to EDM bawdiness via that pre-hook percussive build and bass freakouts). Rather, he creates songs allowing artists to pack a lot of information into. In the same way Suiyoubi No Campanella once made a whole song just listing places in Hokkaido, “Tokyo Survivor” basically functions as the bala guide to the capital, mixing the familiar tourist haunts with the new (first mention and use of ZEROTOKYO in song / video, I believe!). That’s all possible thanks to Hidefumi’s touch. Listen above.
Saku — Tenshi EP
Imagine like early ambient-leaning FLAU emerging from Nico Nico Douga, and you have this lovely bit of Vocaloid dream pop courtesy of producer Saku. Happy to let Hatsune Miku’s digi-voice stretch out, drift and flicker, they set it against bell chimes and rippling synths. Some tension emerges — “Natural” splits open to reveal an array of digital laser beams, while Miku’s voice constantly fractures and adds some unease to the mix — but this is mostly an angelic set of electronics casting Vocaloid as something absorbing. Listen above.
M4tt — CLUB BOMB EP v2
Damn, what a fun EP. A great collection of toaster-ed Jersey Club, and experiments in turning Five Nights At Freddy’s and the Boo ghosts from Mario into bangers. Get it here, or listen above.
Jinno Featuring SERINA And Lil Chill — “Naked”
If you’re going to do the rock thing as an artist emerging out of Japan’s “hyperpop” corner…commit. Jinno and company absolutely do on “Naked,” especially when SERINA steps up to the mic to deliver an absolutely ripping hook any high school senior can appreciate in its rawness. Listen above.
@onefive — “F.A.F.O”
An extremely ~ on trend ~ number from the idol group, but one still letting the pastel side of J-pop idol-dom sneak through the uptempo blast. I’ve written before that this outfit works well because they are clearly trying to mimic happenings in K-pop (the NewJeans piece) but always get a few details wrong…which makes it way better because they come up with their own flavor. Maybe I’m just letting a hook of “fudge around and find out” really stick around.
The actual secret weapon here is the producer. Taku Takahashi is built for the current pop moment because he was doing this sound as part of m-flo back when Y2K was an actual societal concern. He’s able to adapt to modern touches quickly (dude knows his Jersey Club) and gives “F.A.F.O” extra kick. Listen above.
Oricon Trail For The Week Of November 13, 2023 To November 19, 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.
Naniwa Danshi — “I Wish” (370,477 Copies Sold)
Well, I wish I didn’t even have to spend one sentence on this cookie cutter song.
News And Views
One of the wildest pitches of the year came in the form of X-Con, a multi-day festival out in Chiba jamming K-pop with VTubers with De La Soul with tofubeats, among many more. It was one of the most ambitious gatherings of its type…and I guess it was too much so, because X-Con announced the entire slate was cancelled due to organizer issues. Surprising but also…not surprising, given what they were trying to do. Don’t worry fans of new girl groups, though, because the outfit they were going to debut at X-Con looks set to still go forward.
The MTV Video Music Awards Japan held a special live event last Thursday at Yokohama’s K Arena, which would have been uneventful…except news broke shortly after the show that a woman had been stabbed. This was big news, resulting in a LINE News breaking alert and TV coverage. And then a few days later…the woman said she stabbed herself? Bizarre story.
Remember when I said 2024 will be defined by Japanese acts touring abroad? A bunch of evidence in my favor announced last week — XG will go on a “world tour,” SiM will actually do that for sure, while Eve and Soushi Sakiyama will jaunt around Asia.
It’s the time of year where professional baseball teams in Japan hold special fan events, and they usually involve popular songs from the year. What a barometer for the last 12 months! Osaka’s Orix Buffaloes reminded just what the biggest song (and anime) of the year was.
The 65th Japan Record Awards…coming up in December! If you are a sicko and care about award shows, check the nominees now. Will note that they did not nominate YOASOBI’s “Idol” for the type prize, which is kind of baffling since this is at least half a commercial recognition show…and they put that garbage “Mainstream” song in it, c’mon now.
Noticed the following song trending on various viral charts across Asia recently and…wow, is everyone doing OK out there? Tough fall? This is a real “don’t give up” number offering a sonic hand on your shoulder. Look at the shaky video!
Written by Patrick St. Michel (patrickstmichel@gmail.com)
Twitter — @mbmelodies