Make Believe Melodies For October 30, 2023
Imagine THE LAST ROCKSTARS, But From Like Bands Playing Shimokitazawa Three
Guiba — Guiba
“Supergroup” might be pushing it, but Guiba certainly excel at capturing an arc of indie-rock in Tokyo. The band features members of Helsinki Lambda Club, Group2, South Penguin and odol, outfits emerging in the middle of the capital’s late-Aughts Mac DeMarco mania. While not the sole starting point for a five year period defined by breezy folk-rock and WORKMAN-adjacent fashion, that Canadian artist served as a kind of a greater inspiration of what was possible musically for the underground. There’s always someone from the West like this — the early 2010s had The Drums, complete with local copy bands covering all of their work — and for a bit it was DeMarco. The main projects of Guiba capture this age well. They aimed for a deliberately fuzzier sound mimicking bedroom authenticity, and tightroped between heartfelt strum-a-dums and weirder psych-speared compositions. Now with Guiba, they offer an endpoint of sorts for that era, as the Setagaya set devoted to Captured Tracks’ releases ages up and the new “hip” is marked by, uhhhhh I guess kids who love Drain Gang.
Guiba split their first album between sillier, slacker zone outs and sincere folk-rock making clear the maturity these four are going for despite the presence of the prior. Here’s the dilemma of aging in the hipper enclaves of indiedom — the weakest moments on Guiba double as reminders of the more boring directions Japanese indie-rock has lazy-river-ed down in the last few years, trying to be Mitsume without the sonic curiosity. This group in particular seems motivated by the success of the one time they previously nailed. But when Guiba settle, they create strolling guitar-focused pop in no rush to get anywhere and sometimes feeling like they are delaying reaching any arrival.
Which would be fine if they allowed themselves to get strange or make a joke..which is what the much stronger half of songs here do very well. It’s Guiba channeling the best moments of their main projects and leaning all the way in. “Hai” (video above) unfolds more loosely and faster, with fun around the edges (the quick guitar strums). “Namida” with Mashinomi is basically a glossier Boys Age song, with plenty of the wonkier sonic elements of that bedroom project bleeding through and imagining a decade where they got their proper due. “Omekashi” comes closest to finding a happy medium between the two sides, all perky melodies but featuring a just off pacing to everything (one of the instances where that “lo-fi” vibe works wonders). It’s a reminder of what’s still possible in this space, and a moment where Guiba really feel like a potential move forward rather than closing point. Listen above.
Hoshimiya Toto And TEMPLIME Featuring LIL SOFT TENNIS — “Melody Smash”
I’m not sure what exactly production duo TEMPLIME and VTuber Hoshimiya Toto are building too — they’ve introduced robots and references galore in recent videos, and have a big live show this coming Friday that feels like them trying to become party starters alongside being a winning electronic collaboration. Whatever the end game is…I kind of don’t care, because I’ve loved the trio’s efforts to bridge pop with their netlabel tendencies. Here’s the best yet, with TEMPLIME laying down bubbly synthesizer sounds alongside guitar melodies, all meant to wring more sweetness out of Toto’s voice. The masterstroke is bringing in online rabble-rouser LIL SOFT TENNIS into the picture. He’s collected here, flexing about his constant creativity (dude is on…even when wearing Uniqlo) and adding a more grounded vocal contrast to Toto’s airy delivery. A great work bringing more ideas and people into their world, without losing anything that make them fascinating. Listen above.
SUSU — “Delay”
Ikkyu Nakajima of tricot and Genie High links up with guitarist Kanji Yamamoto for a retro-tinged pop number highlighting the sweeter sides of their artistry. The Phoenix inspiration drips through, but they add enough of a neon glow to the song to give it an energy all its own. Listen above.
Shinsei Kamattechan Featuring Jun Togawa — “Guroi Hana”
A soaring backdrop courtesy of Shinsei Kamattechan…over which Jun Togawa just absolutely goes for it. The band had a few disorienting details, but the power of this one is just letting the experienced Togawa do her thing over a pretty composition, taking total control of it. Listen above.
PSYCHIC FEVER — “Temperature”
I’m here for the “produced by JP THE WAVY” bit, though I do find PSYCHIC FEVER and their pan-Asia focus pretty fascinating. Yet hey, don’t let me get distracted — here’s one of the most influential rappers of the last decade stepping behind the boards to try to fuse drill signatures with LDH pop. And then…also bolt some Jersey Club in there? I love the ambitiousness of this, and how it all works together with the group’s singing (as an occasional doubter…this is why you make the kids take rap lessons). Listen above.
MC TONY — “PANTS”
How do you make a gag really connect? Take it seriously. MC TONY is a Japanese comedian based in the U.K. better known as TONIKAKU. His claim to fame is being a finalist on Britain’s Got Talent, getting to the last stage by doing various stuff while only wearing underwear. “Don’t worry, I’m wearing…pants!” became his rallying cry. Just listen to the crowd scream it back at him here.
Did he have to become MC TONY and make a novelty song after this? I mean…probably. Did he have to call on Japanese grime and drill producers Double Clapperz to make an absolute cracker of a song for him to sing about pants over? No but thank goodness he did, because it makes this all the better that he actually committed to the sound of the song. Goofball stuff, but done really really well. Listen above.
Oricon Trail For The Week Of October 16, 2023 To October 22, 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.
Sakurazaka46 — “Shoninyokkyu” (449,754 Copies Sold)
The social media experience transformed into buzzsaw pop song.
This is the busiest I can remember Sakurazaka46 ever sounding, opening up with rumbling percussion before hopping on a lightly manipulated synth bounce. Here’s the general framework of “Idol” (loud parts + zippy electronic passages + rap?!?!) modified a bit to meet the needs of a larger sized group, while still holding on to the necessary intensity (with a brilliant bit of claustrophobic noise following the rapping passage). What makes it really pop is how it works towards Sakurazaka46’s greater message, amounting to “this social media stuff is bad for our brains.” The song replicates the emotional rollercoaster of, like, logging on to Instagram — anxiety, anger, flexing, hate — while all circling back to the need for approval. A highlight from the group’s 2023 output, and one of the better attempts at “addressing” web-broken society you’ll find this calendar year, ignoring big-issue thoughts for the emotional punch must of us know too well. Listen above.
News And Views
A little taste of what 2024 has coming…Ado announced plans for her “first world tour” from February to April of next year1. A significant development for Japanese music’s global ambitions, and something to keep an eye on.
Agency Formerly Known As Johnny’s Update For The Week: Fuji TV won’t air year-end show from the company’s stable of talents; Ninomiya Kazunari leaving the agency for independent gigs, though staying with them as part of Arashi; Travis Japan debut album coming soon, hey that’s unrelated to the other stuff!
Had the chance to interview legendary jazz artist Jiro Inagaki for The Japan Times. Very rare opportunity to chat with a person with countless great stories — few artists have Stevie Wonder call them up to request their presence playing in their band — who has really seen it all. Check the new comp devoted to his golden period out via 180g.
One of the elements of Virtual YouTubing I personally find fascinating is the ability for anyone to become anything they want to be. For Morning Musume member Maki Goto, that means becoming 15 again. The idol debuted a new VTuber self which is basically just an avatar version of who she was when performing with the group. As part of some AU metaverse thing tied to Halloween, VTuber Goto performed “Love Machine.”
AKB48 have done something very smart by creating a mixed-nationality project pulling members from groups based in Japan, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. Very savvy! Unfortunately, the group is called Quadlips.
Mass Of The Fermenting Dregs going on a European tour next spring!
This Side Of Japan presents their 50 Best Anime Songs of the year.
Utaha of Suiyoubi No Campanella shared her “10 Essentials” with GQ.
Look at some of her shoes!!!Japanese music journalist Mocomi tweeted “good band name” regarding American group awakebutstillinbed. Said post went pretty damn viral. Deep reading of mostly simple observation? In the same way those in the West tend to be wowed by Japanese band names (“Ogre You Asshole?!?! Huh!?!??!), Japanese music fans can be just as tickled by the band names they come across. We truly are all the same (entertained by good group monikers).
Ever wanted to see VTubers tackle “HOT LIMIT?” Great news!
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu shared her real name officially for the first time ever on TV recently. She was encouraged by A-chan of Perfume, who does share her name online and beyond. Elsewhere, certain journalists covering Japanese music who have had to deal with name issues gnash their teeth over this, wondering why this couldn’t have happened a decade ago.
Music Business Worldwide coming around to the “everything is AKB48” way of life. The examples they focus on are all physical spaces…including one I wrote about.
MTV announced the winners of the 2023 Video Music Awards Japan. Knock yourself out.
Perfume got Sumikko Gurashi-ed!
Written by Patrick St. Michel (patrickstmichel@gmail.com)
Twitter — @mbmelodies
Usual full disclosure: I have been hired in the past by Universal Music Japan to write Ado’s English bio, and might be hired in the future for newer materials.
just seeing the words "Shinsei Kamattechan Featuring Jun Togawa" is enough to send me straight to heaven, what else could anyone ask for wowowow
Great stuff as always!!
Love the Guiba write up! I wasn’t paying attention to anything but the, “it’s not great but it’s what we’ve got” era of American rap in the early to mid 2010s, so I have no idea what indie pop influenced what or where it came from (The Aluminum Group notwithstanding).