August 2022

BYE BYE by chilldspot

Single Review / ,

Released: 22.08.26 / Label: Pony Canyon

Killer track coming from the relatively new band chilldspot today. They may be young, but they’ve already made a name for themselves. After taking off on Spotify over the last two years they’ve been grabbed up by Pony Canyon, one of the larger labels in Japan. This track is being used in a car commercial, so they may be jumping to a major label soon. This is the first track of theirs I’ve actually properly sat down and listened to, and they’ve got a tight a pop sound that really took me by surprise. The song moves. While the band is tight, they aren’t breaking any new ground here. No, it’s the vocals that really make the sound. The singer, Hiyune’s powerful yet cute tone really grabs the listener. The melody is the most rhythmic part of the song, and the strong J-Pop melody (with obligatory glockenspiel doubling) feels dated, yet modern. Quite the feat. I’m interested to see how typical this sound is for the group. Given that it’s for a commercial, I imagine they went more mainstream than usual, but I’ll have to check out some older tracks to be sure. So expect to see these guys on the blog again.

Verdict: Worth your time. (3.6/5)

★★★★★

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Fukaikan by OSTRIP

Single Review /

Released: 22.08.17 / Label: Self-released

I’ve reviewed a track by OSTRIP before and I liked them so much I though I’d check out their newest single. I’m sad to say that I’m a bit underwhelmed this time around. Fukaikan starts out playfully enough with a cute synth plonking down a lilting melody line that continues throughout the song. Good start. The groove seems mysterious and fun, at first. But as soon as the vocals enter things go sideways. Although the melody is solid, the singing in the verse feels too laid back and takes all the energy out of the song. A change of singer as we enter the chorus doesn’t help, it just don’t pop. The rhythm section might be to blame here, literally nothing changes throughout the whole song and as the track hits its second verse it’s already starting to feel old. In general it feels they should have spent a few more weeks working on arrangement. So, while not a bad melody, the whole track feels very much in need of polish. Especially when compared with their last single.

Verdict: Take it or leave it. (2.2/5)

★★★★★

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Easy by KOMONO LAKE feat. gb

Single Review / , ,

Released: 22.07.27 / Label: Self-released

KOMONO LAKE is an entirely modern three piece group from the Tokyo area. Consisting of a vocalist, a bassist, and a track maker/DJ. Their sound is heavily electric. The production is top notch, but what really makes them stand out are the strong vocals and creative bass lines that accent their music. Today’s track is a bit on the lighter side, and sounds fit for inclusion on a Katamari Damacy soundtrack. The production is fantastic, somehow finding a catchy combination of adorable and cool. The groove is a slower Latin-feel that really gives the singer and bassist room to shine. The bassist has some tasty licks throughout the tune, but the vocals are the standout here. The clear tone and straight pop style of singer Kanbin gives the song direction and really cements the groove. Sadly the rap section from guest gb seems out of place here. It may be a mix issue, but I’m thinking it’s more a groove issue. He’s gone with a smoother approach that just doesn’t mesh with the track. The rap is quality though. I’d like to hear them do a collab again in the future on a different track.

Verdict: Worth your time. (3.5/5)

★★★★★

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New Site Reveal!

News

So I spent the past few weeks working on a total site redesign. What do you think?!

I’m loving the simple, streamlined layout. The design is very much influenced by Fluxblog and Said the Gramophone, two amazing mp3 blogs that have given me so much great music over the years. Check them out if you haven’t read them before. I won’t be able to do the mp3 thing here, so streaming age will have to do for now. We may see about song giveaways in the future maybe.

Sorry for the lack of new reviews during the remodel over the past few weeks, but I think it was worth it. Not only is the site easier to read, it’s also much easier to write and update! Which means more content and some album reviews as well! It may be a few weeks until all the old posts are transferred over to the new style. I’ll be doing a few a day, but the artist and label links will grow over time as I get tags all squared away.

Anyway, new review up tomorrow! Thanks for your patience. -EB

Naive Triangle by Pvrvllel

Single Review / , ,

Released: 22.07.20 / Label: Self-released

Pvrvllel is the name of music producer duo Masa Tamaki and Kazuki Sugiyama. The v’s in the name make me think their music may be more on the artsy side, but we’ll see. Today’s track “Naive Triangle” dropped as a single on Bandcamp on July 15th, and was released to stream on the 20th. I’m always happy to see more Japanese groups using bandcamp, it’s not as popular here as it should be.

While a little dated, this track gets a lot right with the EDM mood its going for. The sounds are all beautifully crafted, especially the bass and drums, giving the groove a strong foundation. It definitely makes you want to move and would be a great dance track in any lounge or house set. The vocals are chopped up samples of a female singer from somewhere. Definitely cliche at this point, but if it works it works. Here it’s great for about 75% of the song, but it gets just a bit annoying at the end. Fans of this kind of music might not find a new hit, but it definitely works as playlist filler. Naive Triangle is dance track that gets the job done. While the style is dated, they get everything right here. Worth a listen for EDM fans.

Verdict: Worth your time. (3.1/5)

★★★★★

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Who are you ? by Liza feat. Yo-Sea

Single Review / , ,

Released: 22.07.22 / Label: Self-released

Liza is definitely going for the rebellious vibe for the cover. I’ve not heard Liza or Yo-Sea before, but I love a collaboration so let’s find out what this is about. Liza is a younger rapper with about 10k followers on Instagram and a few successful tracks under her belt. An up-and-coming artist who’s doing her best to make some waves here. While this is Liza’s track, from my research it looks like Yo-Sea is the more popular artist. So a really great collab for her on this deluxe reissue of her debut EP. Ok, let’s check out the song.

This track has a tight groove with some great sample work giving it a perfect flow for the rappers to work with, and Liza kills it. She uses a really straight-forward rhythmic groove for this track, with a lot of rapid fire phrases ending with stretched syllables. It makes for some really addicting phrasing, made even better by her voice which is incredibly easy to listen to. Yo-Sea pops in for a single verse that seems a bit lackluster in comparison. His voice is amazing and the harmony work is cool, but the rap itself isn’t that memorable. His vocal ad-libs peppering the following choruses are also a bit much. Sometimes guests can be like that. But she got the name drop, so good for her. This track definitely makes me want to check out the rest of the new album.

For comparison I also checked out the older version of this track that was released last year, and while the rap is a bit more playful in that version the music here is much improved. It seems like she was able to simplify and polish up almost every aspect of the track, something I wish more artists would do for their older releases. In an age where releasing music is so easy, you’d think that songs would be updated as they evolve over the years. I’m glad she did it.

Verdict: Worth your time. (3.5/5)

★★★★★

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people by Yuga

Single Review /

Released: 22.07.27 / Label: Self-released

I thought this was a picture of nature at first but it actually seems more like a pond with a dock. There are definitely people hanging out on the ledge, so the song title is accurate. But I’m not sure it matches the vibe the song is going for.

Yuga is a singer songwriter who’s been active on the music scene since 2011. She’s released two full albums, an EP, and won some music competitions to boot. She’s also toured and played festivals across the country. An active musician with a decade of experience is promising, but I’ve been burned before so I’m not getting my hopes up. Let’s give the track a listen.

I’m loving the slow steady pace of this track. It’s got an air of relaxed confidence that I don’t hear a lot in indie groups today. And certainly not from self proclaimed “singer songwriters.” It’s structured like a late 80s early 90s rock ballad, and the vocals have that 80s sensibility of straight tone with a deep breathy voice. Really wonderful singing throughout, although the mix wasn’t kind to the higher range. A bit more compression would have made the song pop better and probably brought it into the 2020s. The same goes for the guitar mix.

The musicians, while not the focus here, do a great job of padding out the song and groove. I really enjoy the drums in the second verse and chorus. The guitar solos fall a bit flat, I think a sound choice issue. They’re a bit too bubbly for the vocals. The synth pads also have the same mix problem as the vocals, with high ranges being a bit overbearing. But overall this is a great track that I’d definitely listen to again.

Verdict: Worth your time. (3.3/5)

★★★★★

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Signal by Yukarisa

Single Review /

Released: 22.07.28 / Label: fuwari studio

Quite a simple design for this track’s cover. I expect some pop when I see an all-text cover like this.

Yukarisa is a three piece band that formed in 2019. The members all both sing and play instruments, so they get a pretty full sound for just three people. They use a unique group of instruments to boot: organ, synth bass, piano, guitar, and harp. So, something a bit unique to start the week off!

Signal definitely has a fresh clean pop sound. These are some really great all-around players and the vocals and harmonies were really well done. The form was fairly straight forward pop, but there are a couple twists thrown in that make it stand out. The instrumentation, while subtle, also helps keep it sounding new and interesting. The lyrics are refreshingly clear, telling a simple yet endearing love song. Nothing that I really connect with now, but it’s the kind of song that will stay with you if it catches you at the right time. It’s also the perfect length for the message. They said what they wanted, they said it well, the end. Well written and mature for its adorable sound.

Verdict: Worth your time. (3.6/5)

★★★★★

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