🎧 Shibuya's Scrambled Sounds - Issue #41

Teleport (from who knows where) into this week’s issue of Shibuya’s Scrambled Sounds !

Hi everyone, I hope you had a nice couple of weeks.

There was a lot of new music I ran into these past a couple of weeks worth talking about, so lot’s of shorter write ups this time.

Get ready for:

• A gradual genre transition that has finally been completed

• Another solid addition to one of my favorite label’s lineups

• An unlikely addition to this newsletter

• And another headline that starts with an A… and more!

🥧 Fresh Out The Oven Albums 🥧

Reviews of the best new albums that came out recently
*with some exceptions

Acidclank - In Dissolve

Genre: Experimental Electronic Music, Electronic Pop, Loops
Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music

I’ve talked a little about Acidclank before when his Toxic EP came out, but just to give ya a quick recap, it’s the one-man project of Yota Mori and it started off as a serviceable Shoegaze project. However, with his last album Abduction, he teased at some electronic sounding tracks and with the previously mentioned EP, he jumped completely into a Synth Pop/Minimal House/Acid House inspired sound.

This album is the full realization of that sound. While there are hints of Shoegaze in some of the vocals, this is basically a DJ set with a couple of fully formed Pop songs sprinkled throughout. If we only consider the instrumentation and ignore the vocals, this album would be a 3 pie album. However, Acidclank’s vocal melodies feel a bit simplistic and take me out of the music for a little bit.

Still, this album is definitely worth listening to. As an overall album, definitely my favorite of the year so far.

Rating: 🥧🥧 Oh that’s hot
Favorite Tracks: Enigma, Mantra, Remember Me, Grounding

Rika Tana - Oblivion

Genre: House, Outsider Dance Music
Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

KAOMOZI is definitely one of of the coolest labels in Japan right now. All of their artists are super low-key, kinda amateur sounding but are extremely talented. Lots of artists I’ve talked about on this newsletter, like &&more and Jiyugaoka, have been KAOMOZI releases.

Rika Tana’s music fits the record label with her (I believe it’s a her, could be wrong) homegrown yet refined approach to House, as well as other genres of dance music. It’s obvious that a lot of time and craft went into these songs. Also I watched a recorded video of one of her previous live streams and it appears to be mostly DAW-less which makes this even more wild. I especially love the Jazzy Drum and Bass of “Oblivion”, as well as the last track, “Mortal”, which kind of sounds like what if Daft Punk were indie artists who got a hold of vocaloid software.

Also, for those who love finding super obscure music, Rika Tana only has 60 monthly listeners on Spotify, so you heard it from here first. 😎

Rating: 🥧🥧 Oh that’s hot
Favorite Tracks: Highway, Homogenous City, Oblivion, Mortal

the bercedes menz - mutist beach

Genre: Power Pop, Indie Rock, Emo-tinged
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

Other than winning name of the year, the bercedes menz are an enigma. I’m not usually a fan of these kinds of Power Pop/Pop-Punk adjacent bands, but the bercedes menz sound fuzzed out as hell. Everything sound like it’s peaking in the red yet still discernable, immediately making their production stick out in the sea of mediocre bands the sound has.

Also, they’re pros of skating the balance of still being noisy yet cheesily poppy. Take track 3, “Tokyohyohon” for example, with it’s slow moody verses, yet breakneck speed choruses featuring shredding bass lines. The lyrics are all about relationships that are either going sour or won’t ever happen, and while I have to be in a particular mood for songs about those subject matters, it suites their aesthetic. It almost sounds like they know they are kinda cringe, a semi-parody of their sound, which makes it even better.

I was originally planning to give this album 1 pie, but this is worth 2 pies. Considering how much it’s grown on me, it could get an even higher rating in the future from me.

Rating: 🥧🥧 Oh that’s hot
Favorite Tracks: Sad Song, Tokyohyohon, Ballad (Mutist Beach Mix), Kao, Meltdowner

AprilBlue - yura

Genre: Shoegaze, Dream Pop, Pop, I swear some anime is gonna use a song from this as their opening-core
Spotify | Apple Music

So the first AprilBlue that came out in 2019 was not amazing by any means. Actually, I had completely forgotten about it until I saw this one appear in playlists etc. But upon revisiting it, I can definitely tell there is a lo-fi/DIY aesthetic to it that makes it feel like a good For Tracy Hyde knockoff (same guitarist so kinda not really).

This new one though… might be the most disappointing album of the year so far. I don’t like talking negatively about albums here because you know… music is subjective. Let me say this, it’s definitely not bad, but it is the most middle of the road, bland, mid album I’ve heard in forever. It literally sounds like they can’t decide whether they want to be a Shoegaze band or a big Arena Rock act, or maybe both?

Some of you might like it, so I figured I would mention it in the newsletter only. Also it definitely has good songs, so if you’re interested you can check out the ones I liked below in the Favorite Tracks section.

Rating: ?????
Favorite Tracks: Tracks 1, 3, 6, 7, 13

🍱Mystery Bento🍱

An older album you should check out

AOKI takamasa + Tujiko Noriko - 28 (2005)

Genre: Electronic Glitch Pop, Minimal
Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

I still remember hearing this for the first time around 2016 when I was doing my radio show. While it didn’t blow my mind or anything, it definitely sounded other worldly. 28 is definitely not in your face, it’s a slow burn, a grower.

Intertwining Tujiko Noriko’s airy vocals with takamasa’s glitchy beats was already a recipe for success. There was no need to change or adjust each others styles to match the other. Definitely one of those “you got your chocolate in my peanut butter” situations.

The best examples of their ethereal teamwork is displayed on tracks like “Nolicom”, which starts off ambient and brooding, but quickly becomes the banger of the album, as well as “Vinyl Words”, which starts off haunting and creepy but becomes an angelic cacophony by the end.

While I don’t listen to this album too often, and you could argue that some tracks kinda go nowhere, I still have an amazing experience with it every time. If you like anything that remotely sounds like Vespertine by Björk, this is the album for you.

Favorite Tracks: Vinyl Words, Nolicom, Doki Doki Last Night, Alien

♨️ Steaming EPs ♨️ 

Some good EPs that recently came out

Yukiguni - Lemuria EP

Genre: Indie Rock, Kinda Midwest Emo, Kinda Slowcore
Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube
*I personally wouldn’t say I love this, but it’s super solid.

🍵 Piping Hot Singles 🍵

Here’s where you find the newest hottest singles on the planet from Japan

For Spotify and Apple Music, check out the official playlists!
*It’s taking me a little longer to update the list compared to usual. Check again in a couple of days!

Playlist Links:
Spotify
Apple Music

❤️‍🔥 Thank you! ❤️‍🔥 

As always, thank you thank you sooooo much for reading this issue of Shibuya’s Scrambled Sounds! 🥹

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See ya next time! Breakfast is ready.