Shibuya’s Scrambled Sounds

Hi everyone, I hope you had a nice week. I’m in the middle of a four-day weekend at the moment and I’m enjoying every second of it. While I could be going to shows every night (and part of me really wants to), I’m taking this weekend easy as well. No crazy plans, just hanging with friends and showing y’all some good ole fashioned Japanese Underground Music.

Also, welcome to the first episode of the new mini-series Mystery Bento, where every 3rd Monday of the month, I talk about some older, maybe slightly obscure albums that I enjoy. If you’ve never heard them, I’d love to hear your thoughts once you check them out. If you have heard them, I’m sending daps from across the world.

While I usually say this at the end of every issue, I just wanted to take a second to say thanks for reading this newsletter and for your support. If you like what I make and you find some songs or albums you love, tell a friend! You all are what keeps me motivated and excited to do this every week ♥️

🍱Mystery Bento🍱

TsuchiYaniBond - TsuchiYaniBond (2007)

Genre: Indie Rock, Psychedelic-Rock, Folk Rock…. ummm, all Rock?
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

So I’ve been wanting to talk about this album for a LONG TIME. It was an Apple Music recommendation that appeared when I first moved to Japan and wow, this is the definition of a hidden gem.

I don’t even know where to begin to describe this album. Imagine an alternate universe where Happy End formed in the late 2000’s and was Psychedelic? I know it’s tough, so just listen to it and see what I mean. Even in Japanese, there isn’t too much information about the band, but it looks like it’s the project of one guy and then the other members just kinda come and go.

What I really love is this album’s diversity. Each track is distinct yet there’s a consistency in the sounds and production that makes it feel like an album experience. The first 3 tracks on the album go HARD. While “Mori No Yoake” is just the setup, Robot hits you with a polyrhythmic rock riff and has one of the best choruses of the album with drums that are completely locked in yet not exactly grooving per se. After that, “MELODY” comes in with what I would call a “chilled-out Queens of the Stone Age” track in the best way possible. Also, that chorus-ified guitar that comes in later is *chef’s kiss.

In the latter half of the album, things die down and become more subdued and “trippy. Then everything calms down, and the album finally ends with a beautiful acoustic track. Every time I listen to this album, I find something new in it and it keeps me coming back to it over and over again.

Favorite Tracks: Tracks 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10

Shuta Hasunuma - Pop Ooga (2008)

Genre: Glitch Pop, Found Sounds, Ambient-inspired
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

It’s hot. It’s the summer. You can feel your neck burning from the sun's rays. What if that glistening heat was a sound, what would it sound like? To me, it’s the encompassing glitch that shrouds each instrument on Shuta Hasunuma’s early albums. While he’s always challenging himself with every album, it’s hard to deny there’s a charm to his glitch-pop era.

Could you describe this as feel-good music? Maybe. Does that mean this would play in a Target commercial? Probably not. Hasunuma is a master at balancing both the cute and gritty. Another respectable trait of his music is his ability to refrain. He COULD sing on every song, but he chooses not to, only providing vocals when he finds it suitable. The perfect example of this is “New Attitude”, where his vocals feel like a gentle wind that left as soon as it arrived.

I love tracks like “New Attitude”, with its groove I would describe as fairly danceable. Compare this with tracks like “Barr Barr” featuring acoustic guitars and keyboard melodies in addition to the usual glitch-laden soundscape. The album closes out with the ever-changing “Flying Love”. Clocking in at over 9 minutes, its mesmerizing beats mixed with its unwillingness to stay still make it an engaging listen from beginning to end.

While it would be a challenge to put any of these tracks on a party playlist, this is the perfect chill-out album, especially on a scorching summer day.

Favorite Tracks: Soul Osci, Field Trip, New Attitude, Flying Love

Inu - メシ喰うな！(Meshi Kuuna!)/(Don’t Eat Food!) (1981)

Genre: Post-Punk, Punk, New Wave
Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music

This one isn’t so obscure in Japan, it’s a classic. But I didn’t include it in my album charts and it’s not so popular in other countries soooooo, FAIR GAME, I call dibs.

So what does it sound like? I mean, just look at the genres and the year and you can get a pretty good idea. What makes Inu interesting to me is that it sounds like a culmination of all the Punk-affiliated sounds at the time. This is the perfect middle line between Punk and Post-Punk. I love how tight this band was on the album, and while they wore their influences on their sleeves, each member was not afraid to challenge each other. It kind of sounds like they are all trying to catch each other off guard, fighting to trip up each other in the middle of the songs.

This album is such a mixed bag in the best way possible. One track that captures this essence is the song “305”, which goes from a melodic guitar and bass riff to some extremely frantic yet tight drumming. Speaking of the drumming, the rhythm section throughout this entire album is TIGHT. The perfect example of this is the next track “Merry-Go-Round” where the rhythm section jams on basically the same pattern for the 5 minutes of the track duration. They are the underrated heroes, keeping everything together. Then contrast that track with “Lift The Lid” which is basically a New Wave track, a good one at that with an amazing funky bridge.

If you’ve ever been curious about Japanese Punk or Post-Punk, this is an essential listen. One of the best Punk albums from Japan and I would say it can almost compete with the legendary albums of the genre worldwide.

Favorite Tracks: Lift The Lid, Don’t Eat Food, 305, Merry-Go-Round

Thank you!

As always, thanks again for reading this issue of Shibuya’s Scrambled Sounds! Let me know if you have any feedback by either replying to this email, reaching out via the official Instagram page or clicking the link below. I appreciate all of the support I’ve got so far and this is just the beginning! Can’t wait to bring you guys more content in the future and if you’ve read this far, you’re a real pal 🥺

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