Shibuya’s Scrambled Sounds

Hi everyone, I hope you had a nice week. I’m honestly going through a really tough time in my life at the moment, but I’ve come to terms with the fact that this is a learning experience and that there are many life lessons still left to gain, especially those regarding taking care of myself. One perk is that I’m now an East Tokyo hostel expert, so hit me up if you want recs for your next Japan trip.

In Japanese music news this week, a very important musician has passed away.

Chiyo Kamekawa was the bassist for the band Yura Yura Teikoku, a legendary Garage Rock Revival / Psychedelic Rock band who were active throughout the 90’s and most of the 00’s. You may know their vocalist and guitarist Shintaro Sakamoto, and while Chiyo wasn’t there at the very beginning, he was the other main member of the band joining in 1990 and remained an active member until the bands dissolution in 2010. He was a talented musician who valued simplicity and taste over technical prowess. Just like the recent cherry blossom leaves being blown into the wind, we leave this world as soon as we get here. Let’s value our lives and each other while we’re here.

Anyways, here’s the music.

🥧Fresh Out The Oven Albums🥧

Rating System

Pretty warm - for the hardcore fans of the genre
Oh that’s hot - for any fan of the genre
We gonna need oven mitts - potential classic, good entry point for the genre
The kitchen’s on fire!! - modern classic, must listen

South Penguin - South Penguin

Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Indie Rock, Soul-Inspired
Spotify | Apple Music

The 1st and 2nd albums by South Penguin, whose name is derived from a love for Penguin Cafe Orchestra, were both called Y and R respectively. While I’m not sure why the main singer-songwriter for the band, akatsuka (also in Guiba), chose those letters, there was an aesthetic to those records that felt more R&B and Soul inspired, but with a hint of smooth haziness.

While the 3rd record is self-titled, it makes sense, this definitely feels like a reinvention of the band’s sound. While it’s a new South Penguin, it’s not too far from the old brand. This time there’s little more Pop Rock with hints of Psychedelia spread throughout, but it still grooves at adequate times. For example, take the track “business”, whose synth and percussion accentuates the repetitive guitar patterns and rhythm section groove, holding everything together like glue. Sticky yet bright, like those stars that you put up in your room when you’re a kid and you turn the lights off and they glow in the dark. That’s this album.

Rating: Oh that’s hot

Favorite Tracks: animal planet, dance, empty, business, tiger

valknee - Ordinary

Genre: Pop Rap, Hip Hop, UK Hardcore
Spotify | Apple Music

Valknee is a self described “Pa-Gyaru” (a half-assed gyaru (gal)) Rapper who has a standout voice and whose raps ooze with personality. She’s been active since 2019, both via her own singles as well as guest performances on some indie releases (including んoon who has a featured single this week).

I think what makes her and this album worth listening is to is her personality mixed with the hard-hitting, yet slightly introspective club beats. For example, the chorus of OG not only gets your head bobbing, but is extremely catchy with her shouting about how she’s the “real OG” and even using “nadidimean?”. This album is super fun with chorus that never leave your brain. Definitely worth a listen!

Rating: Oh that’s hot

Favorite Tracks: OG, LOOSE, Over Sea, BREEEEZE

Allen Mock - Deadlift EP

Genre: Electronic Dance Music, Bass
Spotify | Apple Music

Hikaru Utada - Science Fiction (Greatest Hits Collection-ish)

*Bonus write up
So it’s not technically an album, but rather a greatest hits collection, actually it’s Hikaru’s first. But if you’re reading this newsletter, there’s a very high chance you know who she is, and you know that she would never make or approve of a cash-grabbing “best of” collection. There’s new mixes, re-recordings of old songs, and even a brand new track titled “Electricity”. If you’ve never got into her music, I would recommend starting with her albums rather than this collection, which is odd to say but true. This feels more like a collection for her hardcore fans, despite including some of her most famous tracks. My personal favorites in the new re-recordings, etc. is the re-recording of “Traveling”, “Gold ~また逢う日まで～ (a recent single of hers but sooooooo good), and the new track “Electricity”.

Genre: Pop, R&B, Art Pop
Spotify | Apple Music

🍵Piping Hot Singles🍵

i-dep - Don’t care any more
Spotify | Apple Music
Genre: Electronic Pop

んoon (hoon) - NANA
Spotify | Apple Music
Genre: Math Rock, Indie Rock, Psychedelic Pop

YAMORI - ヒラエス
Spotify | Apple Music
Genre: R&B, Soul

Luby Sparks - Stayaway
Spotify | Apple Music
Genre: Indie Rock

Thank you!

Thanks again for reading this issue of Shibuya’s Scrambled Sounds! If you have any feedback or questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out by replying to this email, or the official Instagram page (click the icon below). If you like what you read, please tell your friends, like our Instagram etc. I hope to eventually be a primary source for Japanese music for the English speaking world because I want to share my love of music with as many people as possible, and you all would be the way that could happen.

See ya next time! Breakfast is ready.