The continued passion / panic surrounding “AI Music” means we are about to see Vocaloid dragged into contemporary conversations about music more than ever. That’s as impressive as constant re-invention, in my book. They introduce new flourishes on Drive - upright bass of all instruments creeps into “Moebius,” a new texture for them but one that is utilized in a way that makes it feel worn-in for the group - but overall continue to find new nooks to the rock sound they’ve long explored.
I can’t think of a better example in Japan than mitsume, a band going strong for nearly 15 years now without deviating far from a locked-in band setup. Some artists do a certain sound so well that it manages to come across as fresh with new releases despite not actually changing that much when you get into the weeds. Submerse makes for an unexpected but perfect creative partner here, drawing him into his best vocal delivery by keeping the track moving. ONJUICY Featuring Submerse - “BUST A MOVE”įorce ONJUICY to move swiftly, and he’ll produce one of the best songs of his career. While not approaching the oddball heights of last year’s synthesized sax odyssey FAKESAX, the pair of tracks here work thanks to a tension between the breaks and the waves of synth P-boy lets blanket the song, creating something between herky-jerky and elegance. RYOKO2000 member continues to show off sonic depth with new two-song jungle and hardcore firecracker. That they set this all in sleepy Chiba is just a cherry on top. Taken all together, it’s pure revelry at reaching this stage, and a statement for the current era of Japanese rap as it continues to push towards the mainstream (and makes progress, if not strides). I think the middle portion is the best stretch though, anchored by MFS’ effortless flexing and LANA’s vocal range, going from pop hook to throatier ad libs. The key is gathering four rappers from very different sonic background together and throwing them over a Brooklyn-drill beat to celebrate the moment, each getting a chance to showcase their own style, from the smoothness of Bonbero to the spitfire gruff of Watson. This is all in service of Pop Yours, a rap-oriented festival that has become a force in recent years, but despite the need to hype up the event all four MCs will be performing at next weekend, they manage to transform this area into a trophy. It’s an absolute credit to all four rappers and two producers, ZOT On The WAVE and dubby bunny, heavily responsible for the current sound of Japanese hip-hop (hold that thought) present in “Makuhari” that they’ve managed to turn a spot where the best establishment is Costco into a source of bravado. I’ve traveled out there dozens of times since moving to Tokyo, and have seen a lot of great shows…but I’ve never been like “wow, it’s great to be here!” It’s a giant mall based in Chiba Prefecture, made relevant by the presence of 1) the Chiba Lotte Marines, Roki Sasaki’s team and 2) Makuhari Messe, a convention center hosting various trade shows and, for this newsletter’s purposes, music events. I can not emphasize this enough - Makuhari is not a remotely cool place. Bonbero, LANA, MFS And Watson - “Makuhari”
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